Secondary standard dosimetry laboratories: Development and trends

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-08-01

This publication describes the work of the IAEA and the WHO in the establishment of a network of Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratories. Membership in the SSDL network has now risen to about 50 laboratories, of which 36 are in developing countries

Medical laboratories in sub-Saharan Africa that meet international quality standards.

Science.gov (United States)

Schroeder, Lee F; Amukele, Timothy

2014-06-01

A recent survey of laboratories in Kampala, Uganda, demonstrated that only 0.3% of laboratories (3/954) met international quality standards. To benchmark laboratory quality throughout the rest of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), we compiled a list of SSA laboratories meeting international quality standards. Accrediting bodies were queried via online registries or direct communication in May 2013. There were 380 laboratories accredited to international standards in SSA. Ninety-one percent were in South Africa. Thirty-seven of 49 countries had no laboratories accredited to international quality standards. Accredited laboratory density (per million people) in South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana were similar to those in many European countries. Single variable linear regression showed a correlation between accredited laboratory density and health expenditures per person (adjusted R(2) = 0.81, P clinical laboratory. For those that do, there is a strong correlation between country-specific accredited laboratory density and per-capita health expenditures. Copyright© by the American Society for Clinical Pathology.

Quality Control Guidelines for Disk Diffusion and Broth Microdilution Antimicrobial Susceptibility Tests with Seven Drugs for Veterinary Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Odland, Brant A.; Erwin, Meredith E.; Jones, Ronald N.

2000-01-01

This multicenter study proposes antimicrobial susceptibility (MIC and disk diffusion methods) quality control (QC) parameters for seven compounds utilized in veterinary health. Alexomycin, apramycin, tiamulin, tilmicosin, and tylosin were tested by broth microdilution against various National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS)-recommended QC organisms (Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213, Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212, Streptococcus pneumoniae ATCC 49619, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853). In addition, disk diffusion zone diameter QC limits were determined for apramycin, enrofloxacin, and premafloxacin by using E. coli ATCC 25922, P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853, and S. aureus ATCC 25923. The results from five or six participating laboratories produced ≥99.0% of MICs and ≥95.0% of the zone diameters within suggested guidelines. The NCCLS Subcommittee for Veterinary Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing has recently approved these ranges for publication in the next M31 document. PMID:10618141

Review and comparison of quality standards, guidelines and regulations for laboratories

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tjeerd A.M. Datema

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Background: The variety and number of laboratory quality standards, guidelines and regulations (hereafter: quality documents makes it difficult to choose the most suitable one for establishing and maintaining a laboratory quality management system. Objectives: There is a need to compare the characteristics, suitability and applicability of quality documents in view of the increasing efforts to introduce quality management in laboratories, especially in clinical diagnostic laboratories in low income and middle income countries. This may provide valuable insights for policy makers developing national laboratory policies, and for laboratory managers and quality officers in choosing the most appropriate quality document for upgrading their laboratories. Method: We reviewed the history of quality document development and then selected a subset based on their current use. We analysed these documents following a framework for comparison of quality documents that was adapted from the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute guideline GP26 Quality management system model for clinical laboratory services. Results: Differences were identified between national and international, and non-clinical and clinical quality documents. The most salient findings were the absence of provisions on occurrence management and customer service in almost all non-clinical quality documents, a low number of safety requirements aimed at protecting laboratory personnel in international quality documents and no requirements regarding ethical behaviour in almost all quality documents. Conclusion: Each laboratory needs to investigate whether national regulatory standards are present. These are preferred as they most closely suit the needs of laboratories in the country. A laboratory should always use both a standard and a guideline: a standard sums up the requirements to a quality management system, a guideline describes how quality management can be integrated in the laboratory

40 CFR 262.103 - What is the scope of the laboratory environmental management standard?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... environmental management standard? 262.103 Section 262.103 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... University Laboratories XL Project-Laboratory Environmental Management Standard § 262.103 What is the scope of the laboratory environmental management standard? The Laboratory Environmental Management Standard...

Hot laboratory design on the basis of standardized components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cadrot, J.

1976-01-01

The paper describes the principal effects on hot laboratory design brought about over the last 15 years by the use of standardized components developed jointly with the CEA and the industrial associates of AFINE. After a rapid survey of the various advantages of standardization, the author turns to the specific case of a laboratory producing mixed plutonium and uranium oxide fuels, giving a brief description of the glove-boxes and ancillary equipment. He then deals with the design of an isotope production laboratory. The basic component is the DR 200 standard cell, which permits the civil engineering work to be effected on modular principles. Use of a safety-flow pressure regulating valve makes possible pneumatic automation of the production-cell internals. A substantial gain in output is the result. In the next section the paper refers to a pilot facility for irradiated fuel studies, and describes the components used, which require taking into account the high activities and intense radiations encountered in studies of this type. The author then demonstrates the flexibility with which standardized components can be adapted to different uses, thus solving many distinct problems, an example of which is represented by a semi-hot box for handling up to 100g of americium-241. Finally, the paper offers a rapid summary of the effects of standardization at the various stages concerned, from initial design to the commissioning of a hot laboratory. (author)

Neutron Standards Laboratory of the CIEMAT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guzman G, K. A.; Mendez V, R.; Vega C, H. R.

2014-08-01

By means of a calculation series with Monte Carlo methods and the code MCNPX was characterized the neutrons field produced by the existent calibration sources in the Neutron Standards Laboratory of the Centro de Investigaciones Energeticas, Medioambientales y Tecnologicas (CIEMAT). The laboratory has two neutron calibration sources one of 241 AmBe and other 252 Cf that are stored in a water pool. A detailed three-dimensional model of the room was built with the base of stainless steel remarking in the selector to the sources that situates them to 4 m of the floor to be irradiated on the irradiation table and the storage pool. Each one of the sources was defined on the model in its double steel encapsulated. The spectra were calculated with different cases with the purpose of to calculate the contribution of each element that impacts to the neutrons transport. The spectra of the calibration sources were calculated to different distances regarding the source from 0, 15, 35, 50 to 300 cm on the base and in a same way the values of the ambient dose equivalent using the approaches of the ICRP-74. The results show clearly that the great contribution in the modification of the spectrum is attributed to the walls, and floor of the Neutron Standards Laboratory installations. (Author)

The standard laboratory module approach to automation of the chemical laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hollen, R.M.; Erkkila, T.H.

1993-01-01

Automation of the technology and practice of environmental laboratory automation has not been as rapid or complete as one might expect. Confined to autosamplers and limited robotic systems, our ability to apply production concepts to environmental analytical analysis is not great. With the impending remediation of our hazardous waste sites in the US, only the application of production chemistry techniques will even begin to provide those responsible with the necessary knowledge to accomplish the cleanup expeditiously and safely. Tightening regulatory requirements have already mandated staggering increases in sampling and characterization needs with the future only guaranteeing greater demands. The Contaminant Analysis Automation Program has been initiated by our government to address these current and future characterization by application of a new robotic paradigm for analytical chemistry. By using standardized modular instruments, named Standard Laboratory Modules, flexible automation systems can rapidly be configured to apply production techniques to our nations environmental problems at-site

Secondary standard dosimetry laboratory at the Boris Kidric Institute

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kovacevic, M.; Velickovic, D.; Vukcevic, M.

1989-01-01

Essential data about Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory at the Boris Kidric Institute are stated in this paper. The description of the laboratory is given and the possibilities of X, gamma and neutron dose measurements, as well as the basic equipment (author)

LLNL X-ray Calibration and Standards Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1982-01-01

The LLNL X-ray Calibration and Standards Laboratory is a unique facility for developing and calibrating x-ray sources, detectors, and materials, and for conducting x-ray physics research in support of our weapon and fusion-energy programs

Microbiological Standardization in Small Laboratory Animals and Recommendations for the Monitoring

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meral Karaman

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Microbiological standardization in laboratory animal breeding is based on the classification according to the microorganisms that the animals host and consequently their upbringing environment, as well as the certification of their microbiological status and the protection of their properties. Although there are many different classifications for microbiological standardization of laboratory animals, they can be basically classified as; gnotobiotic animals, animals bred with a complete barrier system (Germ free, GF, with Colonization-Resistant Flora; CRF, animals bred with a partial barrier system (Specified Pathogen Free, SPF, and animals bred by conventional methods in units without barriers (Conventional; CV. Monitoring of microbiological standardization is carried out in two ways. One is controlling barrier systems (process control and the other is controlling laboratory animals (product control. In controlling barrier systems samples are taken routinely from ambient air, surfaces, base plate materials of animals, foods and waters, and microbiological tests are carried out. FELASA guidelines are frequently used in monitoring laboratory animals. These guidelines where the monitoring frequency, sample size, micro-organisms to be tested, vary according to the microbiological quality of the animals, and test methods and are frequently updated by FELASA and shared in their web pages. In our country, in general, laboratory animals used for experimental studies present no microbiological standardization, and follow-up protocols are not implemented. Therefore, construction of facilities for the production of microbiologically standard animals and establishment of backup laboratories testing microbiological quality should be established.

DOE standard: The Department of Energy Laboratory Accreditation Program for radiobioassay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-12-01

This technical standard describes the US Department of Energy Laboratory Accreditation Program (DOELAP) for Radiobioassay, for use by the US Department of Energy (DOE) and DOE Contractor radiobioassay programs. This standard is intended to be used in conjunction with the general administrative technical standard that describes the overall DOELAP accreditation process--DOE-STD-1111-98, Department of Energy Laboratory Accreditation Program Administration. This technical standard pertains to radiobioassay service laboratories that provide either direct or indirect (in vivo or in vitro) radiobioassay measurements in support of internal dosimetry programs at DOE facilities or for DOE and DOE contractors. Similar technical standards have been developed for other DOELAP dosimetry programs. This program consists of providing an accreditation to DOE radiobioassay programs based on successful completion of a performance-testing process and an on-site evaluation by technical experts. This standard describes the technical requirements and processes specific to the DOELAP Radiobioassay Accreditation Program as required by 10 CFR 835 and as specified generically in DOE-STD-1111-98

Correlation between in vitro and in vivo antifungal activities in experimental fluconazole-resistant oropharyngeal and esophageal candidiasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Walsh, T J; Gonzalez, C E; Piscitelli, S; Bacher, J D; Peter, J; Torres, R; Shetti, D; Katsov, V; Kligys, K; Lyman, C A

2000-06-01

Oropharyngeal and esophageal candidiasis (OPEC) is a frequent opportunistic mycosis in immunocompromised patients. Azole-resistant OPEC is a refractory form of this infection occurring particularly in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients. The procedures developed by the Antifungal Subcommittee of the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) are an important advance in standardization of in vitro antifungal susceptibility methodology. In order to further understand the relationship between NCCLS methodology and antifungal therapeutic response, we studied the potential correlation between in vitro susceptibility to fluconazole and in vivo response in a rabbit model of fluconazole-resistant OPEC. MICs of fluconazole were determined by NCCLS methods. Three fluconazole-susceptible (FS) (MIC, /=64 microgram/ml) isolates of Candida albicans from prospectively monitored HIV-infected children with OPEC were studied. FR isolates were recovered from children with severe OPEC refractory to fluconazole, and FS isolates were recovered from those with mucosal candidiasis responsive to fluconazole. Fluconazole at 2 mg/kg of body weight/day was administered to infected animals for 7 days. The concentrations of fluconazole in plasma were maintained above the MICs for FS isolates throughout the dosing interval. Fluconazole concentrations in the esophagus were greater than or equal to those in plasma. Rabbits infected with FS isolates and treated with fluconazole had significant reductions in oral mucosal quantitative cultures (P OPEC due to C. albicans.

Air kerma standardization for diagnostic radiology, and requirements proposal for calibration laboratories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramos, Manoel Mattos Oliveira

2009-01-01

The demand for calibration services and quality control in diagnostic radiology has grown in the country since the publication of the governmental regulation 453, issued by the Ministry of Health in 1998. At that time, to produce results facing the new legislation, many laboratories used different standards and radiation qualities, some of which could be inadequate. The international standards neither supplied consistent radiation qualities and standardization for the different types of equipment available. This situation changed with the publication of the new edition of the IEC 61267 standard, published in 2005. A metrology network was created, but it is not yet accredited by the accreditation organism of the country, INMETRO. The objective of this work was to implement the standardization of the air kerma for the un attenuated qualities (RQR) of IEC 61267, and to develop a requirement proposal for instruments calibration laboratories. Results of interlaboratory comparisons demonstrate that the quantity is standardized and internationally traceable. A laboratory requirement proposal was finalized and it shall be submitted to INMETRO to be used as auxiliary normative document in laboratory accreditation. (author)

Accrediting of the OKTA Laboratory - Harmonizing with the European standards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Denkovski, Gligor

2004-01-01

In the energetics of Republic of Macedonia, after 13 years of independence of the country, there is still chaos in applying of many standards that are not used any more, even in the countries from which they are taken over. Step forward is the applying of the new standards in the oil industry. Control of applying of these standards is still open question. Factory laboratories regardless their equipping are not formally authorized to perform analysis for purposes other than those for their own needs. With establishing of Accrediting Institute of Republic of Macedonia (IARM), and adopting of corresponding regulations, there are conditions for accrediting of laboratories in order of giving services to the State and other users. Subject of this work is accrediting of the laboratory of OKTA - Crude Oil Refinery, Skopje, according the international standard ISO / IEC 17025. Finally this will be beginning of the control of import of crude oil products with suspicious origin and quality, that have been on the Macedonian market for years. (Author)

ABACC laboratories quality assurance through Secondary Standards Exchange Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guidicini, Olga Mafra; Thompson, Jay; Soriano, Michael

2003-01-01

In September 1999, the Brazilian-Argentine Agency for Accounting and Control of Nuclear Materials (ABACC), with assistance from the New Brunswick Laboratory (NBL) of the U.S. Department of Energy, started a new cooperative activity with, among other objectives, the production and characterization of a traceable uranium secondary standard and the performance of the Third Round Robin for ABACC's laboratory network. Brazil and Argentina have fabricated UO 2 pellets for use as a secondary standard. Samples from the two batches were sent to NBL for the determination of the reference values for both uranium concentration (%U) and isotopic composition for each batch. ABACC and NBL then organized the Third ABACC Round Robin for Brazilian and Argentine laboratories that are part of the ABACC network. The laboratories comprising the network can be used to analyze real samples collected during the ABACC inspections. The Brazilian and Argentine pellets were distributed to all the laboratories together with the protocol to be followed for the uranium concentration analysis, the forms for reporting the measurement results, and natural UO 2 pellets (CETAMA OU1) to be used as reference material. For the laboratories with capability of measuring isotopics, NBL reference material CRM 125-A was provided. Several laboratories from each country provided results. As soon as the measurement results were sent to the organizers, they were statistically evaluated by NBL. During a meeting held at ABACC headquarters with the participation of NBL representatives, the ABACC technical support officer, and representatives of all the participant laboratories, the results were discussed and compared with the reference values. All the laboratories had the occasion, in an open discussion, to explain and show the difficulties and problems they faced during the exercise. ABACC had the opportunity not only to judge the quality of the measurements these laboratories performed, but also to determine

Estudio de la actividad antifúngica de un extracto de propóleo de la abeja Apis mellifera proveniente del estado de México

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amparo Londoño Orozco

2013-05-01

Full Text Available El objetivo del presente trabajo fue evaluar la acción inhibitoria de un extracto etanólico al 15% de propóleo de la abeja Apis mellifera, procedente del apiario de la Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán, UNAM, sobre el crecimiento de Candida albicans (ATCC 14055, Cryptococcus neoformans, y Aspergillus fumigatus, mediante dos pruebas de susceptibilidad: difusión en agar y microdilución. Se impregnaron los discos con el extracto de propóleo. Las pruebas de difusión fueron efectuadas sobre agar dextrosa Sabouraud (SDA, Müeller-Hinton con 2% de glucosa y 0,5 μg/mL de azul de metileno (MHAM: documento NCCLS M-44ª y RPMI 1640 con agar noble. Para obtener la concentración inhibitoria mínima (CIM, se realizaron pruebas de microdilución según los métodos M27-A2 (levaduras y M38-A (filamentosos del NCCLS (National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standard: ahora Institute for Clinical Laboratory Standard. Se observó actividad inhibitoria sobre el desarrollo de todos los hongos estudiados. Estos resultados sugieren el posible potencial del propóleo como un tratamiento alternativo contra las infecciones por hongos, tanto levaduriformes como filamentosos.

Guidelines for Member States concerning radiation measurement standards and Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1986-01-01

In the early nineteen-sixties an acute need developed for higher dosimetric accuracy in radiation therapy, particularly in developing countries. This need led to the establishment of a number of dosimetry laboratories around the world, specializing in the calibration of radiation therapy dosimeters. In order to co-ordinate the provision of guidance and assistance to such laboratories, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) set up a Network of Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratories (SSDLs) under their joint aegis, as described in the IAEA booklet 'SSDLs: Development and Trends' (1985). This publication includes detailed criteria for the establishment of these laboratories. The present guidelines deal with the functions and status of SSDLs, in particular with the need for recognition and support by the competent national authorities. (author)

Microbiological Standardization in Small Laboratory Animals and Recommendations for the Monitoring

OpenAIRE

Meral Karaman

2014-01-01

Microbiological standardization in laboratory animal breeding is based on the classification according to the microorganisms that the animals host and consequently their upbringing environment, as well as the certification of their microbiological status and the protection of their properties. Although there are many different classifications for microbiological standardization of laboratory animals, they can be basically classified as; gnotobiotic animals, animals bred with a complete barrie...

Standards in radiation protection at the IAEA Dosimetry Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Czap, L.; Pernicka, F.; Matscheko, G.; Andreo, P.

1999-01-01

Approximately 90% of the Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratories (SSDLs) provide users with calibrations of radiation protection instruments, and the Agency is making every necessary effort to insure that SSDLs measurements in radiation protection are traceable to Primary Standards. The IAEA provides traceable calibrations of ionization chambers in terms of air kerma at radiation protection levels and ambient dose equivalent calibrations. SSDLs are encouraged to use the calibrations available from the Agency to provide traceability for their radiation protection measurements. Measurements on diagnostic X ray generators have become increasingly important in radiation protection and some SSDLs are involved in such measurements. The IAEA has proper radiation sources available to provide traceable calibrations to the SSDLs in this field, including an X ray unit specifically for mammography dedicated to standardization procedures. The different photon beam qualities and calibration procedures available in the Agency's Dosimetry Laboratory will be described. (author)

Secondary standard dosimetry laboratory Saraykoy Nuclear Research and Training Center Ankara, Turkey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okruhlica, P.

