This video on molecular biology demonstrates how to perform colony PCR as part of a cloning workflow using Thermo Scientific DreamTaq DNA Polymerase.
Republished for Medical Education, Awareness & Information
Source: ThermofisherScientific
Biomedical Laboratory Science
Sunday, June 19, 2016
Obesity Linked to Abnormal Reward Response to Sugary Foods
An unhealthy diet is considered a key contributor to obesity. When it comes to cravings for sweet treats, however, impairments in the brain's reward system might be to blame.
In a new study published in the journal Diabetes, researchers found age and receptor levels of the reward-associated chemical dopamine influence preference for sweet foods among people of a healthy weight, but not for people who are obese.
First author M. Yanina Pepino, Ph.D., of the Washington University School of Medicine, and colleagues reached their findings by enrolling 44 adults aged 20-40 years.
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| Researchers say the reward system in the brains of obese individuals appears to be impaired in response to sweet foods. |
Source: medicalnewstoday
Saturday, June 18, 2016
Biomedical Laboratory Automation
Improve safety and efficiency in various types of clinical laboratories with Thermo Scientific™ TCAutomation™ Laboratory Automation Solutions. This expandable and scalable, fully-featured laboratory automation solution allows labor-intensive tasks in pre- and post-analytical phases of sample management to be automated in different combinations. Depending on the floor plan and efiiciency requirements, the TCAutomation™ systems can be expanded step-by-step.
TCAutomation™ systems throughput can range from 250 up to 1000 tubes per hour. Because solutions are modular, they are easy to expand. Automating can be started from a certain function and built up towards total laboratory automation. Samples are transported in the system within dual-lane conveyors in a multitube carrier which accommodates several tube sizes. The carrier includes an embedded microchip, based on RFID technology, making sample identification fast and reliable, and enabling excellent real-time sample tracking possibilities.
Read more: Biomedical Laboratory Automation
Source: ThermoFisherScientific
Friday, June 17, 2016
How stress increases seizures for patients with epilepsy
It is well known that stress can increase the frequency and severity of seizures for patients with epilepsy. Now, researchers have shed light on why this is, and they may have even found a way to stop it.
Published in the journal Science Signaling, the researchers reveal how epilepsy alters the way brain reacts to stress to cause seizures.
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures, which are sudden surges of electrical activity in the brain.
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| Researchers have shed light on why stress increases seizure frequency for patients with epilepsy. |
Source: medicalnewstoday
All You Need to Know About Insulin Sensitivity Factor
Insulin is a hormone that plays and important role in the body's metabolism by controlling blood sugar levels and other processes.
It is produced by beta cells in the pancreas and released it into the bloodstream after we eat to enable some body cells, such as muscle, fat, and heart cells, to absorb the sugar from the food we eat.
Insulin also helps store glucose in the liver as glycogen when it is not needed, so it can be released it when blood sugar levels are low or when more energy is needed.
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| Insulin sensitivity factor reflects how blood sugar levels fall after taking 1 unit of insulin. |
Source: medicalnewstoday
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Clinical Chemistry and Integrated Test Systems
Lab consolidation drives technological advances and platform integration
Under the emerging integrated health model, the clinical lab is but one strand in a complex web of healthcare partners. From the emergency department (ED), to physician’s offices, to the specialty clinic, patients are often treated at multiple points of care. Achieving reliable test results across the spectrum of healthcare settings, therefore, is not just desirable, but crucial.
Nevertheless, as testing demand surges, laboratory administrators also face budgetary pressures and staffing shortages. This article examines why and how labs are turning to automated technology to accommodate increases in testing volume. Specifically, advances in clinical chemistry analyzers have enabled labs not just to meet ever-growing workloads, but even to improve turnaround times while achieving consistency in results and minimizing labor requirements.
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| The SK500 from Sekisui Diagnostics is suited for labs that are challenged for space. |
Source: clpmag
Why Do Onions Make You Cry?
Common in cuisine all around the globe, onions are renowned for their ability to make us all look like crybabies.
This American Chemical Society video gets to the bottom of this teary phenomenon and reveals exactly what chemical mechanisms trigger it.
The video also features a few chemistry-backed tips you can try at home to stop the tears before they start.
Source: genengnews
Lab Automation: Renewed Vigor Under Pressure
Over the years, automation in clinical labs has made sizable gains toward improving efficiency and productivity, and delivering timely and accurate results to improve patient outcomes. But automating the many processes used in microbiology departments has been laboratories’ “last frontier,” according to Brad Banks, worldwide marketing manager for lab automation at BD Diagnostics–Diagnostic Systems, Sparks, Md.
Because of the nation’s aging population, the volume of assays performed by US labs is continuing to increase. Yet, at the same time, the number of available techs is decreasing, says Nilam Patel, senior product manager for automation solutions at Sysmex America Inc, Lincolnshire, Ill. Coupled with an increased emphasis on quality and patient outcome initiatives, these trends are leading clinical laboratories to seek automation that provides quality clinical information, maximizes operational efficiency, and minimizes “sample touch points.”
Read more: Lab Automation: Renewed Vigor Under Pressure
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| Automating the microbiology laboratory is the last frontier |
Source: clpmag
Data Analytics in the Clinical Laboratory
Managing test utilization reveals opportunities for improved laboratory performance and better patient care
The laboratory reimbursement market is shifting away from consumption-, fee-for-service-, and transaction-based paradigms to models based on the quality and value of the services provided by clinical labs. Payors are increasingly asking health systems and their providers to respond by providing high-quality care while being mindful of financial performance.
In turn, the move away from fee-for-service payments in favor of other models of reimbursement—especially bundled payment models—is causing lab managers to take a hard look at how they can reduce unnecessary testing.
Read more: Data Analytics in the Clinical Laboratory
Source: clpmag
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Proper QC of Hematology Critical Values
The reporting of critical values—laboratory results that indicate a possible life-threatening situation for a patient—requires rapid clinical intervention in order to avert significant patient morbidity and mortality. Given the imperative of clear, accurate, and expeditious communication of critical value results from the laboratory to clinicians, one method of ensuring prompt handling is to create a protocol that optimizes workflow by eliminating waste and placing checks and balances throughout the process.
As with most vital aspects of laboratory work, managing hematology critical values depends largely on the acumen and aptitude of staff. Thus, an instituted protocol will only be successful if staff technologists are properly trained, gain sufficient knowledge of all involved systems and automation, and are equipped with tools to recognize the effectiveness of checks and balances.
Read more: Proper QC of Hematology Critical Values
Source: medlabmag
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