2014-01-01

Turkish Saraykoy Nuclear Research and Training Center (SANA) was founded in 2005. In 2014 the company PTW Freiburg in cooperation with VF Cerna Hora started the construction of a comprehensive national metrology laboratories of ionizing radiation 'Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory' (SSDL). The laboratory will be located in the area of 'Saraykoy Nuclear Research and Training Center' in Ankara in Turkey. SSDL will be equipped with metrology departments for calibration and measurement of standard required quantities of metrology of ionizing radiation: - Neutron workplace; Gamma workplace (low-energy X-ray, gamma Standard Cs-137 and high dose rate, Co-60); - Beta workplace; - Control system of metrology laboratories and irradiation VF DARS; - Radiation monitoring system VF RMS; - Camera and security system; - Measuring instruments (ionization chambers, electrometers, monitors for environmental measurements ...) with the appropriate phantoms and other systems.

International standards for tuberculosis care: Relevance and implications for laboratory professionals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pai M

2007-01-01

Full Text Available On World Tuberculosis (TB Day 2006, the International Standards for Tuberculosis Care (ISTC was officially released and widely endorsed by several agencies and organizations. The ISTC release was the culmination of a year long global effort to develop and set internationally acceptable, evidence-based standards for tuberculosis care. The ISTC describes a widely endorsed level of care that all practitioners, public and private, should seek to achieve in managing individuals who have or are suspected of having, TB and is intended to facilitate the effective engagement of all healthcare providers in delivering high quality care for patients of all ages, including those with smear-positive, smear-negative and extra-pulmonary TB, TB caused by drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis and TB/HIV coinfection. In this article, we present the ISTC, with a special focus on the diagnostic standards and describe their implications and relevance for laboratory professionals in India and worldwide. Laboratory professionals play a critical role in ensuring that all the standards are actually met by providing high quality laboratory services for smear microscopy, culture and drug susceptibility testing and other services such as testing for HIV infection. In fact, if the ISTC is widely followed, it can be expected that there will be a greater need and demand for quality assured laboratory services and this will have obvious implications for all laboratories in terms of work load, requirement for resources and trained personnel and organization of quality assurance systems.

Secondary calibration laboratory for ionizing radiation laboratory accreitation program National Institute of Standards and Technology National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martin, P.R.

1993-12-31

This paper presents an overview of the procedures and requirements for accreditation under the Secondary Calibration Laboratory for Ionizing Radiation Program (SCLIR LAP). The requirements for a quality system, proficiency testing and the onsite assessment are discussed. The purpose of the accreditation program is to establish a network of secondary calibration laboratories that can provide calibrations traceable to the primary national standards.

Secondary calibration laboratory for ionizing radiation laboratory accreitation program National Institute of Standards and Technology National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, P.R.

1993-01-01

This paper presents an overview of the procedures and requirements for accreditation under the Secondary Calibration Laboratory for Ionizing Radiation Program (SCLIR LAP). The requirements for a quality system, proficiency testing and the onsite assessment are discussed. The purpose of the accreditation program is to establish a network of secondary calibration laboratories that can provide calibrations traceable to the primary national standards

The need for a quality standard for assurance in medical research laboratories

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S Cohen

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this article is to show the results of a research study conducted to evaluate the need for a quality standard specific for medical research laboratories based on the shortfalls of ISO 15189 when used for this purpose. A qualitative research methodology was used, which comprised of collecting data from 20 well-qualified and experienced medical laboratory personnel by means of interviews based on a framework developed from a literature review. The data were analysed by means of a thematic technique and the results were verified by a team of medical researchers. The seven themes arising from the analyses were inflexibility; ambiguity; unfair requirements; inappropriate focus; inadequacy for research; renewal; and acceptance for accreditation. The results indicated that the ISO 15189 standard in its present content does not totally suit medical research laboratories and shows support for the development of a standard specific for research laboratories.

Inter-laboratory variation in DNA damage using a standard comet assay protocol

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Forchhammer, Lykke; Ersson, Clara; Loft, Steffen

2012-01-01

determined the baseline level of DNA strand breaks (SBs)/alkaline labile sites and formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase (FPG)-sensitive sites in coded samples of mononuclear blood cells (MNBCs) from healthy volunteers. There were technical problems in seven laboratories in adopting the standard protocol...... analysed by the standard protocol. The SBs and FPG-sensitive sites were measured in the same experiment, indicating that the large spread in the latter lesions was the main reason for the reduced inter-laboratory variation. However, it remains worrying that half of the participating laboratories obtained...

[The challenges of standardization in clinical diagnostic laboratories of medical organizations].

Science.gov (United States)

Men'shikov, V V

2013-04-01

The generalized data concerning the conditions of application of regulations of national standards in clinical diagnostic laboratories of medical organizations is presented. The primary information was provided by 14 regions of 6 federal administrative okrugs of Russia. The causes of challenges of application of requirements of standards are presented. They are mostly related with insufficient financial support, lacking of manpower, difficulties with reagents supply, inadequate technical maintenance of devices and absence of support of administration of medical organizations. The recommendations are formulated concerning the necessity of publishing the document of Minzdrav of Russia to determine the need in application of standards in laboratory practice.

The Tanzania experience: clinical laboratory testing harmonization and equipment standardization at different levels of a tiered health laboratory system.

Science.gov (United States)

Massambu, Charles; Mwangi, Christina

2009-06-01

The rapid scale-up of the care and treatment programs in Tanzania during the preceding 4 years has greatly increased the demand for quality laboratory services for diagnosis of HIV and monitoring patients during antiretroviral therapy. Laboratory services were not in a position to cope with this demand owing to poor infrastructure, lack of human resources, erratic and/or lack of reagent supply and commodities, and slow manual technologies. With the limited human resources in the laboratory and the need for scaling up the care and treatment program, it became necessary to install automated equipment and train personnel for the increased volume of testing and new tests across all laboratory levels. With the numerous partners procuring equipment, the possibility of a multitude of equipment platforms with attendant challenges for procurement of reagents, maintenance of equipment, and quality assurance arose. Tanzania, therefore, had to harmonize laboratory tests and standardize laboratory equipment at different levels of the laboratory network. The process of harmonization of tests and standardization of equipment included assessment of laboratories, review of guidelines, development of a national laboratory operational plan, and stakeholder advocacy. This document outlines this process.

A report from the AVS Standards Committee - Comparison of ion gauge calibrations by several standards laboratories

Science.gov (United States)

Warshawsky, I.

1982-01-01

Calibrations by four U.S. laboratories of four hot-cathode ion gauges, in the range 0.07-13 mPa, showed systematic differences among laboratories that were much larger than the expected error of any one calibration. They also suggested that any of the four gauges tested, if properly packaged and shipped, was able to serve as a transfer standard with probable error of 2%. A second comparison was made of the calibrations by two U.S. laboratories of some other gauges that had also been calibrated by the National Physical Laboratory, England. Results did not permit conclusive determination of whether differences were due to the laboratories or to changes in the gauges.

Productivity standards for histology laboratories.

Science.gov (United States)

Buesa, René J

2010-04-01

The information from 221 US histology laboratories (histolabs) and 104 from 24 other countries with workloads from 600 to 116 000 cases per year was used to calculate productivity standards for 23 technical and 27 nontechnical tasks and for 4 types of work flow indicators. The sample includes 254 human, 40 forensic, and 31 veterinary pathology services. Statistical analyses demonstrate that most productivity standards are not different between services or worldwide. The total workload for the US human pathology histolabs averaged 26 061 cases per year, with 54% between 10 000 and less than 30 000. The total workload for 70% of the histolabs from other countries was less than 20 000, with an average of 15 226 cases per year. The fundamental manual technical tasks in the histolab and their productivity standards are as follows: grossing (14 cases per hour), cassetting (54 cassettes per hour), embedding (50 blocks per hour), and cutting (24 blocks per hour). All the other tasks, each with their own productivity standards, can be completed by auxiliary staff or using automatic instruments. Depending on the level of automation of the histolab, all the tasks derived from a workload of 25 cases will require 15.8 to 17.7 hours of work completed by 2.4 to 2.7 employees with 18% of their working time not directly dedicated to the production of diagnostic slides. This article explains how to extrapolate this productivity calculation for any workload and different levels of automation. The overall performance standard for all the tasks, including 8 hours for automated tissue processing, is 3.2 to 3.5 blocks per hour; and its best indicator is the value of the gross work flow productivity that is essentially dependent on how the work is organized. This article also includes productivity standards for forensic and veterinary histolabs, but the staffing benchmarks for histolabs will be the subject of a separate article. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mechanisms of methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus and methods for laboratory detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Jorgensen, J H

1991-01-01

Three distinctly different mechanisms of methicillin resistance have been described in Staphylococcus aureus. The best-documented and probably most important mechanism is production of a unique, low affinity penicillin-binding protein, PBP 2a. Strains possessing PBP 2a are resistant to methicillin, oxacillin, and probably all other currently available beta-lactam antibiotics. Two additional mechanisms of reduced susceptibility to methicillin have been described. Borderline resistance (BORSA) to the semi-synthetic penicillins has been attributed to the hyperproduction of normal staphylococcal beta-lactamase. A third mechanism has recently been advanced that describes an intermediate level of resistance to methicillin due to production of modified, normal PBPs with reduced affinity for beta-lactams (MODSA). Little is known regarding the prevalence or clinical significance of the BORSA and MODSA strains. The most reliable in vitro susceptibility test methods for detecting MRSA (strains possessing PBP 2a) include the microdilution minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) test (with 2% NaCl supplemented broth), the oxacillin agar screen plate test (incorporating 6 micrograms/ml oxacillin in 4% NaCl supplemented agar), and the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) disk diffusion test with oxacillin. All three methods use direct inoculum preparation and incubation of tests at 35 degrees C for a full 24 hours.

Radiation dosimetry and standards at the austrian dosimetry laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leitner, A.

1984-10-01

The Austrian Dosimetry Laboratory, established and operated in cooperation between the Austrian Research Center Seibersdorf and the Federal Office of Metrology and Surveying (Bundesamt and Eich- und Vermessungswesen) maintains the national primary standards for radiation dosimetry. Furthermore its tasks include routine calibration of dosemeters and dosimetric research. The irradiation facilities of the laboratory comprise three X-ray machines covering the voltage range from 5 kV to 420 kV constant potential, a 60 Co teletherapy unit, a circular exposure system for routine batch calibration of personnel dosemeters with four gamma ray sources ( 60 Co and 137 Cs) and a reference source system with six gamma ray sources ( 60 Co and 137 Cs). In addition a set of calibrated beta ray sources are provided ( 147 Pm, 204 Tl and 90 Sr). The dosimetric equipment consists of three free-air parallelplate ionization chambers serving as primary standards of exposure for the X-ray energy region, graphite cavity chambers with measured volume as primary standards for the gamma radiation of 137 Cs and 60 Co as well as different secondary standard ionization chambers covering the dose rate range from the natural background level up to the level of modern therapy accelerators. In addition for high energy photon and electron radiation a graphite calorimeter is provided as primary standard of absorbed dose. The principle experimental set-ups for the practical use of the standards are presented and the procedures for the calibration of the different types of dosemeters are described. (Author)

Antimicrobial Ellagitannin of Punica granatum Fruits

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Machado Thelma de B.

2002-01-01

Full Text Available The ethyl acetate extract of Punica granatum fruits was fractionated by chromatographic techniques to afford the ellagitannin punicalagin. The substance was found to be active against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains and was identified by HPLC/UV and ¹HNMR. The antibacterial assays which guided the isolation of the tannin were conducted using the disc diffusion method. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC was determined by the dilution method according to NCCLS (National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards procedure.

STUDY ON THE ANTIBIOTIC-RESISTANCE IN STRAINS OF SALMONELLA ISOLATES IN FOOD FROM 2003 TO 2010

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Capuano

2012-08-01

Full Text Available A survey on the antibiotics resistance on salmonella strains of food origin was carried out. Four hundred thirty five different strains of Salmonella detected during eight years since 2003 were tested with the protocols of the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standard (NCCLS. One hundred twenty Salmonella strains were of cow origin, 166 from swine, 92 from poultry and the remaining 57 from shellfish. Starting from 2007 a reduction in the resistance was evident on the total isolates.

National Standards Laboratory biennial report, 1971--1973

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1974-02-28

This report describes the activities of the laboratory in: length interferometry; engineering metrology; photogrammetry; mass, volume, density, and pressure measurement: force, hardness, and materials testing machines; vibration; corrosion; time and frequency; acoustics; electrical standards; power frequency; high voltage; rf and microwave measurement; temperature measurement; optical radiometry; optics; dielectrics; magnetics; thermal and elastic properties of solids; electron transport in metals; low-energy collisions in gases; physics of the fluid state and high pressures; water vapor physics; viscometry; airglow; solar physics; and theoretical astrophysics. (DLC)

Recommendations concerning classification of and discharge standards for radionuclide laboratories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-01-01

In the report recommendations are made for the limitation of the radioactive gaseous and liquid effluents from radionuclide laboratories. The recommended values are based on a radiation exposure for members of a critical group in the population corresponding to 1% of the dose limit for individual members of the public as recommended by the ICRP. Based on these standards a classification of radionuclide laboratories is proposed. It is recommended to retain the present Dutch classification in A-, B-, C- and D-laboratories. The report contains appendices with detailed data about the transport routes of radionuclides in the environment and the subsequent irradiation of members of the public. (orig.)

[Implementation of the technical requirements of the UNE-EN-ISO 15189 quality standard in a mycobacterial laboratory].

Science.gov (United States)

Guna Serrano, M del Remedio; Ocete Mochón, M Dolores; Lahiguera, M José; Bresó, M Carmen; Gimeno Cardona, Concepción

2013-02-01

The UNE-EN-ISO 15189:2007 standard defines the requirements for quality and competence that must be met by medical laboratories. These laboratories should use this international standard to develop their own quality management systems and to evaluate their own competencies; in turn, this standard will be used by accreditation bodies to confirm or recognize the laboratories' competence. In clinical microbiology laboratories, application of the standard implies the implementation of the technical and specific management requirements that must be met to achieve optimal quality when carrying out microbiological tests. In Spain, accreditation is granted by the Spanish Accreditation Body (Entidad Nacional de Acreditación). This review aims to discuss the practical application of the standard's technical requirements in mycobacterial laboratory. Firstly, we define the scope of accreditation. Secondly, we specify how the items of the standard on personnel management, control of equipment, environmental facilities, method validation, internal controls and customer satisfaction surveys were developed and implemented in our laboratory. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

Food intake in laboratory rats provided standard and fenbendazole-supplemented diets.

Science.gov (United States)

Vento, Peter J; Swartz, Megan E; Martin, Lisa Be; Daniels, Derek

2008-11-01

The benzimidazole anthelmintic fenbendazole (FBZ) is a common and effective treatment for pinworm infestation in laboratory animal colonies. Although many investigators have examined the potential for deleterious biologic effects of FBZ, more subtle aspects of the treatment remain untested. Accordingly, we evaluated differences in food intake when healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were provided a standard nonmedicated laboratory rodent chow or the same chow supplemented with FBZ. We also tested for a preference for either food type when subjects were provided a choice of the 2 diets. Data from these experiments showed no differences in food intake or body weight when rats were maintained on either standard or FBZ-supplemented chow. When the rats were given access to both the standard and FBZ-supplemented diets, they showed a clear preference for the standard diet. The preference for the standard diet indicates that the rats can discriminate between the 2 foods and may avoid the FBZ-supplemented chow when possible. Investigators conducting experiments during treatment with FBZ in which differences in food preference are relevant should be aware of these data and plan their studies accordingly.

[The analytical reliability of clinical laboratory information and role of the standards in its support].

Science.gov (United States)

Men'shikov, V V

2012-12-01

The article deals with the factors impacting the reliability of clinical laboratory information. The differences of qualities of laboratory analysis tools produced by various manufacturers are discussed. These characteristics are the causes of discrepancy of the results of laboratory analyses of the same analite. The role of the reference system in supporting the comparability of laboratory analysis results is demonstrated. The project of national standard is presented to regulate the requirements to standards and calibrators for analysis of qualitative and non-metrical characteristics of components of biomaterials.

DOE standard: The Department of Energy Laboratory Accreditation Program administration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-12-01

This technical standard describes the US Department of Energy Laboratory Accreditation Program (DOELAP), organizational responsibilities, and the accreditation process. DOELAP evaluates and accredits personnel dosimetry and radiobioassay programs used for worker monitoring and protection at DOE and DOE contractor sites and facilities as required in Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 835, Occupational Radiation Protection. The purpose of this technical standard is to establish procedures for administering DOELAP and acquiring accreditation

ISO/IEC 17025 laboratory accreditation of NRC Acoustical Standards Program

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, George S. K.; Wu, Lixue; Hanes, Peter; Ohm, Won-Suk

2004-05-01

Experience gained during the external accreditation of the Acoustical Standards Program at the Institute for National Measurement Standards of the National Research Council is discussed. Some highlights include the preparation of documents for calibration procedures, control documents with attention to reducing future paper work and the need to maintain documentation or paper trails to satisfy the external assessors. General recommendations will be given for laboratories that are contemplating an external audit in accordance to the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025.

The transfer voltage standard for calibration outside of a laboratory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Urekar Marjan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The transfer voltage standard is designed for transferring the analog voltage from a calibrator to the process control workstation for multi-electrode electrolysis process in a plating plant. Transfer voltage standard is based on polypropylene capacitors and operational amplifiers with tera-ohm range input resistance needed for capacitor self-discharging effect cancellation. Dielectric absorption effect is described. An instrument for comparison of reference and control voltages is devised, based on precise window comparator. Detailed description of the main task is given, including constraints, theoretical and practical solutions. Procedure for usage of the standard outside of a laboratory conditions is explained. Comparison of expected and realized standard characteristics is given. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. TR-32019

Synthetic salt cake standards for analytical laboratory quality control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schilling, A.E.; Miller, A.G.

1980-01-01

The validation of analytical results in the characterization of Hanford Nuclear Defense Waste requires the preparation of synthetic waste for standard reference materials. Two independent synthetic salt cake standards have been prepared to monitor laboratory quality control for the chemical characterization of high-level salt cake and sludge waste in support of Rockwell Hanford Operations' High-Level Waste Management Program. Each synthetic salt cake standard contains 15 characterized chemical species and was subjected to an extensive verification/characterization program in two phases. Phase I consisted of an initial verification of each analyte in salt cake form in order to determine the current analytical capability for chemical analysis. Phase II consisted of a final characterization of those chemical species in solution form where conflicting verification data were observed. The 95 percent confidence interval on the mean for the following analytes within each standard is provided: sodium, nitrate, nitrite, phosphate, carbonate, sulfate, hydroxide, chromate, chloride, fluoride, aluminum, plutonium-239/240, strontium-90, cesium-137, and water

Analytical performance of centrifuge-based device for clinical chemistry testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Suk-Anake, Jamikorn; Promptmas, Chamras

2012-01-01

A centrifuge-based device has been introduced to the Samsung Blood Analyzer (SBA). The verification of this analyzer is essential to meet the ISO15189 standard. Analytical performance was evaluated according to the NCCLS EP05-A method. The results of plasma samples were compared between the SBA and a Hitachi 917 analyzer according to the NCCLS EP09-A2-IR method. Percent recovery was determined via analysis of original control serum and spiked serum. Within-run precision was found to be 0.00 - 6.61% and 0.96 - 5.99% in normal- and abnormal-level assays, respectively, while between-run precision was 1.31 - 9.09% and 0.89 - 6.92%, respectively. The correlation coefficients (r) were > 0.990. The SBA presented analytical accuracy at 96.64 +/- 3.39% to 102.82 +/- 2.75% and 98.31 +/- 4.04% to 103.61 +/- 8.28% recovery, respectively. The results obtained verify that all of the 13 tests performed using the SBA demonstrates good and reliable precision suitable for use in qualified clinical chemistry laboratory service.

78 FR 47703 - Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act of 1997: Modifications to the List of Recognized...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-08-06

...: Particular requirements for the basic safety and essential performance of infant transport incubators. 6-233... characteristics. G. Software/Informatics 13-37 Laboratory Automation: Data NCCLS AUTO7-A Content for Specimen...

Standard practice for conducting and evaluating laboratory corrosions tests in soils

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

1999-01-01

1.1 This practice covers procedures for conducting laboratory corrosion tests in soils to evaluate the corrosive attack on engineering materials. 1.2 This practice covers specimen selection and preparation, test environments, and evaluation of test results. 1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard. 1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

The role of the IAEA Dosimetry Laboratory in the dissemination of standards for radiation protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Czap, L.; Andreo, P.; Matscheko, G.

1998-01-01

Approximately 90% of the Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratories (SSDLs) provide users with calibrations of radiation protection instruments, and the IAEA is taking every necessary effort to insure that SSDLs measurements are traceable to Primary Standards. The Agency has proper radiation sources available to provide traceable calibrations to the SSDLs involved in measurements on diagnostic x-ray generators, including an x-ray unit specifically for mammography dedicated to standardization procedures. The different photon beam qualities and calibration procedures available in the Agency's Dosimetry Laboratory are described

Microfluidic cartridges for DNA purification and genotyping processed in standard laboratory instruments

Science.gov (United States)

Focke, Maximilian; Mark, Daniel; Stumpf, Fabian; Müller, Martina; Roth, Günter; Zengerle, Roland; von Stetten, Felix

2011-06-01

Two microfluidic cartridges intended for upgrading standard laboratory instruments with automated liquid handling capability by use of centrifugal forces are presented. The first microfluidic cartridge enables purification of DNA from human whole blood and is operated in a standard laboratory centrifuge. The second microfluidic catridge enables genotyping of pathogens by geometrically multiplexed real-time PCR. It is operated in a slightly modified off-the-shelf thermal cycler. Both solutions aim at smart and cost-efficient ways to automate work flows in laboratories. The DNA purification cartridge automates all liquid handling steps starting from a lysed blood sample to PCR ready DNA. The cartridge contains two manually crushable glass ampoules with liquid reagents. The DNA yield extracted from a 32 μl blood sample is 192 +/- 30 ng which corresponds to 53 +/- 8% of a reference extraction. The genotyping cartridge is applied to analyse isolates of the multi-resistant Staphyloccus aureus (MRSA) by real-time PCR. The wells contain pre-stored dry reagents such as primers and probes. Evaluation of the system with 44 genotyping assays showed a 100% specificity and agreement with the reference assays in standard tubes. The lower limit of detection was well below 10 copies of DNA per reaction.

SSDL newsletter. No. 25[Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratories

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1986-10-01

In April 1976 the IAEA and the WHO concluded a Working Arrangement concerning the establishment and operation of a network of Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratories, based on a relationship agreement between the two organizations of 1959. This Working Arrangement was the outcome of rather lengthy consultations on the subject which rooted in recommendations of an experts' meeting on SSDL Activities, held in Rio de Janeiro 1974, and which put the bulk of responsibility for running the network on WHO. In particular, it was agreed then that WHO would provide the secretariat for the Network and be responsible for the SSDL Advisory Group of experts, the terms of reference of which were laid down in a separate document. After about ten years of operation of the SSDL Network it was felt that revision of the Working Arrangement should be considered, taking care of the actual involvement of the two organizations in the project and providing a more fairly balanced share of responsibilities between the IAEA and WHO secretaries of the Network. The new Arrangement was drafted during 1985 and signed by the two Directors General in October/November 1985. Upon recommendation of an SSDL Advisory Group which met in November 1984 the Directors General of IAEA and WHO appointed 6 scientists as members of a standing SSDL Scientific Committee. The appointment is for a period of three years. In its terms of reference the functions of this Committee are defined as follows: to provide technical advice to the Directors General of the IAEA and WHO regarding the programme of work of the IAEA/WHO Network of Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratories; to assist the Network Secretariat with scientific advice and to regularly review the work undertaken by members of the SSDL Network; to make recommendations on the techniques for carrying out intercomparisons between SSDLs; to advise and make recommendations on the techniques for establishing and maintaining traceability to the Primary Standard

Standard reference materials analysis for MINT Radiocarbon Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noraishah Othman; Kamisah Alias; Nasasni Nasrul

2004-01-01

As a follow-up to the setting up of the MINT Radiocarbon Dating facility. an exercise on the IAEA standard reference materials was carried out. Radiocarbon laboratories frequently used these 8 natural samples to verify their systems. The materials were either pretreated or analysed directly to determine the activity of 14 C isotopes of the five samples expressed in % Modern (pMC) terms and to make recommendations on further use of these materials. We present the results of the five materials and discuss the analyses that were undertaken. (Author)

Standardization of the calibration of brachytherapy sources at the IAEA dosimetry laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shanta, A.; Andreo, P.

1996-01-01

A new service to SSDLs has been initiated at the IAEA Dosimetry Laboratory for providing calibrations of well-type ionisation chambers, used in brachytherapy applications, which are traceable to the International Measurement System. Considering that the most common radionuclide used in the developing countries is 137 Cs, two such sources of the type used for gynaecological intracavitary applications have been purchased by the Agency and calibrated at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), USA. These 137 Cs reference sources together with a well-type ionization chamber constitute the IAEA brachytherapy dosimetry standard. Based on the recommendations by a group of experts, a method has been developed for transferring calibrations to SSDLs which is described in this paper. The method is based on the acquisition by the SSDLs of sources and equipment similar to those at the IAEA. The well-type chamber is to be calibrated at the IAEA Dosimetry Laboratory, and this will be used at the SSDL to calibrate its own reference sources. These sources can in turn by used to calibrate well-type chambers from hospital users and to calibrate other type of sources by performing measurements in air. In order to standardize the procedures for the two methods and to provide guidance to the SSDLs, measurements have been carried out at the IAEA Dosimetry Laboratory. The reproducibility of the two type of measurements has been found to be better than 0.5%, and the uncertainty of calibrations estimated to be less than 1.5% (one standard deviation). (author). 8 refs, 8 figs, 2 tabs

Hydrogen Field Test Standard: Laboratory and Field Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Pope, Jodie G.; Wright, John D.

2015-01-01

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) developed a prototype field test standard (FTS) that incorporates three test methods that could be used by state weights and measures inspectors to periodically verify the accuracy of retail hydrogen dispensers, much as gasoline dispensers are tested today. The three field test methods are: 1) gravimetric, 2) Pressure, Volume, Temperature (PVT), and 3) master meter. The FTS was tested in NIST's Transient Flow Facility with helium gas and in the field at a hydrogen dispenser location. All three methods agree within 0.57 % and 1.53 % for all test drafts of helium gas in the laboratory setting and of hydrogen gas in the field, respectively. The time required to perform six test drafts is similar for all three methods, ranging from 6 h for the gravimetric and master meter methods to 8 h for the PVT method. The laboratory tests show that 1) it is critical to wait for thermal equilibrium to achieve density measurements in the FTS that meet the desired uncertainty requirements for the PVT and master meter methods; in general, we found a wait time of 20 minutes introduces errors methods, respectively and 2) buoyancy corrections are important for the lowest uncertainty gravimetric measurements. The field tests show that sensor drift can become a largest component of uncertainty that is not present in the laboratory setting. The scale was calibrated after it was set up at the field location. Checks of the calibration throughout testing showed drift of 0.031 %. Calibration of the master meter and the pressure sensors prior to travel to the field location and upon return showed significant drifts in their calibrations; 0.14 % and up to 1.7 %, respectively. This highlights the need for better sensor selection and/or more robust sensor testing prior to putting into field service. All three test methods are capable of being successfully performed in the field and give equivalent answers if proper sensors without drift are

WHO global salm-surv external quality assurance system (EQAS): an important step toward improving the quality of Salmonella serotyping and antimicrobial susceptibility testing worldwide

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, A.; Aarestrup, Frank Møller; Angulo, F. J.

2002-01-01

% of the results were correct. For susceptibility testing, 92% of the results were in agreement with the expected results. However, only 78% of the performed tests with the E. coli ATCC 25922 reference strain were within the quality control range specified by National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards...... susceptibility testing through international training courses and an External Quality Assurance System (EQAS). In 2000, 44 WHO Global Salm-Surv member laboratories from 35 countries determined the serotype and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern for eight "blinded" Salmonella isolates. For serotyping, 73...... (NCCLS) guidelines. These EQAS results demonstrate the need for further training to improve the performance of some of the laboratories. WHO Global Salm-Surv activities, including international training courses and EQAS, represent an important step toward improving the quality of Salmonella serotyping...

Upgrading the Medical Physics Calibration Laboratory Towards ISO/IEC 17025: Radiation Standards and Calibration in Diagnostic Radiology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asmaliza Hashim; Muhammad Jamal Md Isa; Abd Aziz Mhd Ramli; Wan Hazlinda Ismail; Norhayati Abdullah; Shahrul Azlan Azizan; Siti Sara Deraman; Nor Azlin Azraai; Md Khairusalih Md Zin

2010-01-01

Calibration of quality control (QC) test tools used in diagnostic radiology is legally required under the Ministry of Health (MOH) requirement. The Medical Physics Calibration Laboratory of the Malaysian Nuclear Agency is the national focal point for the calibration of quality control test tools used in diagnostic radiology. The Medical Physics Calibration Laboratory has measurement traceability to primary standard dosimetry laboratory (Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB)), thus providing an interface between the primary standard dosimetry laboratory and Malaysian hospitals, clinics and license class H holder. The Medical Physics Calibration Laboratory facility is comprised of a constant potential x-ray system with a capability of 160 kV tube and a series of reference and working standard ion chambers. The stability of reference and working standard ion chambers was measured using strontium-90. Dosimetric instruments used in diagnostic radiology is calibrated in terms of air kerma to comply with an International Code of Practices of dosimetry for example IAEA's Technical Report Series number 457. The new series of standard radiation qualities was established based on ISO/IEC 61267. The measurement of beam homogeneity was measured using film and ion chamber to define the field size at certain distance and kV output was measured using the spectrometer and non-invasive kVp meter. The uncertainties measurement was determined with expended uncertainties to a level of confidence of approximately 95% (coverage factor k=2). This paper describes the available facility and the effort of the Medical Physics Calibration Laboratory to upgrade the laboratory towards ISO/IEC 17025. (author)

Differences in Anticipatory Behaviour between Rats (Rattus norvegicus) Housed in Standard versus Semi-Naturalistic Laboratory Environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Makowska, I Joanna; Weary, Daniel M

2016-01-01

Laboratory rats are usually kept in relatively small cages, but research has shown that they prefer larger and more complex environments. The physiological, neurological and health effects of standard laboratory housing are well established, but fewer studies have addressed the sustained emotional impact of a standard cage environment. One method of assessing affective states in animals is to look at the animals' anticipatory behaviour between the presentation of a cue signalling the arrival of a reward and the arrival of that reward. The primary aim of this study was to use anticipatory behaviour to assess the affective state experienced by female rats a) reared and housed long-term in a standard laboratory cage versus a semi-naturalistic environment, and b) before and after treatment with an antidepressant or an anxiolytic. A secondary aim was to add to the literature on anticipatory behaviour by describing and comparing the frequency and duration of individual elements of anticipatory behaviour displayed by rats reared in these two systems. In all experiments, total behavioural frequency was higher in standard-housed rats compared to rats from the semi-naturalistic condition, suggesting that standard-housed rats were more sensitive to rewards and experiencing poorer welfare than rats reared in the semi-naturalistic environment. What rats did in anticipation of the reward also differed between housing treatments, with standard-housed rats mostly rearing and rats from the semi-naturalistic condition mostly sitting facing the direction of the upcoming treat. Drug interventions had no effect on the quantity or form of anticipatory behaviour, suggesting that the poorer welfare experienced by standard-housed rats was not analogous to depression or anxiety, or alternatively that the drug interventions were ineffective. This study adds to mounting evidence that standard laboratory housing for rats compromises rat welfare, and provides further scientific support for

Differences in Anticipatory Behaviour between Rats (Rattus norvegicus Housed in Standard versus Semi-Naturalistic Laboratory Environments.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I Joanna Makowska

Full Text Available Laboratory rats are usually kept in relatively small cages, but research has shown that they prefer larger and more complex environments. The physiological, neurological and health effects of standard laboratory housing are well established, but fewer studies have addressed the sustained emotional impact of a standard cage environment. One method of assessing affective states in animals is to look at the animals' anticipatory behaviour between the presentation of a cue signalling the arrival of a reward and the arrival of that reward. The primary aim of this study was to use anticipatory behaviour to assess the affective state experienced by female rats a reared and housed long-term in a standard laboratory cage versus a semi-naturalistic environment, and b before and after treatment with an antidepressant or an anxiolytic. A secondary aim was to add to the literature on anticipatory behaviour by describing and comparing the frequency and duration of individual elements of anticipatory behaviour displayed by rats reared in these two systems. In all experiments, total behavioural frequency was higher in standard-housed rats compared to rats from the semi-naturalistic condition, suggesting that standard-housed rats were more sensitive to rewards and experiencing poorer welfare than rats reared in the semi-naturalistic environment. What rats did in anticipation of the reward also differed between housing treatments, with standard-housed rats mostly rearing and rats from the semi-naturalistic condition mostly sitting facing the direction of the upcoming treat. Drug interventions had no effect on the quantity or form of anticipatory behaviour, suggesting that the poorer welfare experienced by standard-housed rats was not analogous to depression or anxiety, or alternatively that the drug interventions were ineffective. This study adds to mounting evidence that standard laboratory housing for rats compromises rat welfare, and provides further

Implementing an integrated standards-based management system to ensure compliance at Los Alamos National Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hjeresen, D.; Roybal, S.; Bertino, P.; Gherman, C.; Hosteny, B.

1995-01-01

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL or the Laboratory) is developing and implementing a comprehensive, Integrated Standards-Based Management System (ISBMS) to enhance environmental, safety, and health (ESH) compliance efforts and streamline management of ESH throughout the Laboratory. The Laboratory recognizes that to be competitive in today's business environment and attractive to potential Partnerships, Laboratory operations must be efficient and cost-effective. The Laboratory also realizes potential growth opportunities for developing ESH as a strength in providing new or improved services to its customers. Overall, the Laboratory desires to establish and build upon an ESH management system which ensures continuous improvement in protecting public health and safety and the environment and which fosters a working relationship with stakeholders. A team of process experts from the LANL Environmental Management (EM) Program Office, worked with management system consultants, and the Department of Energy (DOE) to develop an ESH management systems process to compare current LANL ESH management Systems and programs against leading industry standards. The process enabled the Laboratory to gauge its performance in each of the following areas: Planning and Policy Setting; Systems and Procedures; Implementation and Education; and Monitoring and Reporting. The information gathered on ESH management systems enabled LANL to pinpoint and prioritize opportunities for improvement in the provision of ESH services throughout the Laboratory and ultimately overall ESH compliance

Measurement uncertainty. A practical guide for Secondary Standards Dosimetry Laboratories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-05-01

The need for international traceability for radiation dose measurements has been understood since the early nineteen-sixties. The benefits of high dosimetric accuracy were recognized, particularly in radiotherapy, where the outcome of treatments is dependent on the radiation dose delivered to patients. When considering radiation protection dosimetry, the uncertainty may be greater than for therapy, but proper traceability of the measurements is no less important. To ensure harmonization and consistency in radiation measurements, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) created a Network of Secondary Standards Dosimetry Laboratories (SSDLs) in 1976. An SSDL is a laboratory that has been designated by the competent national authorities to undertake the duty of providing the necessary link in the traceability chain of radiation dosimetry to the international measurement system (SI, for Systeme International) for radiation metrology users. The role of the SSDLs is crucial in providing traceable calibrations; they disseminate calibrations at specific radiation qualities appropriate for the use of radiation measuring instruments. Historically, although the first SSDLs were established mainly to provide radiotherapy level calibrations, the scope of their work has expanded over the years. Today, many SSDLs provide traceability for radiation protection measurements and diagnostic radiology in addition to radiotherapy. Some SSDLs, with the appropriate facilities and expertise, also conduct quality audits of the clinical use of the calibrated dosimeters - for example, by providing postal dosimeters for dose comparisons for medical institutions or on-site dosimetry audits with an ion chamber and other appropriate equipment. The requirements for traceable and reliable calibrations are becoming more important. For example, for international trade where radiation products are manufactured within strict quality control systems, it is

Fluoroquinolone susceptibilities to methicillin-resistant and susceptible coagulase-negative Staphylococcus isolated from eye infection Suscetibilidade dos Staphylococcus coagulase negativo meticilina-resistentes e suscetíveis isolados em infecções oculares

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adália Dias Dourado Oliveira

2007-03-01

Full Text Available PURPOSE: To evaluate the fluoroquinolone susceptibilities of ocular isolate coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS, identified at the Microbiology Laboratory - UNIFESP. DESIGN: Experimental laboratory investigation. METHODS: The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs of 21 strains of methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (MRCoNS and 22 methicillin-sensitive coagulase-negative staphylococci (MSCoNS to ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, gatifloxacin and moxifloxacin were determined, using the E-test method standardized by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI/NCCLS. RESULTS: The MIC90s (µg/ml for the second generation of tested fluoroquinolones were higher than the fourth generation, especially for the methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci group. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that methicillin-sensitive coagulase-negative staphylococci are more susceptible to quinolones than are methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci and that fourth generation fluoroquinolones appear to be more potent, affecting even coagulase-negative staphylococcal strains resistant to second generation fluoroquinolones.OBJETIVOS: Avaliar a suscetibilidade a fluorquinolonas dos Staphylococcus coagulase-negativo (SCoN identificados no Laboratório de Microbiologia Ocular da Unifesp. MÉTODOS: Foi determinada a concentração inibitória mínima de 21 cepas de SCoN meticilina-resistentes e 22 meticilina-sensíveis para ciprofloxacina, ofloxacina, gatifloxacina e moxifloxacina, utilizando o E-test estandartizado pelo CLSI/NCCLS. RESULTADOS: Os MIC90 (µg/ml de 43 SCoN isolados para fluorquinolonas de segunda geração foram maiores do que os de quarta geração, principalmente para o grupo dos meticilina-resistentes. CONCLUSÃO: Nossos resultados indicam que Staphylococcus coagulase-negativo meticilina-sensíveis são mais suscetíveis às quinolonas do que os Staphylococcus coagulase-negativo meticilina

Environmental Sciences Division Toxicology Laboratory standard operating procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kszos, L.A.; Stewart, A.J.; Wicker, L.F.; Logsdon, G.M.

1989-09-01

This document was developed to provide the personnel working in the Environmental Sciences Division's Toxicology Laboratory with documented methods for conducting toxicity tests. The document consists of two parts. The first part includes the standard operating procedures (SOPs) that are used by the laboratory in conducting toxicity tests. The second part includes reference procedures from the US Environmental Protection Agency document entitled Short-Term Methods for Estimating the Chronic Toxicity of Effluents and Receiving Waters to Freshwater Organisms, upon which the Toxicology Laboratory's SOPs are based. Five of the SOPs include procedures for preparing Ceriodaphnia survival and reproduction test. These SOPs include procedures for preparing Ceriodaphnia food (SOP-3), maintaining Ceriodaphnia cultures (SOP-4), conducting the toxicity test (SOP-13), analyzing the test data (SOP-13), and conducting a Ceriodaphnia reference test (SOP-15). Five additional SOPs relate specifically to the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) larval survival and growth test: methods for preparing fathead minnow larvae food (SOP-5), maintaining fathead minnow cultures (SOP-6), conducting the toxicity test (SOP-9), analyzing the test data (SOP-12), and conducting a fathead minnow reference test (DOP-14). The six remaining SOPs describe methods that are used with either or both tests: preparation of control/dilution water (SOP-1), washing of glassware (SOP-2), collection and handling of samples (SOP-7), preparation of samples (SOP-8), performance of chemical analyses (SOP-11), and data logging and care of technical notebooks (SOP-16)

Role of secondary standard dosimetry laboratory in radiation protection program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rahman, Sohaila; Ali, Noriah Mohd.

2008-01-01

Full text: The radiation dosimetry program is an important element of operational radiation protection. Dosimetry data enable workers and radiation protection professionals to evaluate and control work practices to eliminate unnecessary exposure to ionizing radiation. The usefulness of the data produced however depends on its quality and traceability. The emphasis of the global dosimetry program is focused through the IAEA/WHO network of secondary standard dosimetry laboratories (SSDLs), which aims for the determination of SI quantities through proper traceable calibration of radiation protection equipment. The responsibility of SSDL-NUCLEAR MALAYSIA to guarantee a reliable dosimetry service, which is traceable to international standards, is elucidated. It acts as the basis for harmonized occupational radiation monitoring in Malaysia.

The acoustic center of laboratory standard microphones

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Barrera Figueroa, Salvador; Rasmussen, Knud; Jacobsen, Finn

2006-01-01

An experimental procedure is described for obtaining the effective acoustic distance between pairs of microphones coupled by a free field, leading to the determination of the position of the acoustic center of the microphones. The procedure, which is based on measuring the modulus of the electrical...... transfer impedance, has been applied to a large number of microphones. In all cases effects due to reflections from the walls of the anechoic chamber and the interference between the microphones have been removed using a time-selective technique. The procedure of determining the position of the acoustic...... center from the inverse distance law is analyzed. Experimental values of the acoustic center of laboratory standard microphones are presented, and numerical results obtained using the boundary element method supplement the experimental data. Estimated uncertainties are also presented. The results...

The International Atomic Energy Agency circulation of laboratory air standards for stable isotope comparisons: Aims, preparation and preliminary results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allison, C.E.; Francey, R.J.; Steele, L.P.

2002-01-01

Ten air standards in high-pressure aluminium cylinders were prepared, covering a specified range of CO 2 concentration and δ 13 C and δ 18O isotopic composition, to be used for laboratory intercomparisons with the primary aim of merging global atmospheric CO 2 δ 13 C data sets. After establishing the stability of the standards, five were circulated between four laboratories with established high precision global monitoring networks to quantify differences between the measurement scales used in the laboratories. Measurements of CO 2 concentration in three of the four laboratories showed agreement to better than 0.2 ppm for the five standards. Measurements of N 2 O concentration reported by three of the laboratories agreed to better than 3 ppb after correction for known scaling factor differences, but a fourth laboratory reported results for two cylinders lower by about 20 ppb, contributing a δ 13 C uncertainty of about 0.012 per mille for these two cylinders. The reported measurements of the δ 13 C and δ 18O of CO 2 extracted from the air in the five standards showed large offsets between the laboratories of up to 0.1 per mille in δ 13 C and up to 1 per mille in δ 18O . Analysis of the results shows that about 40% of the offsets arises from differences in the procedures used in each laboratory to calculate the δ 13 C and δ 18 O values from the raw measurements and that the remainder arises from the pre-concentration step. Using one of the circulated standards to 'normalise' the others removes most of the inter-laboratory differences but there remains a non-linear response in one or more laboratories. The differences in δ 13 C that remain after normalisation are larger than the target precision of 0.01 per mille. (author)

Sensitivity and specificity of various beta-lactam antibiotics and phenotypical methods for detection of TEM, SHV and CTX-M extended-spectrum beta-lactamases.

Science.gov (United States)

Bedenic, B; Vranes, J; Mihaljevic, Lj; Tonkic, M; Sviben, M; Plecko, V; Kalenic, S

2007-04-01

The aim of this study was to compare the sensitivity and specificity of six different beta-lactam antibiotics using five phenotypical tests for detection of extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) based on synergism of beta-lactam antibiotics and clavulanate. Experiments were performed on a set of 80 Klebsiella pneumoniae strains and 105 Escherichia coli strains with previously characterized ESBLs (SHV, TEM and CTX-M). ESBLs were detected by five different phenotypical methods: MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) determination of beta-lactam antibiotics with and without clavulanate, double-disk synergy test (DDST), inhibitor-potentiated disk-diffusion test (IPDDT), CLSI-Clinical and Laboratory Standard Institution (former NCCLS) combined-disk-test, and modified MAST-disk-diffusion test (MAST-DD-test). Seven antibiotics were tested as indicators of ESBL production: ceftazidime, cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, aztreonam, ceftibuten, cefpodoxime and cefepime. Ceftazidime and aztreonam were the best indicators for SHV-5, SHV-12 and TEM beta-lactamases whereas cefotaxime and ceftriaxone were the most sensitive in detection of SHV-2 and CTX-M beta-lactamases in DDST, IPDDT and CLSI test. MIC determination of beta-lactam antibiotics with and without clavulanate was the most sensitive method. DDST was the least sensitive test. Double-disk synergy test, which is the most frequently used test for detection of ESBLs in routine laboratories, was the least sensitive independently of the indicator antibiotic. Since MIC determination is a very laborious and time consuming method, we would recommend the NCCLS combined disk test or IPDD test for detection of ESBLs in routine laboratories with 5 mm zone augmentation breakpoint.

76 FR 72216 - Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories Standard; Extension of the Office of...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-22

... accordance with the Standard's definitions for ``laboratory use of hazardous chemicals'' and ``laboratory... using hazardous chemicals; hazard-control techniques; equipment- reliability measures; worker... burden (time and costs) of the information collection requirements, including the validity of the...

78 FR 63999 - Notice of Vitamin D Standardization Program (VDSP) Symposium: Tools To Improve Laboratory...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-10-25

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health Notice of Vitamin D... Vitamin D Standardization Program (VDSP) to those with an interest in the effort to standardize vitamin D... laboratory personnel; vitamin D researchers; and members of professional societies with clinical and public...

Standardization of 8-color flow cytometry across different flow cytometer instruments: A feasibility study in clinical laboratories in Switzerland.

Science.gov (United States)

Glier, Hana; Heijnen, Ingmar; Hauwel, Mathieu; Dirks, Jan; Quarroz, Stéphane; Lehmann, Thomas; Rovo, Alicia; Arn, Kornelius; Matthes, Thomas; Hogan, Cassandra; Keller, Peter; Dudkiewicz, Ewa; Stüssi, Georg; Fernandez, Paula

2017-07-29

The EuroFlow Consortium developed a fully standardized flow cytometric approach from instrument settings, through antibody panel, reagents and sample preparation protocols, to data acquisition and analysis. The Swiss Cytometry Society (SCS) promoted a study to evaluate the feasibility of using such standardized measurements of 8-color data across two different flow cytometry platforms - Becton Dickinson (BD) FACSCanto II and Beckman Coulter (BC) Navios, aiming at increasing reproducibility and inter-laboratory comparability of immunophenotypic data in clinical laboratories in Switzerland. The study was performed in two phases, i.e. a learning phase (round 1) and an analytical phase (rounds 2 and 3) consisting of a total of three rounds. Overall, 10 laboratories using BD FACSCanto II (n=6) or BC Navios (n=4) flow cytometers participated. Each laboratory measured peripheral blood samples from healthy donors stained with a uniform antibody panel of reagents - EuroFlow Lymphoid Screening Tube (LST) - applying the EuroFlow standardized protocols for instrument setup and sample preparation (www.EuroFlow.org). All data files were analyzed centrally and median fluorescence intensity (MedFI) values for individual markers on defined lymphocyte subsets were recorded; variability from reference MedFI values was assessed using performance scores. Data troubleshooting and discussion of the results with the participants followed after each round at SCS meetings. The results of the learning phase demonstrated that standardized instrument setup and data acquisition are feasible in routine clinical laboratories without previous experience with EuroFlow. During the analytical phase, highly comparable data were obtained at the different laboratories using either BD FACSCanto II or BC Navios. The coefficient of variation of MedFI for 7 of 11 markers performed repeatedly below 30%. In the last study round, 89% of participants scored over 90% MedFI values within the acceptance criteria

QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN CLINICAL LABORATORIES ACCORDING TO THE ISO 15189:2007 STANDARD - EVALUATION OF THE BENEFITS OF IMPLEMENTATION IN AN ASSISTED REPRODUCTION LABORATORY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A.D. Sialakouma

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Biomedical science is a sensitive discipline and presents unique challenges due to its social character, continuous development and competitiveness. The issue of quality management systems and accreditation is gaining increasing interest in this sector. All over Europe, Health Services Units have started to introduce quality management systems and harmonization of criteria for accreditation is of increasing importance. Moreover, clinical laboratories, like the Assisted Reproduction laboratories and biochemical laboratories are required to apply a Quality Management System in order to ensure their correct, scientific and effective operation. Ultimately, it is a moral obligation for every health care organisation to supply the best possible care for the patient. The specific features and the diversity of clinical laboratories led to the introduction (2003 and, recently to the revision (2007 of the international standard ISO 15189, which is the first international standard developed specifically to address the requirements for accreditation of this type of laboratory. The basic principles for the quality assurance in the clinical laboratories are: x Complete and unambiguous standardized operating procedures. x Complete and unambiguous directives of operation. x Obligatory detailed written documentation, i.e., how each action is done, who will do it, where will this action take place and when. x Suitable scheduling of calibration/control/preventive maintenance of laboratory equipment and recording of each activity. x Distribution of responsibilities among the staff and continuous education and briefing according to current scientific data. x Complete and informed record file keeping. x Continuous improvement which is monitored with the adoption of quantified indicators. x Internal and external audit of all activities. x Troubleshooting. All these principles should be supported by the Management in order that the necessary adaptations should be made

Neutron Standards Laboratory of the CIEMAT; Laboratorio de Patrones Neutronicos del CIEMAT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guzman G, K. A. [Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, C. Jose Gutierrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid (Spain); Mendez V, R. [Centro de Investigaciones Energeticas, Medioambientales y Tecnologicas, Av. Complutense 40, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Vega C, H. R., E-mail: karen.guzman.garcia@alumnos.upm.es [Universidad Autonoma de Zacatecas, Unidad Academica de Estudios Nucleares, Cipres No. 10, Fracc. La Penuela, 98068 Zacatecas (Mexico)

2014-08-15

By means of a calculation series with Monte Carlo methods and the code MCNPX was characterized the neutrons field produced by the existent calibration sources in the Neutron Standards Laboratory of the Centro de Investigaciones Energeticas, Medioambientales y Tecnologicas (CIEMAT). The laboratory has two neutron calibration sources one of {sup 241}AmBe and other {sup 252}Cf that are stored in a water pool. A detailed three-dimensional model of the room was built with the base of stainless steel remarking in the selector to the sources that situates them to 4 m of the floor to be irradiated on the irradiation table and the storage pool. Each one of the sources was defined on the model in its double steel encapsulated. The spectra were calculated with different cases with the purpose of to calculate the contribution of each element that impacts to the neutrons transport. The spectra of the calibration sources were calculated to different distances regarding the source from 0, 15, 35, 50 to 300 cm on the base and in a same way the values of the ambient dose equivalent using the approaches of the ICRP-74. The results show clearly that the great contribution in the modification of the spectrum is attributed to the walls, and floor of the Neutron Standards Laboratory installations. (Author)

The spectra of the standard x-ray qualities used in STUK's Radiation Metrology Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tapiovaara, T.; Tapiovaara, M.; Siiskonen, T.; Hakanen, A.

2008-02-01

This report presents the fluence spectra of the standard x-radiation qualities used in the Radiation Dosimetry Laboratory of Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK). The spectra were measured in August 2007. The radiation qualities characterised in the report are the ISO Narrow spectrum series (ISO N10-N200, ISO 4037-1:1996) and both of the RQR-spectrum series specified by the IEC (IEC 1267:1994 and IEC 61267:2005). The measurements were made using a high purity Ge-detector and the measured pulse height spectra were corrected to fluence spectra. Spectral characteristics were computed from the spectral data and compared to the requirements in the standards and to the values given in the quality manual of the laboratory. (orig.)

Importance of the Primary Radioactivity Standard Laboratory and Implementation of its Quality Management

Science.gov (United States)

Sahagia, Maria; Razdolescu, Anamaria Cristina; Luca, Aurelian; Ivan, Constantin

2007-04-01

The paper presents some specific aspects of the implementation of the quality management in the Radionuclide Metrology Laboratory, from IFIN-HH, the owner of the primary Romanian standard in radioactivity. The description of the accreditation, according to the EN ISO/IEC 17025:2005, is presented.

Importance of the Primary Radioactivity Standard Laboratory and Implementation of its Quality Management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sahagia, Maria; Razdolescu, Anamaria Cristina; Luca, Aurelian; Ivan, Constantin

2007-01-01

The paper presents some specific aspects of the implementation of the quality management in the Radionuclide Metrology Laboratory, from IFIN-HH, the owner of the primary Romanian standard in radioactivity. The description of the accreditation, according to the EN ISO/IEC 17025:2005, is presented

Services of the CDRH X-ray calibration laboratory and their traceability to National Standards

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cerra, F.; Heaton, H.T. [Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Rockville, MD (United States)

1993-12-31

The X-ray Calibration Laboratory (XCL) of the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) provides calibration services for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The instruments calibrated are used by FDA and contract state inspectors to verify compliance with federal x-ray performance standards and for national surveys of x-ray trends. In order to provide traceability of measurements, the CDRH XCL is accredited by the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) for reference, diagnostic, and x-ray survey instrument calibrations. In addition to these accredited services, the CDRH XCL also calibrates non-invasive kVp meters in single- and three-phase x-ray beams, and thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) chips used to measure CT beam profiles. The poster illustrates these services and shows the traceability links back to the National Standards.

Services of the CDRH X-ray calibration laboratory and their traceability to National Standards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cerra, F.; Heaton, H.T.

1993-01-01

The X-ray Calibration Laboratory (XCL) of the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) provides calibration services for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The instruments calibrated are used by FDA and contract state inspectors to verify compliance with federal x-ray performance standards and for national surveys of x-ray trends. In order to provide traceability of measurements, the CDRH XCL is accredited by the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) for reference, diagnostic, and x-ray survey instrument calibrations. In addition to these accredited services, the CDRH XCL also calibrates non-invasive kVp meters in single- and three-phase x-ray beams, and thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) chips used to measure CT beam profiles. The poster illustrates these services and shows the traceability links back to the National Standards

Assessment of three medical and research laboratories using WHO AFRO_SLIPTA Quality Standards in Southwestern Uganda: a long way to go.

Science.gov (United States)

Taremwa, Ivan Mugisha; Ampaire, Lucas; Iramiot, Jacob; Muhwezi, Obed; Matte, Aloysius; Itabangi, Herbert; Mbabazi, Hope; Atwebembeire, Jeninah; Kamwine, Monicah; Katawera, Victoria; Mbalibulha, Yona; Orikiriza, Patrick; Boum, Yap

2017-01-01

While the laboratory represents more than 70% of clinical diagnosis and patient management, access to reliable and quality laboratory diagnostics in sub-Saharan Africa remains a challenge. To gain knowledge and suggest evidence based interventions towards laboratory improvement in Southwestern Uganda, we assessed the baseline laboratory quality standards in three medical and research laboratories in Southwestern Uganda. We conducted a cross sectional survey from October, 2013 to April, 2014. Selected laboratories, including one private research, one private for profit and one public laboratory, were assessed using the WHO AFRO_SLIPTA checklist and baseline scores were determined. The three laboratories assessed met basic facility requirements, had trained personnel, and safety measures in place. Sample reception was properly designed and executed with a well designated chain of custody. All laboratories had sufficient equipment for the nature of work they were involved in. However, we found that standard operating procedures were incomplete in all three laboratories, lack of quality audit schemes by two laboratories and only one laboratory enrolled into external quality assurance schemes. The SLIPTA scores were one star for the research laboratory and no star for both the public and private-for-profit laboratories. While most of the laboratory systems were in place, the low scores obtained by the assessed laboratories reflect the need for improvement to reach standards of quality assured diagnostics in the region. Therefore, routine mentorship and regional supportive supervision are necessary to increase the quality of laboratory services.

Performance of the RAD-57 pulse CO-oximeter compared with standard laboratory carboxyhemoglobin measurement.

Science.gov (United States)

Touger, Michael; Birnbaum, Adrienne; Wang, Jessica; Chou, Katherine; Pearson, Darion; Bijur, Polly

2010-10-01

We assess agreement between carboxyhemoglobin levels measured by the Rad-57 signal extraction pulse CO-oximeter (RAD), a Food and Drug Administration-approved device for noninvasive bedside measurement, and standard laboratory arterial or venous measurement in a sample of emergency department (ED) patients with suspected carbon monoxide poisoning. The study was a cross-sectional cohort design using a convenience sample of adult and pediatric ED patients in a Level I trauma, burn, and hyperbaric oxygen referral center. Measurement of RAD carboxyhemoglobin was performed simultaneously with blood sampling for laboratory determination of carboxyhemoglobin level. The difference between the measures for each patient was calculated as laboratory carboxyhemoglobin minus carboxyhemoglobin from the carbon monoxide oximeter. The limits of agreement from a Bland-Altman analysis are calculated as the mean of the differences between methods ±1.96 SDs above and below the mean. Median laboratory percentage carboxyhemoglobin level was 2.3% (interquartile range 1 to 8.5; range 0% to 38%). The mean difference between laboratory carboxyhemoglobin values and RAD values was 1.4% carboxyhemoglobin (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.2% to 2.6%). The limits of agreement of differences of measurement made with the 2 devices were -11.6% and 14.4% carboxyhemoglobin. This range exceeded the value of ±5% carboxyhemoglobin defined a priori as clinically acceptable. RAD correctly identified 11 of 23 patients with laboratory values greater than 15% carboxyhemoglobin (sensitivity 48%; 95% CI 27% to 69%). There was one case of a laboratory carboxyhemoglobin level less than 15%, in which the RAD device gave a result greater than 15% (specificity of RAD 96/97=99%; 95% CI 94% to 100%). In the range of carboxyhemoglobin values measured in this sample, the level of agreement observed suggests RAD measurement may not be used interchangeably with standard laboratory measurement. Copyright © 2010 American

Implementation of the OECD principles of good laboratory practice in test facilities complying with a quality system accredited to the ISO/IEC 17025 standard.

Science.gov (United States)

Feller, Etty

2008-01-01

Laboratories with a quality system accredited to the ISO/IEC 17025 standard have a definite advantage, compared to non-accredited laboratories, when preparing their facilities for the implementation of the principles of good laboratory practice (GLP) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Accredited laboratories have an established quality system covering the administrative and technical issues specified in the standard. The similarities and differences between the ISO/IEC 17025 standard and the OECD principles of GLP are compared and discussed.

The IAEA/WHO network of Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratories. SSDL network charter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-04-01

In 1976, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) together with the World Health Organization (WHO) established a Network of Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratories (SSDLs), known as the IAEA/WHO SSDL Network. This Network, through SSDLs designated by Member States, provides a direct linkage of national dosimetry standards to the international measurement system of standards traceable to the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM), and the dissemination of S.I. quantities and units through the proper calibration of field instruments by the SSDLs. The Network has proved to be of value in improving national capabilities for instrument calibration and the awareness of better accuracy and traceability. Fifty-eight countries have nominated SSDLs for membership in the Network. Unfortunately, some of these SSDLs do not yet function as full members, perhaps because of some uncertainty as to their obligations concerning the Network. Consequently, the Scientific Committee which advises the Network Secretariat has recommended that a Charter be drawn up explaining the privileges, rights and duties of members in the Network which would strengthen their links to the international measurement system. In addition to the duties of members in the Network and the benefits that full members can receive, the Charter also describes how the Network functions and the scope of the work of the SSDLs. In producing this Charter, the advisory group has drawn heavily on the IAEA publication 'Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratories: Development and Trends' (1985) which summarizes the origin, development, status and prospects of the IAEA/WHO SSDL Network. The various appendices are effectively up-dates of different parts of this earlier publication, and the original drafting and reviewing bodies are given due recognition. The revisions take into account the experience the Agency has gained in coordinating the activities of the Network for more than 20 years

The IAEA/WHO network of Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratories. SSDL network charter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-04-01

In 1976, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) together with the World Health Organization (WHO) established a Network of Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratories (SSDLs), known as the IAEA/WHO SSDL Network. This Network, through SSDLs designated by Member States, provides a direct linkage of national dosimetry standards to the international measurement system of standards traceable to the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM), and the dissemination of S.I. quantities and units through the proper calibration of field instruments by the SSDLs. The Network has proved to be of value in improving national capabilities for instrument calibration and the awareness of better accuracy and traceability. Fifty-eight countries have nominated SSDLs for membership in the Network. Unfortunately, some of these SSDLs do not yet function as full members, perhaps because of some uncertainty as to their obligations concerning the Network. Consequently, the Scientific Committee which advises the Network Secretariat has recommended that a Charter be drawn up explaining the privileges, rights and duties of members in the Network which would strengthen their links to the international measurement system. In addition to the duties of members in the Network and the benefits that full members can receive, the Charter also describes how the Network functions and the scope of the work of the SSDLs. In producing this Charter, the advisory group has drawn heavily on the IAEA publication 'Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratories: Development and Trends' (1985) which summarizes the origin, development, status and prospects of the IAEA/WHO SSDL Network. The various appendices are effectively up-dates of different parts of this earlier publication, and the original drafting and reviewing bodies are given due recognition. The revisions take into account the experience the Agency has gained in coordinating the activities of the Network for more than 20 years.

How to achieve ultrasound-guided femoral venous access: the new standard of care in the electrophysiology laboratory.

Science.gov (United States)

Wiles, Benedict M; Child, Nicholas; Roberts, Paul R

2017-06-01

Bedside vascular ultrasound machines are increasingly available. They are used to facilitate safer vascular access across a number of different specialties. In the electrophysiology laboratory however, where patients are frequently anticoagulated and require the insertion of multiple venous sheaths, anatomical landmark techniques predominate. Despite the high number of vascular complications associated with electrophysiological procedures and the increasing evidence to support its use in electrophysiology, ultrasound remains underutilised. A new standard of care is required. A comprehensive technical report, providing a detailed explanation of this important technique, will provide other electrophysiology centres with the knowledge and justification for adopting ultrasound guidance as their standard practice. We review the increasing body of evidence which demonstrates that routine ultrasound usage can substantially improve the safety of femoral venous access in the electrophysiology laboratory. We offer a comprehensive technical report to guide operators through the process of ultrasound-guided venous access, with a specific focus on the electrophysiology laboratory. Additionally, we detail a novel technique which utilises real-time colour Doppler ultrasound to accurately identify needle tip location during venous puncture. The use of vascular ultrasound to guide femoral venous cannulation is rapid, inexpensive and easily learnt. Ultrasound is readily available and offers the potential to significantly reduce vascular complications in the unique setting of the electrophysiology laboratory. Ultrasound guidance to achieve femoral venous access should be the new standard of care in electrophysiology.

Electronic laboratory quality assurance program: A method of enhancing the prosthodontic curriculum and addressing accreditation standards.

Science.gov (United States)

Moghadam, Marjan; Jahangiri, Leila

2015-08-01

An electronic quality assurance (eQA) program was developed to replace a paper-based system and to address standards introduced by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) and to improve educational outcomes. This eQA program provides feedback to predoctoral dental students on prosthodontic laboratory steps at New York University College of Dentistry. The purpose of this study was to compare the eQA program of performing laboratory quality assurance with the former paper-based format. Fourth-year predoctoral dental students (n=334) who experienced both the paper-based and the electronic version of the quality assurance program were surveyed about their experiences. Additionally, data extracted from the eQA program were analyzed to identify areas of weakness in the curriculum. The study findings revealed that 73.8% of the students preferred the eQA program to the paper-based version. The average number of treatments that did not pass quality assurance standards was 119.5 per month. This indicated a 6.34% laboratory failure rate. Further analysis of these data revealed that 62.1% of the errors were related to fixed prosthodontic treatment, 27.9% to partial removable dental prostheses, and 10% to complete removable dental prostheses in the first 18 months of program implementation. The eQA program was favored by dental students who have experienced both electronic and paper-based versions of the system. Error type analysis can yield the ability to create customized faculty standardization sessions and refine the didactic and clinical teaching of the predoctoral students. This program was also able to link patient care activity with the student's laboratory activities, thus addressing the latest requirements of the CODA regarding the competence of graduates in evaluating laboratory work related to their patient care. Copyright © 2015 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Standard guide for qualification of measurement methods by a laboratory within the nuclear industry

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2003-01-01

1.1 This guide provides guidance for selecting, validating, and qualifying measurement methods when qualification is required for a specific program. The recommended practices presented in this guide provide a major part of a quality assurance program for the laboratory data (see Fig. 1). Qualification helps to assure that the data produced will meet established requirements. 1.2 The activities intended to assure the quality of analytical laboratory measurement data are diagrammed in Fig. 1. Discussion and guidance related to some of these activities appear in the following sections: Section Selection of Measurement Methods 5 Validation of Measurement Methods 6 Qualification of Measurement Methods 7 Control 8 Personnel Qualification 9 1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitati...

Intra-building telecommunications cabling standards for Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adams, R.L.

1993-08-01

This document establishes a working standard for all telecommunications cable installations at Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico. It is based on recent national commercial cabling standards. The topics addressed are Secure and Open/Restricted Access telecommunications environments and both twisted-pair and optical-fiber components of communications media. Some of the state-of-the-art technologies that will be supported by the intrabuilding cable infrastructure are Circuit and Packet Switched Networks (PBX/5ESS Voice and Low-Speed Data), Local Area Networks (Ethernet, Token Ring, Fiber and Copper Distributed Data Interface), and Wide Area Networks (Asynchronous Transfer Mode). These technologies can be delivered to every desk and can transport data at rates sufficient to support all existing applications (such as Voice, Text and graphics, Still Images, Full-motion Video), as well as applications to be defined in the future.

State-of-the art comparability of corrected emission spectra. 2. Field laboratory assessment of calibration performance using spectral fluorescence standards.

Science.gov (United States)

Resch-Genger, Ute; Bremser, Wolfram; Pfeifer, Dietmar; Spieles, Monika; Hoffmann, Angelika; DeRose, Paul C; Zwinkels, Joanne C; Gauthier, François; Ebert, Bernd; Taubert, R Dieter; Voigt, Jan; Hollandt, Jörg; Macdonald, Rainer

2012-05-01

In the second part of this two-part series on the state-of-the-art comparability of corrected emission spectra, we have extended this assessment to the broader community of fluorescence spectroscopists by involving 12 field laboratories that were randomly selected on the basis of their fluorescence measuring equipment. These laboratories performed a reference material (RM)-based fluorometer calibration with commercially available spectral fluorescence standards following a standard operating procedure that involved routine measurement conditions and the data evaluation software LINKCORR developed and provided by the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM). This instrument-specific emission correction curve was subsequently used for the determination of the corrected emission spectra of three test dyes, X, QS, and Y, revealing an average accuracy of 6.8% for the corrected emission spectra. This compares well with the relative standard uncertainties of 4.2% for physical standard-based spectral corrections demonstrated in the first part of this study (previous paper in this issue) involving an international group of four expert laboratories. The excellent comparability of the measurements of the field laboratories also demonstrates the effectiveness of RM-based correction procedures.

Secondary standard dosimetry laboratory at the Ruder Boskovic Institute, Zagreb, Croatia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vekic, B.; Ban, R.; Saveta, M.

2006-01-01

The Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory at the Ruder Boskovic Institute, Zagreb, Croatia, was installed during the several last years. The installation of this Laboratory was strongly supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) through the Technical Cooperation Project (C.R.O. 1/004/; Establishing Calibration Services). Inside the country this Technical Cooperation Project was supported by the State Office for Standardization and Metrology, State Office for Radiation Protection and the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Croatia. The Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory at the Ruder Boskovic Institute, Zagreb, Croatia was installed in two calibration rooms. The both of these calibration rooms are 9.6 meters long and 6 meters wide. In the both of these calibration rooms the proper air conditioning was installed. The walls of the both calibration rooms are thick enough (1 meter of concrete) and the entrance doors are protected by Pb to protect any radiation hazard in control rooms, in neighbouring rooms and in environment. In the first calibration room, placed in the basement, two sealed sources share the same calibration bench (produced by Hopewell Designs, Inc., USA) between them which is 6 meters long. On one side is Co -60 source of the 30 TBq activity (December 2004) for the calibration of radiotherapy ionizing chambers and the other equipment in the field of high dose rate range. On the other side is irradiation unit consists of 2 sealed sources for radiation protection purposes: (1) Cs-137 source, activity of 740 MBq (February 2004) and (2) Co- 60 source, activity of 185 MBq (February 2004). For this second source three attenuators are provided that give a nominal attenuation of *10, *100 and *1000. In the second calibration room placed just above the first one the X -ray unit (gift from P.T.B., Germany, I.S.O.V.O.L.T. 420, 40 -300 kV, 1-20 mA) is placed. In front of this are: (1.) Aperture Wheel Assembly designed to modify the beam

New way of demonstrating the competence of a laboratory measuring radionuclides - The international draft standard ISO/IEC DIS 17025

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palsson, S.E.

1999-01-01

In recent years there has been increased interest, and even need, amongst laboratories performing measurements of radionuclides to obtain accreditation. It has been discussed how this could be achieved with maximum flexibility for the laboratories and with minimum effort. The issuing of a new draft international standard, the ISO/IEC DIS 17025, created speculations whether it could offer a new and better way for laboratories to obtain accreditation. It was decided within the NKS/BOK-1.1 project to explore possible options for obtaining accreditation and what possibilities the new standard could offer. The benefits of computerised document control systems were also explored. The results were reported at the 12th Annual Meeting of the Nordic Society for Radiation Protection, 23-27 August 1999. Since then the final version of the standard has been published. The voting will continue until November 16th 1999 and is not clear at present whether the standard will be accepted or not. The original version of this paper was updated to reflect these recent developments. (au)

Report of the Intercomparison program by thermoluminescent dosimetry for Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Papadopulos, Susana

2000-01-01

In this report the results of an intercomparison program within a research coordinated program are presented. This is a third phase of the study that consisted in to evaluate the implementation of the new ICRU quantities for individual monitoring by the SSDLs, their capabilities to perform irradiations in different angles and the interpretation of the standard ISO 4370-3. This phase as well the first one was coordinated by Argentina through the Autoridad Regulatoria Nuclear that verified the performance of the participant laboratories. The SSDL of Argentina calibrated the dosimetric system to be used, and sent a set of tld dosimeters for irradiation at the SSDL or dosimetry laboratories of nine countries of latin america

Nanotechnology Laboratory Continues Partnership with FDA and National Institute of Standards and Technology | Poster

Science.gov (United States)

The NCI-funded Nanotechnology Characterization Laboratory (NCL)—a leader in evaluating promising nanomedicines to fight cancer—recently renewed its collaboration with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to continue its groundbreaking work on characterizing nanomedicines and moving them toward the clinic. In

Spectral Irradiance Calibration in the Infrared 11: Comparison of (alpha) Boo and 1 Ceres with a Laboratory Standard

Science.gov (United States)

Witteborn, Fred C.; Cohen, Martin; Bregman, Jess D.; Wooden, Diane; Heere, Karen; Shirley, Eric L.

1998-01-01

Infrared spectra of two celestial objects frequently used as flux standards are calibrated against an absolute laboratory flux standard at a spectral resolving power of 100 to 200. The spectrum of the K1.5III star, alpha Boo, is measured from 3 microns to 30 microns and that of the C-type asteroid, 1 Ceres, from 5 microns to 30 microns. While these 'standard' spectra do not have the apparent precision of those based on calculated models, they do not require the assumptions involved in theoretical models of stars and asteroids. Specifically they provide a model-independent means of calibrating celestial flux in the spectral range from 12 microns to 30 microns where accurate absolute photometry is not available. The agreement found between the spectral shapes of alpha Boo and Ceres based on laboratory standards, and those based on observed ratios to alpha CMa (Sirius) and alpha Lyr (Vega), flux calibrated by theoretical modeling of these hot stars strengthens our confidence in the applicability of the stellar models as primary irradiance standards.

Photovoltaic Device Performance Evaluation Using an Open-Hardware System and Standard Calibrated Laboratory Instruments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jesús Montes-Romero

2017-11-01

Full Text Available This article describes a complete characterization system for photovoltaic devices designed to acquire the current-voltage curve and to process the obtained data. The proposed system can be replicated for educational or research purposes without having wide knowledge about electronic engineering. Using standard calibrated instrumentation, commonly available in any laboratory, the accuracy of measurements is ensured. A capacitive load is used to bias the device due to its versatility and simplicity. The system includes a common part and an interchangeable part that must be designed depending on the electrical characteristics of each PV device. Control software, developed in LabVIEW, controls the equipment, performs automatic campaigns of measurements, and performs additional calculations in real time. These include different procedures to extrapolate the measurements to standard test conditions and methods to obtain the intrinsic parameters of the single diode model. A deep analysis of the uncertainty of measurement is also provided. Finally, the proposed system is validated by comparing the results obtained from some commercial photovoltaic modules to the measurements given by an independently accredited laboratory.

Bioassay Laboratory

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — The Bioassay Laboratory is an accredited laboratory capable of conducting standardized and innovative environmental testing in the area of aquatic ecotoxicology. The...

Ethical and methodological standards for laboratory and medical biological rhythm research.

Science.gov (United States)

Portaluppi, Francesco; Touitou, Yvan; Smolensky, Michael H

2008-11-01

The main objectives of this article are to update the ethical standards for the conduct of human and animal biological rhythm research and recommend essential elements for quality chronobiological research information, which should be especially useful for new investigators of the rhythms of life. A secondary objective is to provide for those with an interest in the results of chronobiology investigations, but who might be unfamiliar with the field, an introduction to the basic methods and standards of biological rhythm research and time series data analysis. The journal and its editors endorse compliance of all investigators to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki of the World Medical Association, which relate to the conduct of ethical research on human beings, and the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals of the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research of the National Research Council, which relate to the conduct of ethical research on laboratory and other animals. The editors and the readers of the journal expect the authors of submitted manuscripts to have adhered to the ethical standards dictated by local, national, and international laws and regulations in the conduct of investigations and to be unbiased and accurate in reporting never-before-published research findings. Authors of scientific papers are required to disclose all potential conflicts of interest, particularly when the research is funded in part or in full by the medical and pharmaceutical industry, when the authors are stock-holders of the company that manufactures or markets the products under study, or when the authors are a recent or current paid consultant to the involved company. It is the responsibility of the authors of submitted manuscripts to clearly present sufficient detail about the synchronizer schedule of the studied subjects (i.e., the sleep-wake schedule, ambient light-dark cycle, intensity and spectrum of ambient light exposure, seasons when the research was

Monte Carlo analysis of the Neutron Standards Laboratory of the CIEMAT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vega C, H. R.; Mendez V, R.; Guzman G, K. A.

2014-10-01

By means of Monte Carlo methods was characterized the neutrons field produced by calibration sources in the Neutron Standards Laboratory of the Centro de Investigaciones Energeticas, Medioambientales y Tecnologicas (CIEMAT). The laboratory has two neutron calibration sources: 241 AmBe and 252 Cf which are stored in a water pool and are placed on the calibration bench using controlled systems at distance. To characterize the neutrons field was built a three-dimensional model of the room where it was included the stainless steel bench, the irradiation table and the storage pool. The sources model included double encapsulated of steel, as cladding. With the purpose of determining the effect that produces the presence of the different components of the room, during the characterization the neutrons spectra, the total flow and the rapidity of environmental equivalent dose to 100 cm of the source were considered. The presence of the walls, floor and ceiling of the room is causing the most modification in the spectra and the integral values of the flow and the rapidity of environmental equivalent dose. (Author)

Laboratory diagnosis of creatine deficiency syndromes: a technical standard and guideline of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharer, J Daniel; Bodamer, Olaf; Longo, Nicola; Tortorelli, Silvia; Wamelink, Mirjam M C; Young, Sarah

2017-02-01

Disclaimer: These ACMG Standards and Guidelines are intended as an educational resource for clinical laboratory geneticists to help them provide quality clinical laboratory genetic services. Adherence to these standards and guidelines is voluntary and does not necessarily assure a successful medical outcome. These Standards and Guidelines should not be considered inclusive of all proper procedures and tests or exclusive of others that are reasonably directed to obtaining the same results. In determining the propriety of any specific procedure or test, clinical laboratory geneticists should apply their professional judgment to the specific circumstances presented by the patient or specimen. Clinical laboratory geneticists are encouraged to document in the patient's record the rationale for the use of a particular procedure or test, whether or not it is in conformance with these Standards and Guidelines. They also are advised to take notice of the date any particular guideline was adopted, and to consider other relevant medical and scientific information that becomes available after that date. It also would be prudent to consider whether intellectual property interests may restrict the performance of certain tests and other procedures.Cerebral creatine deficiency syndromes are neurometabolic conditions characterized by intellectual disability, seizures, speech delay, and behavioral abnormalities. Several laboratory methods are available for preliminary and confirmatory diagnosis of these conditions, including measurement of creatine and related metabolites in biofluids using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry or gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, enzyme activity assays in cultured cells, and DNA sequence analysis. These guidelines are intended to standardize these procedures to help optimize the diagnosis of creatine deficiency syndromes. While biochemical methods are emphasized, considerations for confirmatory molecular testing are also discussed

Selection of media for antimicrobial susceptibility testing of fish pathogenic bacteria

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dalsgaard, Inger

2001-01-01

3, Diagnostic Sensitivity Test Agar) have been used in addition to media (Brain Heart Infusion Agar, Heart Infusion Agar, Columbia Blood Agar) normally utilized for cultivating fastidious bacteria. When testing marine pathogens, sodium chloride or seawater has been included in the media. Media...... pattern in fish pathogenic bacteria. The American guideline from The National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) recommends Mueller-Hinton Agar for susceptibility testing of human pathogens and this validated medium appears to be adequate for the rapidly growing fish pathogens. Following......The available data concerning antimicrobial susceptibility testing of fish pathogens showed that there is no consensus to the basal medium currently being employed. Different media recommended for susceptibility testing of human pathogens (Mueller-Hinton Agar, Tryptone Soya Agar, Antibiotic Medium...

Comparison of a commercial blood cross-matching kit to the standard laboratory method for establishing blood transfusion compatibility in dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Guzman, Leo Roa; Streeter, Elizabeth; Malandra, Allison

2016-01-01

To evaluate the accuracy of a commercial blood transfusion cross-match kit when compared to the standard laboratory method for establishing blood transfusion compatibility. A prospective observational in intro study performed from July 2009 to July 2013. Private referral veterinary center. Ten healthy dogs, 11 anemic dogs, and 24 previously transfused dogs. None. Forty-five dogs were enrolled in a prospective study in order to compare the standard blood transfusion cross-match technique to a commercial blood transfusion cross-matching kit. These dogs were divided into 3 different groups that included 10 healthy dogs (control group), 11 anemic dogs in need of a blood transfusion, and 24 sick dogs that were previously transfused. Thirty-five dogs diagnosed with anemia secondary to multiple disease processes were cross-matched using both techniques. All dogs cross-matched via the kit had a compatible major and minor result, whereas 16 dogs out of 45 (35%) had an incompatible cross-match result when the standard laboratory technique was performed. The average time to perform the commercial kit was 15 minutes and this was 3 times shorter than the manual cross-match laboratory technique that averaged 45-50 minutes to complete. While the gel-based cross-match kit is quicker and less technically demanding than standard laboratory cross-match procedures, microagglutination and low-grade hemolysis are difficult to identify by using the gel-based kits. This could result in transfusion reactions if the gel-based kits are used as the sole determinant of blood compatibility prior to transfusion. Based on our results, the standard manual cross-match technique remains the gold standard test to determine blood transfusion compatibility. © Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society 2016.

76 FR 25376 - Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories Standard; Extension of the Office of...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-05-04

...'') applies to laboratories that use hazardous chemicals in accordance with the Standard's definitions for...-reliability measures; worker information-and-training programs; conditions under which the employer must... validity of the methodology and assumptions used; The quality, utility, and clarity of the information...

The mutual recognition arrangement and primary standard dosimetry laboratory comparisons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allisy-Roberts, P.J.; Burns, D.T.

2002-01-01

the measurement capabilities of each NMI in the KCDB maintained by the BIPM. This database is available on the web at http://www.bipm.org/kcdb. The degrees of equivalence of each NMI holding national standards for a given quantity are determined from the key comparisons. These are entered into Appendix B of the MRA that is maintained as part of the KCDB. (Note that Appendix A is the list of signatories to the MRA). The results of the comparisons are analysed and presented in two ways. A graph is used to present the degree of equivalence of each NMI with the key comparison reference value (KCRV) and, secondly, a matrix is used to show the inter-laboratory degrees of equivalence taking inter-laboratory correlations into account. A CIPM key comparison is executed either by a Consultative Committee of the CIPM, such as the Consultative Committee for Ionizing Radiation (CCRI), or by the BIPM and leads to a KCRV. In certain fields, such as ionizing radiation, the BIPM maintains international standards against which NMIs (for example, the primary standards dosimetry laboratories, PSDLs that are affiliated members of the IAEA/WHO Network of SSDLs) can compare their primary standards. These comparisons may be made at any mutually convenient time and these comparisons are identified as 'BIPM ongoing key comparisons'. However, although there are over 110 comparisons listed in the field of ionizing radiation, more than 77 of these comparisons are activity comparisons (rather than dosimetry comparisons) for the many different radionuclides, that are measured using the International Reference System (SIR). The BIPM currently operates four ongoing key comparisons for ionizing radiation dosimetry. These include dosimetry comparisons for air kerma in low- and medium-energy x-ray beams and for air kerma and absorbed dose to water in 60 Co gamma radiation. The comparison result is expressed as a ratio of the NMI value for the quantity to the BIPM value and the report of the comparison

The IAEA/WHO Network of SSDLs. Short history, activity and future trends[Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratories

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Svensson, Hans; Zsdanszky, Kalman [International Atomic Energy Agency, Dosimtery Section, Vienna (Austria)

1990-04-01

In 1968 at an IAEA meeting in Caracas, Venezuela, the dosimetric requirements of radiotherapy centres were discussed. At that time many radiotherapy departments in developing countries did not have a dosimeter. Even those that had a dosimeter were seldom able to send it to a Primary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory (PSDL) for proper calibration. The establishment of regional dosimeter calibration laboratories was recommended by the participating experts including representatives of WHO. There was general consent that it was not necessary to establish in every country a PSDL, which would need a very qualified staff and sophisticated equipment. Instead, the establishment of Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratories (SSDLs) was found to be an adequate solution to the problem. The new idea of SSDLs and their role within the international metrology system was thoroughly discussed at a joint IAEA/WHO meeting in Rio de Janeiro (scientific secretaries: H.H. Eisenlohr, IAEA and W. Seelentag, WHO) in December 1974. Considering the fact that an SSDL cannot work in isolation the experts recommended the setting up of an international Network of SSDLs under the auspices of the IAEA and WHO. The statutes of the IAEA/WHO Network of SSDLs were laid down in a Working Arrangement between the IAEA and WHO in April 1976. Later in 1976 the two Directors General of the IAEA and WHO formally announced by circular letters to their respective member states the establishment of the IAEA/WHO Network of SSDL. The Criteria for the Establishment of a Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory were formulated by an Advisory Group and were attached to these letters. At that time there existed already 8 laboratories, which had been designated by WHO during the period 1968-1976 as regional reference centres for dosimetry. Another SSDL had been set up in Rio de Janeiro in collaboration between the Brazilian Government, the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany, and the IAEA. As a consequence of the

From laboratory to the sky: Th-Ar wavelength standards for the cryogenic infrared echelle spectrograph (CRIRES)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kerber, Florian; Bristow, Paul [European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzschild-Strasse 2, 85748 Garching (Germany); Nave, Gillian; Sansonetti, Craig J [National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD (United States)], E-mail: fkerber@eso.org, E-mail: gillian.nave@nist.gov, E-mail: craig.sansonetti@nist.gov, E-mail: bristowp@eso.org

2009-05-15

We report on the collaborative effort of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to establish-through laboratory measurements-wavelength standards in the near-infrared (IR) emission line spectrum of a low current Th-Ar hollow cathode lamp. These standards are now routinely used for the wavelength calibration of the cryogenic infrared echelle spectrograph (CRIRES) operated at one of the unit telescopes of the very large telescope (VLT) at ESO's La Silla Paranal Observatory in Chile. The availability of highly accurate wavelength standards from a commercially available calibration source permits a shift to a new operational paradigm for high-resolution IR spectroscopy. Wavelength calibration no longer has to rely on atmospheric features but can make use of laboratory traceable reference data as is normally done in the ultraviolet and visible regions. This opens the door for more quantitative spectroscopic work in the near-IR. To illustrate the potential impact of this development, we briefly review the current state of affairs in IR astronomy and its projected future. With the advent of the next generation of extremely large ground-based telescopes the IR region will become the most powerful window on the universe within the next 10-15 years. We conclude with a short outlook on the contribution atomic physics can make to this evolution.

Measurement of Henry's Law Constants Using Internal Standards: A Quantitative GC Experiment for the Instrumental Analysis or Environmental Chemistry Laboratory

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Chang; Boisvert, Susanne M.; Arida, Ann-Marie C.; Day, Shannon E.

2008-01-01

An internal standard method applicable to undergraduate instrumental analysis or environmental chemistry laboratory has been designed and tested to determine the Henry's law constants for a series of alkyl nitriles. In this method, a mixture of the analytes and an internal standard is prepared and used to make a standard solution (organic solvent)…

[Accreditation of medical laboratories].

Science.gov (United States)

Horváth, Andrea Rita; Ring, Rózsa; Fehér, Miklós; Mikó, Tivadar

2003-07-27

In Hungary, the National Accreditation Body was established by government in 1995 as an independent, non-profit organization, and has exclusive rights to accredit, amongst others, medical laboratories. The National Accreditation Body has two Specialist Advisory Committees in the health care sector. One is the Health Care Specialist Advisory Committee that accredits certifying bodies, which deal with certification of hospitals. The other Specialist Advisory Committee for Medical Laboratories is directly involved in accrediting medical laboratory services of health care institutions. The Specialist Advisory Committee for Medical Laboratories is a multidisciplinary peer review group of experts from all disciplines of in vitro diagnostics, i.e. laboratory medicine, microbiology, histopathology and blood banking. At present, the only published International Standard applicable to laboratories is ISO/IEC 17025:1999. Work has been in progress on the official approval of the new ISO 15189 standard, specific to medical laboratories. Until the official approval of the International Standard ISO 15189, as accreditation standard, the Hungarian National Accreditation Body has decided to progress with accreditation by formulating explanatory notes to the ISO/IEC 17025:1999 document, using ISO/FDIS 15189:2000, the European EC4 criteria and CPA (UK) Ltd accreditation standards as guidelines. This harmonized guideline provides 'explanations' that facilitate the application of ISO/IEC 17025:1999 to medical laboratories, and can be used as a checklist for the verification of compliance during the onsite assessment of the laboratory. The harmonized guideline adapted the process model of ISO 9001:2000 to rearrange the main clauses of ISO/IEC 17025:1999. This rearrangement does not only make the guideline compliant with ISO 9001:2000 but also improves understanding for those working in medical laboratories, and facilitates the training and education of laboratory staff. With the

Establishment and intra-/inter-laboratory validation of a standard protocol of reactive oxygen species assay for chemical photosafety evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Onoue, Satomi; Hosoi, Kazuhiro; Wakuri, Shinobu; Iwase, Yumiko; Yamamoto, Toshinobu; Matsuoka, Naoko; Nakamura, Kazuichi; Toda, Tsuguto; Takagi, Hironori; Osaki, Naoto; Matsumoto, Yasuhiro; Kawakami, Satoru; Seto, Yoshiki; Kato, Masashi; Yamada, Shizuo; Ohno, Yasuo; Kojima, Hajime

2013-11-01

A reactive oxygen species (ROS) assay was previously developed for photosafety evaluation of pharmaceuticals, and the present multi-center study aimed to establish and validate a standard protocol for ROS assay. In three participating laboratories, two standards and 42 coded chemicals, including 23 phototoxins and 19 nonphototoxic drugs/chemicals, were assessed by the ROS assay according to the standardized protocol. Most phototoxins tended to generate singlet oxygen and/or superoxide under UV-vis exposure, but nonphototoxic chemicals were less photoreactive. In the ROS assay on quinine (200 µm), a typical phototoxic drug, the intra- and inter-day precisions (coefficient of variation; CV) were found to be 1.5-7.4% and 1.7-9.3%, respectively. The inter-laboratory CV for quinine averaged 15.4% for singlet oxygen and 17.0% for superoxide. The ROS assay on 42 coded chemicals (200 µm) provided no false negative predictions upon previously defined criteria as compared with the in vitro/in vivo phototoxicity, although several false positives appeared. Outcomes from the validation study were indicative of satisfactory transferability, intra- and inter-laboratory variability, and predictive capacity of the ROS assay. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Synthesis of amino-functionalized silica nanoparticles for preparation of new laboratory standards

Science.gov (United States)

Alvarez-Toral, Aitor; Fernández, Beatriz; Malherbe, Julien; Claverie, Fanny; Pecheyran, Christophe; Pereiro, Rosario

2017-12-01

Platinum group elements (PGEs) are particularly interesting analytes in different fields, including environmental samples as well as high cost materials that contain them, such as for example automotive catalysts. This type of solid samples could be analysed by laser ablation (LA) coupled to ICP-MS, which allow to significantly reducing the analysis time since the time-consuming processes for sample preparation are not required. There is a considerable demand of standards with high PGEs concentration for quantification purposes, which cannot be carried out easily using LA-ICP-MS because the available standards (i.e. NIST SRM 61 × series) do not have such analytes in the same concentration range. In this paper, a new strategy is proposed for the synthesis of homogeneous laboratory standards with Pt, Pd and Rh concentrations that range from 77 μg/g of Pd up to 2035 μg/g of Rh. The proposed strategy is based on the synthesis of monodisperse amino-functionalized amorphous silica nanoparticles, which can retain metal ions. In addition to Pt, Pd and Rh, three lanthanides were also added to the nanoparticles (La, Ce, Nd). Sturdy pressed pellets can be made from the resulting nanopowder without the use of any binder. Elemental composition of standards made of nanoparticles was analysed by conventional nebulization ICP-MS and their homogeneity was successfully evaluated by LA-ICP-MS.

Analysis of uncertainties in the measurements of absorbed dose to water in a secondary standard dosimetry laboratory (SSDL) 60Cobalt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, Cosme Norival Mello da; Rosado, Paulo Henrique Goncalves

2011-01-01

The National Metrology Laboratory of Ionizing Radiation (LNMRI) is the laboratory designated by INMETRO in the field of Metrology of ionizing radiation and is a Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory (SSDL). One of its guidelines is to maintain and disseminate LNMRI absorbed dose in water used as a national standard dosimetry in radiotherapy. For this pattern is metrologically acceptable accuracy and uncertainties should be assessed over time. The objective of this study is to analyze the uncertainties involved in determining the absorbed dose rate in water and standard uncertainty of absorbed dose calibration in water from a clinical dosimeter. The largest sources of uncertainty in determining the rate of absorbed dose in water are due to: calibration coefficient of the calibration certificate supplied by the BIPM, electrometer calibration, camber stability over time, variation of pressure and humidity, strong dependence and non-uniformity of the field. The expanded uncertainty is 0.94% for k = 2. For the calibration standard uncertainty of absorbed dose in water of a dosimeter in a clinical a major source of uncertainty is due to the absorbed dose rate in water (0.94%). The value of expanded uncertainty of calibrating a clinical dosimeter is 1.2% for k = 2. (author)

Standards for radiation protection and diagnostic radiology at the IAEA Dosimetry Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pernicka, F.; Andreo, P.; Meghzifene, A.; Czap, L.; Girzikowsky, R.

1999-01-01

International standardization in dosimetry is essential for the successful exploitation of radiation technology. The IAEA dosimetry programme is focused into services provided to Member States through the IAEA/WHO Network of Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratories (SSDLs), to radiotherapy centres and radiation processing facilities. Radiation protection quantities defined by ICRU and ICRP are used to relate the risk due to exposure to ionizing radiation to a single quantity, irrespective of the type of radiation, which takes into account the human body as a receptor. Two types of quantities, limiting and operational, can be related to basic physical quantities which are defined without need for considering specific aspects of radiation protection, e.g. air kerma for photons and fluence for neutrons. The use of a dosimeter for measurements in radiation protection requires a calibration in terms of a physical quantity together with a conversion from physical into protection quantities by means of a factor or a coefficient

Inquiry-based laboratory investigations and student performance on standardized tests in biological science

Science.gov (United States)

Patke, Usha

Achievement data from the 3rd International Mathematics and Sciences Study and Program for International Student Assessment in science have indicated that Black students from economically disadvantaged families underachieve at alarming rates in comparison to White and economically advantaged peer groups. The study site was a predominately Black, urban school district experiencing underachievement. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between students' use of inquiry-based laboratory investigations and their performance on the Biology End of Course Test, as well as to examine the relationship while partialling out the effects of student gender. Constructivist theory formed the theoretical foundation of the study. Students' perceived levels of experience with inquiry-based laboratory investigations were measured using the Laboratory Program Variable Inventory (LPVI) survey. LPVI scores of 256 students were correlated with test scores and were examined by student gender. The Pearson correlation coefficient revealed a small direct correlation between students' experience in inquiry-based laboratory investigation classes and standardized test scores on the Biology EOCT. A partial correlational analysis indicated that the correlation remained after controlling for gender. This study may prompt a change from teacher-centered to student-centered pedagogy at the local site in order to increase academic achievement for all students. The results of this study may also influence administrators and policy makers to initiate local, state, or nationwide curricular development. A change in curriculum may promote social change as students become more competent, and more able, to succeed in life beyond secondary school.

[ISO 15189 accreditation in clinical microbiology laboratory: general concepts and the status in our laboratory].

Science.gov (United States)

Akyar, Işin

2009-10-01

One important trend in the laboratory profession and quality management is the global convergence of laboratory operations. The goal of an accredited medical laboratory is to continue "offering useful laboratory service for diagnosis and treatment of the patients and also aid to the health of the nation". An accredited clinical laboratory is managed by a quality control system, it is competent technically and the laboratory service meets the needs of all its patients and physicians by taking the responsibility of all the medical tests and therapies. For this purpose, ISO 15189 international standard has been prepared by 2003. ISO 15189 standard is originated from the arrangement of ISO 17025 and ISO 9001:2000 standards. Many countries such as England, Germany, France, Canada and Australia have preferred ISO 15189 as their own laboratory accreditation programme, meeting all the requirements of their medical laboratories. The accreditation performance of a clinical microbiology laboratory is mainly based on five essential points; preanalytical, analytical, postanalytical, quality control programmes (internal, external, interlaboratory) and audits (internal, external). In this review article, general concepts on ISO 15189 accreditation standards for the clinical microbiology laboratories have been summarized and the status of a private laboratory (Acibadem LabMed, Istanbul) in Turkey has been discussed.

42 CFR 493.1443 - Standard; Laboratory director qualifications.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... laboratory in the State in which the laboratory is located; or (6) For the subspecialty of oral pathology, be certified by the American Board of Oral Pathology, American Board of Pathology, the American Osteopathic... or clinical pathology, or both, by the American Board of Pathology or the American Osteopathic Board...

Gateway to the Future. Skill Standards for the Bioscience Industry for Technical Workers in Pharmaceutical Companies, Biotechnology Companies, and Clinical Laboratories.

Science.gov (United States)

Education Development Center, Inc., Newton, MA.

The Bioscience Industry Skills Standards Project (BISSP) is developing national, voluntary skill standards for technical jobs in biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies and clinical laboratories in hospitals, universities, government, and independent settings. Research with employees and educators has pinpointed three issues underscoring the…

[Laboratory accreditation and proficiency testing].

Science.gov (United States)

Kuwa, Katsuhiko

2003-05-01

ISO/TC 212 covering clinical laboratory testing and in vitro diagnostic test systems will issue the international standard for medical laboratory quality and competence requirements, ISO 15189. This standard is based on the ISO/IEC 17025, general requirements for competence of testing and calibration laboratories and ISO 9001, quality management systems-requirements. Clinical laboratory services are essential to patient care and therefore should be available to meet the needs of all patients and clinical personnel responsible for human health care. If a laboratory seeks accreditation, it should select an accreditation body that operates according to this international standard and in a manner which takes into account the particular requirements of clinical laboratories. Proficiency testing should be available to evaluate the calibration laboratories and reference measurement laboratories in clinical medicine. Reference measurement procedures should be of precise and the analytical principle of measurement applied should ensure reliability. We should be prepared to establish a quality management system and proficiency testing in clinical laboratories.

[ISO 15189 medical laboratory accreditation].

Science.gov (United States)

Aoyagi, Tsutomu

2004-10-01

This International Standard, based upon ISO/IEC 17025 and ISO 9001, provides requirements for competence and quality that are particular to medical laboratories. While this International Standard is intended for use throughout the currently recognized disciplines of medical laboratory services, those working in other services and disciplines will also find it useful and appropriate. In addition, bodies engaged in the recognition of the competence of medical laboratories will be able to use this International Standard as the basis for their activities. The Japan Accreditation Board for Conformity Assessment (AB) and the Japanese Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (CCLS) are jointly developing the program of accreditation of medical laboratories. ISO 15189 requirements consist of two parts, one is management requirements and the other is technical requirements. The former includes the requirements of all parts of ISO 9001, moreover it includes the requirement of conformity assessment body, for example, impartiality and independence from any other party. The latter includes the requirements of laboratory competence (e.g. personnel, facility, instrument, and examination methods), moreover it requires that laboratories shall participate proficiency testing(s) and laboratories' examination results shall have traceability of measurements and implement uncertainty of measurement. Implementation of ISO 15189 will result in a significant improvement in medical laboratories management system and their technical competence. The accreditation of medical laboratory will improve medical laboratory service and be useful for patients.

New measurements of G using the measurement standards laboratory torsion balance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Armstrong, T.R.; Fitzgerald, M.P.

2003-01-01

This Letter presents the results of a series of measurements of the Newtonian gravitational constant G using the compensated torsion balance developed at the Measurement Standards Laboratory. Since our last published result using the torsion balance in the compensated mode of operation [Meas. Sci. Technol. 10, 439 (1999)], several improvements have been made to reduce the uncertainty in the final result. The new measurements have used both stainless steel and copper large masses. The values of G for the two sets of masses are in good agreement. After combining all of the measurements we get a value of G=6.673 87(0.000 27)x10 -11 m 3 kg -1 s -2 . This new value is 5 parts in 10 5 smaller than our previous published values

Construction and equipment requirements for installations and laboratories handling unsealed radioactive materials in low and medium activity - Proposal of an Israeli standard

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ben-Shlomo, A; Schlesinger, T; Barshad, M [Soreq Nuclear Research Center, Yavne (Israel)

1993-10-01

Working with unsealed radioactive materials involves risks of internal or external exposure to ionizing radiation. Exposure of human beings to ionizing radiation involves adverse health effects and must be prevented or at least reduced to reasonable levels. Radiation sources in this work are unsealed radioactive materials, that may be solids, liquid or in gaseous states, and in varying toxic levels. Various works and actions that are performed on the unsealed radioactive materials have varying potentials of dispersion, contamination and exposure, so that the combination of the type of work activity, isotope characteristics and physical state dictate the internal and external exposure risks. In order to limit the exposure of the personnel of installations and laboratories which deals with unsealed radioactive materials, national and international authorities and organizations standards and procedures for the requirements of construction and equipment of such installations and laboratories. This document means to be a proposal for an Israeli standard requirements for equipment and construction of installations working with low and medium activity unsealed radioactive materials. The targets for defining the, construction and equipment, requirements are: a. Safety and proper protection of personnel and public from external and internal exposure while the work is done properly. Proper protection against the risk of contaminating the environment. c. Standardization of requirements. d. Proper design of installations and laboratories. e. Supply means for evaluation and reduction of construction costs.The equipment detailed here refers to fixed (none movable) equipment which is a part of the construction of the laboratory or installation, unless specified otherwise. The document starts with a review of the recommendations of some international organizations (WHO, IAEA, NRPB) for construction and equipment requirements for these laboratories and installations. Then the

Development of standardized laboratory methods and quality processes for a phase III study of the RTS, S/AS01 candidate malaria vaccine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carter Terrell

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A pivotal phase III study of the RTS,S/AS01 malaria candidate vaccine is ongoing in several research centres across Africa. The development and establishment of quality systems was a requirement for trial conduct to meet international regulatory standards, as well as providing an important capacity strengthening opportunity for study centres. Methods Standardized laboratory methods and quality assurance processes were implemented at each of the study centres, facilitated by funding partners. Results A robust protocol for determination of parasite density based on actual blood cell counts was set up in accordance with World Health Organization recommendations. Automated equipment including haematology and biochemistry analyzers were put in place with standard methods for bedside testing of glycaemia, base excess and lactacidaemia. Facilities for X-rays and basic microbiology testing were also provided or upgraded alongside health care infrastructure in some centres. External quality assurance assessment of all major laboratory methods was established and method qualification by each laboratory demonstrated. The resulting capacity strengthening has ensured laboratory evaluations are conducted locally to the high standards required in clinical trials. Conclusion Major efforts by study centres, together with support from collaborating parties, have allowed standardized methods and robust quality assurance processes to be put in place for the phase III evaluation of the RTS, S/AS01 malaria candidate vaccine. Extensive training programmes, coupled with continuous commitment from research centre staff, have been the key elements behind the successful implementation of quality processes. It is expected these activities will culminate in healthcare benefits for the subjects and communities participating in these trials. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00866619

Air kerma standardization for diagnostic radiology, and requirements proposal for calibration laboratories; Padronizacao da grandeza Kerma no ar para radiodiagnostico e proposta de requisitos para laboratorios de calibracao

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ramos, Manoel Mattos Oliveira

2009-07-01

The demand for calibration services and quality control in diagnostic radiology has grown in the country since the publication of the governmental regulation 453, issued by the Ministry of Health in 1998. At that time, to produce results facing the new legislation, many laboratories used different standards and radiation qualities, some of which could be inadequate. The international standards neither supplied consistent radiation qualities and standardization for the different types of equipment available. This situation changed with the publication of the new edition of the IEC 61267 standard, published in 2005. A metrology network was created, but it is not yet accredited by the accreditation organism of the country, INMETRO. The objective of this work was to implement the standardization of the air kerma for the un attenuated qualities (RQR) of IEC 61267, and to develop a requirement proposal for instruments calibration laboratories. Results of interlaboratory comparisons demonstrate that the quantity is standardized and internationally traceable. A laboratory requirement proposal was finalized and it shall be submitted to INMETRO to be used as auxiliary normative document in laboratory accreditation. (author)

Uncertainty and minimum detectable concentrations using relative, absolute and K*0-IAEA standardization for the INAA laboratory of the ETRR-2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khalil, M. Y.

2006-01-01

Full text: The Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) Laboratory of Egypt Second Training and Research Reactor (ETRR-2) is increasingly requested to perform multi-element analysis to large number of samples from different origins. The INAA laboratory has to demonstrate competence by conforming to appropriate internationally and nationally accepted standards. The objective of this work is to determine the uncertainty budget and sensitivity of the INAA laboratory measurements. Concentrations of 9 elements; Mn, Na, K, Ca, Co, Cr, Fe, Rb, and Cs, were measured against a certified test sample. Relative, absolute, and Ko-IAEA standardization methods were employed and results compared. The flux was monitored using cadmium covered gold method, and multifoil (gold, nickel and zirconium) method. The combined and expanded uncertainties were estimated. Uncertainty of concentrations ranged between 2-21% depending on the standardization method used. The relative method, giving the lowest uncertainty, produced uncertainty budget between 2 and 11%. The minimum detectable concentration was the lowest for Cs ranging between 0.36 and 0.59 ppb and the highest being for K in the range of 0.32 to 8.64 ppm

Clinical laboratory accreditation in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Handoo, Anil; Sood, Swaroop Krishan

2012-06-01

Test results from clinical laboratories must ensure accuracy, as these are crucial in several areas of health care. It is necessary that the laboratory implements quality assurance to achieve this goal. The implementation of quality should be audited by independent bodies,referred to as accreditation bodies. Accreditation is a third-party attestation by an authoritative body, which certifies that the applicant laboratory meets quality requirements of accreditation body and has demonstrated its competence to carry out specific tasks. Although in most of the countries,accreditation is mandatory, in India it is voluntary. The quality requirements are described in standards developed by many accreditation organizations. The internationally acceptable standard for clinical laboratories is ISO15189, which is based on ISO/IEC standard 17025. The accreditation body in India is the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories, which has signed Mutual Recognition Agreement with the regional cooperation the Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation and with the apex cooperation the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation.

Quantification of Soil Physical Properties by Using X-Ray Computerized Tomography (CT) and Standard Laboratory (STD) Methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanchez, Maria Ambert [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

2003-12-12

The implementation of x-ray computerized tomography (CT) on agricultural soils has been used in this research to quantify soil physical properties to be compared with standard laboratory (STD) methods. The overall research objective was to more accurately quantify soil physical properties for long-term management systems. Two field studies were conducted at Iowa State University's Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm near Nashua, IA using two different soil management strategies. The first field study was conducted in 1999 using continuous corn crop rotation for soil under chisel plow with no-till treatments. The second study was conducted in 2001 and on soybean crop rotation for the same soil but under chisel plow and no-till practices with wheel track and no-wheel track compaction treatments induced by a tractor-manure wagon. In addition, saturated hydraulic (K{sub s}) conductivity and the convection-dispersion (CDE) model were also applied using long-term soil management systems only during 2001. The results obtained for the 1999 field study revealed no significant differences between treatments and laboratory methods, but significant differences were found at deeper depths of the soil column for tillage treatments. The results for standard laboratory procedure versus CT method showed significant differences at deeper depths for the chisel plow treatment and at the second lower depth for no-till treatment for both laboratory methods. The macroporosity distribution experiment showed significant differences at the two lower depths between tillage practices. Bulk density and percent porosity had significant differences at the two lower depths of the soil column. The results obtained for the 2001 field study showed no significant differences between tillage practices and compaction practices for both laboratory methods, but significant differences between tillage practices with wheel track and no-wheel compaction treatments were found along the soil

In Vitro Activities of Terbinafine against Cutaneous Isolates of Candida albicans and Other Pathogenic Yeasts

Science.gov (United States)

Ryder, Neil S.; Wagner, Sonja; Leitner, Ingrid

1998-01-01

Terbinafine is active in vitro against a wide range of pathogenic fungi, including dermatophytes, molds, dimorphic fungi, and some yeasts, but earlier studies indicated that the drug had little activity against Candida albicans. In contrast, clinical studies have shown topical and oral terbinafine to be active in cutaneous candidiasis and Candida nail infections. In order to define the anti-Candida activity of terbinafine, we tested the drug against 350 fresh clinical isolates and additional strains by using a broth dilution assay standardized according to the guidelines of the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) M27-A assay. Terbinafine was found to have an MIC of 1 μg/ml for reference C. albicans strains. For 259 clinical isolates, the MIC at which 50% of the isolates are inhibited (MIC50) of terbinafine was 1 μg/ml (fluconazole, 0.5 μg/ml), and the MIC90 was 4 μg/ml (fluconazole, 1 μg/ml). Terbinafine was highly active against Candida parapsilosis (MIC90, 0.125 μg/ml) and showed potentially interesting activity against isolates of Candida dubliniensis, Candida guilliermondii, Candida humicola, and Candida lusitaniae. It was not active against the Candida glabrata, Candida krusei, and Candida tropicalis isolates in this assay. Cryptococcus laurentii and Cryptococcus neoformans were highly susceptible to terbinafine, with MICs of 0.06 to 0.25 μg/ml. The NCCLS macrodilution assay provides reproducible in vitro data for terbinafine against Candida and other yeasts. The MICs for C. albicans and C. parapsilosis are compatible with the known clinical efficacy of terbinafine in cutaneous infections, while the clinical relevance of its activities against the other species has yet to be determined. PMID:9593126

In vitro effects of glycyrrhetinic acid and hyaluronic acid on the growth of vulvovaginal Candida albicans and other yeasts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martina Stevan

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Aims. The present study aimed to test the in vitro activity against Candida albicans and non-albicans strains of 18-β glycyrrhetinic acid (18-β GA and hyaluronic acid (HA, both alone and in combination. This antimicrobial activity was assessed using the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS method on Candida strains that were isolated from patients with recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC. Results. Our results demonstrate that the anti-Candida activity is independent from antifungal susceptibility level and the fact that the growth inhibition is stronger at acidic pH level makes the two drugs a promising biological alternative for the topical treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC and RVVC. Conclusions. Furthermore, the reduction of both budding cells formation and germ tube elongation, on mammalian cell monolayers, may explain the observed growth inhibition and suggest a decreased virulence, respectively.

Quality control of secondary standards and calibration systems, therapy level, of National Laboratory of Metrology from Ionizing Radiations (LNMRI)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cecatti, E.R.; Freitas, L.C. de

1992-01-01

The results of quality control program of secondary standards, therapy level, and the calibration system of clinical dosemeters were analysed from 1984, when a change in the laboratory installation occurred and new standards were obtained. The national and the international intercomparisons were emphasised. The results for graphite wall chambers were compared, observing a maximum variation of about 0,6%. In the case of Delrin (TK01) wall chambers, the maximum variation was 1,7%. The results of post intercomparisons with thermoluminescent dosemeters have presented derivations lesser than 1%, securing the standards consistence at LNMRI with the international metrological system. (C.G.C.)

Laboratory quality stepwise implementation tool: National reference TB laboratory of Iran

OpenAIRE

Ali Naghi Kebriaee; Donya Malekshahian; Mojtaba Ahmadi; Parissa Farnia

2015-01-01

Background and objective: During recent years, the World Health Organization (WHO) proposed new software for improving the tuberculosis (TB) laboratory services. The protocol is known as “quality stepwise implementation tool” and is based on enforcement of quality assurance services through accreditation by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 15189. As a national reference TB laboratory (NRL) of Iran, the benefit and challenges of implementing this standard were analyzed....

From Topos to Oikos: The Standardization of Glass Containers as Epistemic Boundaries in Modern Laboratory Research (1850-1900).

Science.gov (United States)

Espahangizi, Kijan

2015-09-01

Glass vessels such as flasks and test tubes play an ambiguous role in the historiography of modern laboratory research. In spite of the strong focus on the role of materiality in the last decades, the scientific glass vessel - while being symbolically omnipresent - has remained curiously neglected in regard to its materiality. The popular image or topos of the transparent, neutral, and quasi-immaterial glass container obstructs the view of the physico-chemical functionality of this constitutive inner boundary in modern laboratory environments and its material historicity. In order to understand how glass vessels were able to provide a stable epistemic containment of spatially enclosed experimental phenomena in the new laboratory ecologies emerging in the nineteenth and early twentieth century, I will focus on the history of the material standardization of laboratory glassware. I will follow the rise of a new awareness for measurement errors due to the chemical agency of experimental glass vessels, then I will sketch the emergence of a whole techno-scientific infrastructure for the improvement of glass container quality in late nineteenth-century Germany. In the last part of my argument, I will return to the laboratory by looking at the implementation of this glass reform that created a new oikos for the inner experimental milieus of modern laboratory research.

Importance of pharmaceutical laboratory compliance with international standard requirements in respect of raising their competitiveness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Božanić Vojislav N.

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP being a legal regulation in developed countries will become a legal regulation in Republic of Serbia starting with March 2010. In this paper comparative analysis between requirements of standard ISO/IEC 17025 and requirements of cEU GMP is shown. Considering the fact that in Republic of Serbia no pharmaceutical industry laboratory has been accredited according to requirements of ISO/IEC 17025, while keeping in mind that more than 90% of these laboratories have not fulfilled cEU GMP requirements, this paper aimed at pointing to the possibility of fulfilling both of mentioned requirements at the same time, which would open the way to different types of interlaboratory cooperation for pharmaceutical quality control laboratories and contribute to improving competitiveness of pharmaceutical companies. Accreditation, especially in the case of pharmaceutical quality control laboratories, is important because it guaranties the level of organizational and technical competency. It could easily be said that accreditation is becoming a must in quality control of products in order for the organization to be able to gain a leading role in the global market. Both accreditation and cGMP show the organization's commitment to having products of highest quality level. Considering the above mentioned facts, it is of greatest advantage for pharmaceutical quality control laboratories to fulfill both requirements of ISO/IEC 17025 and cGMP and reach total compliance. The aim of doing this lies in an easier acceptance of pharmaceutical products in different markets, overcoming technical barriers and affirmation of quality as key factor in reaching competitiveness, while keeping in mind the importance of strategic and competitive positioning in the global market.

Sweat test for cystic fibrosis: Wearable sweat sensor vs. standard laboratory test.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Dong-Hoon; Thaxton, Abigail; Jeong, In Cheol; Kim, Kain; Sosnay, Patrick R; Cutting, Garry R; Searson, Peter C

2018-03-23

Sweat chloride testing for diagnosis of cystic fibrosis (CF) involves sweat induction, collection and handling, and measurement in an analytical lab. We have developed a wearable sensor with an integrated salt bridge for real-time measurement of sweat chloride concentration. Here, in a proof-of-concept study, we compare the performance of the sensor to current clinical practice in CF patients and healthy subjects. Sweat was induced on both forearms of 10 individuals with CF and 10 healthy subjects using pilocarpine iontophoresis. A Macroduct sweat collection device was attached to one arm and sweat was collected for 30 min and then sent for laboratory analysis. A sensor was attached to the other arm and the chloride ion concentration monitored in real time for 30 min using a Bluetooth transceiver and smart phone app. Stable sweat chloride measurements were obtained within 15 min following sweat induction using the wearable sensor. We define the detection time as the time at which the standard deviation of the real-time chloride ion concentration remained below 2 mEq/L for 5 min. The sweat volume for sensor measurements at the detection time was 13.1 ± 11.4 μL (SD), in many cases lower than the minimum sweat volume of 15 μL for conventional testing. The mean difference between sweat chloride concentrations measured by the sensor and the conventional laboratory practice was 6.2 ± 9.5 mEq/L (SD), close to the arm-to-arm variation of about 3 mEq/L. The Pearson correlation coefficient between the two measurements was 0.97 highlighting the excellent agreement between the two methods. A wearable sensor can be used to make real-time measurements of sweat chloride within 15 min following sweat induction, requiring a small sweat volume, and with excellent agreement to standard methods. Copyright © 2018 European Cystic Fibrosis Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Radiation and Health Technology Laboratory Capabilities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goles, Ronald W.; Johnson, Michelle Lynn; Piper, Roman K.; Peters, Jerry D.; Murphy, Mark K.; Mercado, Mike S.; Bihl, Donald E.; Lynch, Timothy P.

2003-07-15

The Radiological Standards and Calibrations Laboratory, a part of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)(a) performs calibrations and upholds reference standards necessary to maintain traceability to national standards. The facility supports U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) programs at the Hanford Site, programs sponsored by DOE Headquarters and other federal agencies, radiological protection programs at other DOE and commercial nuclear sites and research and characterization programs sponsored through the commercial sector. The laboratory is located in the 318 Building of the Hanford Site's 300 Area. The facility contains five major exposure rooms and several laboratories used for exposure work preparation, low-activity instrument calibrations, instrument performance evaluations, instrument maintenance, instrument design and fabrication work, thermoluminescent and radiochromic Dosimetry, and calibration of measurement and test equipment (M&TE). The major exposure facilities are a low-scatter room used for neutron and photon exposures, a source well room used for high-volume instrument calibration work, an x-ray facility used for energy response studies, a high-exposure facility used for high-rate photon calibration work, a beta standards laboratory used for beta energy response studies and beta reference calibrations and M&TE laboratories. Calibrations are routinely performed for personnel dosimeters, health physics instrumentation, photon and neutron transfer standards alpha, beta, and gamma field sources used throughout the Hanford Site, and a wide variety of M&TE. This report describes the standards and calibrations laboratory.

Feasibility of establishing a biosafety level 3 tuberculosis culture laboratory of acceptable quality standards in a resource-limited setting: an experience from Uganda.

Science.gov (United States)

Ssengooba, Willy; Gelderbloem, Sebastian J; Mboowa, Gerald; Wajja, Anne; Namaganda, Carolyn; Musoke, Philippa; Mayanja-Kizza, Harriet; Joloba, Moses Lutaakome

2015-01-15

Despite the recent innovations in tuberculosis (TB) and multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) diagnosis, culture remains vital for difficult-to-diagnose patients, baseline and end-point determination for novel vaccines and drug trials. Herein, we share our experience of establishing a BSL-3 culture facility in Uganda as well as 3-years performance indicators and post-TB vaccine trials (pioneer) and funding experience of sustaining such a facility. Between September 2008 and April 2009, the laboratory was set-up with financial support from external partners. After an initial procedure validation phase in parallel with the National TB Reference Laboratory (NTRL) and legal approvals, the laboratory registered for external quality assessment (EQA) from the NTRL, WHO, National Health Laboratories Services (NHLS), and the College of American Pathologists (CAP). The laboratory also instituted a functional quality management system (QMS). Pioneer funding ended in 2012 and the laboratory remained in self-sustainability mode. The laboratory achieved internationally acceptable standards in both structural and biosafety requirements. Of the 14 patient samples analyzed in the procedural validation phase, agreement for all tests with NTRL was 90% (P 80% in all years from NTRL, CAP, and NHLS, and culture was 100% for CAP panels and above regional average scores for all years with NHLS. Quarterly DST scores from WHO-EQA ranged from 78% to 100% in 2010, 80% to 100% in 2011, and 90 to 100% in 2012. From our experience, it is feasible to set-up a BSL-3 TB culture laboratory with acceptable quality performance standards in resource-limited countries. With the demonstrated quality of work, the laboratory attracted more research groups and post-pioneer funding, which helped to ensure sustainability. The high skilled experts in this research laboratory also continue to provide an excellent resource for the needed national discussion of the laboratory and quality management systems.

A professional development model for medical laboratory scientists working in the microbiology laboratory.

Science.gov (United States)

Amerson, Megan H; Pulido, Lila; Garza, Melinda N; Ali, Faheem A; Greenhill, Brandy; Einspahr, Christopher L; Yarsa, Joseph; Sood, Pramilla K; Hu, Peter C

2012-01-01

The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine is committed to providing the best pathology and medicine through: state-of-the art techniques, progressive ground-breaking research, education and training for the clinical diagnosis and research of cancer and related diseases. After surveying the laboratory staff and other hospital professionals, the Department administrators and Human Resource generalists developed a professional development model for Microbiology to support laboratory skills, behavior, certification, and continual education within its staff. This model sets high standards for the laboratory professionals to allow the labs to work at their fullest potential; it provides organization to training technologists based on complete laboratory needs instead of training technologists in individual areas in which more training is required if the laboratory needs them to work in other areas. This model is a working example for all microbiology based laboratories who want to set high standards and want their staff to be acknowledged for demonstrated excellence and professional development in the laboratory. The PDM model is designed to focus on the needs of the laboratory as well as the laboratory professionals.

Standardization and integration of ecological and human risk assessments at Department of Energy national laboratories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Breckenridge, R.P.; Berry, D.

1995-01-01

In 1990, the directors of twelve national laboratories operated by the US Department of Energy (DOE) chartered a steering group to address DOE's concerns about the effectiveness of any regulations driving the cost of environmental restoration and waste management. The goal of this presentation is to inform and to seek collaboration on the challenge of standardizing ecological and human health risk assessment approaches and development of an approach to address the differences between environmental remediation and restoration activities at DOE's waste management sites across the country. Recent changes in risk related regulations and budget cuts have prompted significant changes in DOE's approach to conducting and standardizing risk-based approaches for waste management. The steering group was established in 1990 to organize a broad, long-term educational outreach and research program focused on better science and public understanding of the risks associated with hazardous agents (chemical, biological, radiological, and physical) in the environment and the workplace. This presentation discusses the group's goal to (1) act as one resource for providing the technical basis for health and environmental standards; (2) catalyze a national effort to improve public understanding of risk and the importance of cost benefit analysis in evaluating mitigation of risk; (3) catalyze improvements in understanding of health and environmental effects of hazardous agents; and (4) analyze with regulatory agencies, industry, and the public the potential for evolution of risk-based consensus standard into federal and state environmental and occupational/public health regulations. Major accomplishments will be presented along with the group's agenda for standardizing risk, environmental, and occupational/public health standards

Risk of Fungemia Due to Rhodotorula and Antifungal Susceptibility Testing of Rhodotorula Isolates

OpenAIRE

Zaas, Aimee K.; Boyce, Molly; Schell, Wiley; Lodge, Barbara Alexander; Miller, Jackie L.; Perfect, John R.

2003-01-01

Rhodotorula infections occur among patients with immunosuppression and/or central venous catheters. Using standardized methods (NCCLS M27-A), we determined the antifungal susceptibilities of 10 Rhodotorula bloodstream infection isolates. Patient information was collected for clinical correlation. The MICs of amphotericin B and posaconazole were the lowest, and the MICs of triazoles and echinocandins were higher than those of other antifungal agents.

Microarray-based genotyping of Salmonella: Inter-laboratory evaluation of reproducibility and standardization potential

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grønlund, Hugo Ahlm; Riber, Leise; Vigre, Håkan

2011-01-01

Bacterial food-borne infections in humans caused by Salmonella spp. are considered a crucial food safety issue. Therefore, it is important for the risk assessments of Salmonella to consider the genomic variationamong different isolates in order to control pathogen-induced infections. Microarray...... critical methodology parameters that differed between the two labs were identified. These related to printing facilities, choice of hybridization buffer,wash buffers used following the hybridization and choice of procedure for purifying genomic DNA. Critical parameters were randomized in a four......DNA and different wash buffers. However, less agreement (Kappa=0.2–0.6) between microarray results were observed when using different hybridization buffers, indicating this parameter as being highly criticalwhen transferring a standard microarray assay between laboratories. In conclusion, this study indicates...

Standard-based comprehensive detection of adverse drug reaction signals from nursing statements and laboratory results in electronic health records.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Suehyun; Choi, Jiyeob; Kim, Hun-Sung; Kim, Grace Juyun; Lee, Kye Hwa; Park, Chan Hee; Han, Jongsoo; Yoon, Dukyong; Park, Man Young; Park, Rae Woong; Kang, Hye-Ryun; Kim, Ju Han

2017-07-01

We propose 2 Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities-enabled pharmacovigilance algorithms, MetaLAB and MetaNurse, powered by a per-year meta-analysis technique and improved subject sampling strategy. This study developed 2 novel algorithms, MetaLAB for laboratory abnormalities and MetaNurse for standard nursing statements, as significantly improved versions of our previous electronic health record (EHR)-based pharmacovigilance method, called CLEAR. Adverse drug reaction (ADR) signals from 117 laboratory abnormalities and 1357 standard nursing statements for all precautionary drugs ( n   = 101) were comprehensively detected and validated against SIDER (Side Effect Resource) by MetaLAB and MetaNurse against 11 817 and 76 457 drug-ADR pairs, respectively. We demonstrate that MetaLAB (area under the curve, AUC = 0.61 ± 0.18) outperformed CLEAR (AUC = 0.55 ± 0.06) when we applied the same 470 drug-event pairs as the gold standard, as in our previous research. Receiver operating characteristic curves for 101 precautionary terms in the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities Preferred Terms were obtained for MetaLAB and MetaNurse (0.69 ± 0.11; 0.62 ± 0.07), which complemented each other in terms of ADR signal coverage. Novel ADR signals discovered by MetaLAB and MetaNurse were successfully validated against spontaneous reports in the US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System database. The present study demonstrates the symbiosis of laboratory test results and nursing statements for ADR signal detection in terms of their system organ class coverage and performance profiles. Systematic discovery and evaluation of the wide spectrum of ADR signals using standard-based observational electronic health record data across many institutions will affect drug development and use, as well as postmarketing surveillance and regulation. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American

Laboratory accreditation in developing economies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loesener, O.

2004-01-01

Full text: Accreditation of laboratories has been practiced for well over one hundred years with the primary objective of seeking a formal recognition for the competence of a laboratory to perform specified tests or measurements. While first accreditation schemes intended initially to serve only the immediate needs of the body making the evaluation with the purpose of minimizing testing and inspection to be conducted by laboratories, third-party accreditation enables a laboratory to demonstrate its capability as well as availability of all necessary resources to undertake particular tests correctly and that is managed in such a way that it is likely to do this consistently, taking into consideration standards developed by national and international standards-setting bodies. The international standard ISO/IEC 17025 and laboratory accreditation are concerned with competence and quality management of laboratories only, thus requiring a single common set of criteria applicable to them. Quality assurance is therefore fully relevant to laboratories in general and analytical laboratories in particular; it should not be confused with the certification approach according to ISO/IEC 9000 family of standards, that is concerned with quality management applicable to any organization as a whole. The role of laboratory accreditation can be manifold, but in all cases the recipient of the test report needs to have confidence that the data in it is reliable, particularly if the test data is important in a decision-making process. As such, it offers a comprehensive way to ensure: - the availability of managerial and technical staff with the authority and resources needed; - the effectiveness of equipment management, traceability of measurement and safety procedures; - the performance of tests, taking into consideration laboratory accommodation and facilities as well as laboratory practices. The presentation will include also some practical aspects of quality management system

Promoting Good Clinical Laboratory Practices and Laboratory Accreditation to Support Clinical Trials in Sub-Saharan Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Shott, Joseph P.; Saye, Renion; Diakité, Moussa L.; Sanogo, Sintry; Dembele, Moussa B.; Keita, Sekouba; Nagel, Mary C.; Ellis, Ruth D.; Aebig, Joan A.; Diallo, Dapa A.; Doumbo, Ogobara K.

2012-01-01

Laboratory capacity in the developing world frequently lacks quality management systems (QMS) such as good clinical laboratory practices, proper safety precautions, and adequate facilities; impacting the ability to conduct biomedical research where it is needed most. As the regulatory climate changes globally, higher quality laboratory support is needed to protect study volunteers and to accurately assess biological parameters. The University of Bamako and its partners have undertaken a comprehensive QMS plan to improve quality and productivity using the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute standards and guidelines. The clinical laboratory passed the College of American Pathologists inspection in April 2010, and received full accreditation in June 2010. Our efforts to implement high-quality standards have been valuable for evaluating safety and immunogenicity of malaria vaccine candidates in Mali. Other disease-specific research groups in resource-limited settings may benefit by incorporating similar training initiatives, QMS methods, and continual improvement practices to ensure best practices. PMID:22492138

Chemistry Laboratory

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — Purpose: To conduct fundamental studies of highway materials aimed at understanding both failure mechanisms and superior performance. New standard test methods are...

Laboratory Evaluation of Air Flow Measurement Methods for Residential HVAC Returns for New Instrument Standards

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Walker, Iain [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Stratton, Chris [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2015-08-01

This project improved the accuracy of air flow measurements used in commissioning California heating and air conditioning systems in Title 24 (Building and Appliance Efficiency Standards), thereby improving system performance and efficiency of California residences. The research team at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory addressed the issue that typical tools used by contractors in the field to test air flows may not be accurate enough to measure return flows used in Title 24 applications. The team developed guidance on performance of current diagnostics as well as a draft test method for use in future evaluations. The study team prepared a draft test method through ASTM International to determine the uncertainty of air flow measurements at residential heating ventilation and air conditioning returns and other terminals. This test method, when finalized, can be used by the Energy Commission and other entities to specify required accuracy of measurement devices used to show compliance with standards.

Radioactivity standardization in South Africa

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Simpson, BRS

2002-01-01

Full Text Available South Africa's national radioactivity measurement standard is maintained at a satellite laboratory in Cape Town by the National Metrology Laboratory (NML) of the Council-for Scientific and Industrial Research. Standardizations are undertaken by a...

Propulsion Laboratory

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — The Propulsion Lab simulates field test conditions in a controlled environment, using standardized or customized test procedures. The Propulsion Lab's 11 cells can...

42 CFR 493.1101 - Standard: Facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Standard: Facilities. 493.1101 Section 493.1101... (CONTINUED) STANDARDS AND CERTIFICATION LABORATORY REQUIREMENTS Facility Administration for Nonwaived Testing § 493.1101 Standard: Facilities. (a) The laboratory must be constructed, arranged, and maintained to...

Procedures of Exercise Physiology Laboratories

Science.gov (United States)

Bishop, Phillip A.; Fortney, Suzanne; Greenisen, Michael; Siconolfi, Steven F.; Bamman, Marcas M.; Moore, Alan D., Jr.; Squires, William

1998-01-01

This manual describes the laboratory methods used to collect flight crew physiological performance data at the Johnson Space Center. The Exercise Countermeasures Project Laboratory is a standard physiology laboratory; only the application to the study of human physiological adaptations to spaceflight is unique. In the absence of any other recently published laboratory manual, this manual should be a useful document staffs and students of other laboratories.

Laboratories new to the ICRM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karam, Lisa; Anagnostakis, Marios J.; Gudelis, Arunas; Marsoem, Pujadi; Mauring, Alexander; Wurdiyanto, Gatot; Yücel, Ülkü

2012-01-01

The Scientific Committee of the ICRM decided, for the 2011 Conference, to present laboratories that are at a key developmental stage in establishing, expanding or applying radionuclide metrology capabilities. The expansion of radionuclide metrology capabilities is crucial to meet evolving and emerging needs in health care, environmental monitoring, and nuclear energy. Five laboratories (from Greece, Lithuania, Indonesia, Norway and Turkey) agreed to participate. Each laboratory is briefly introduced, and examples of their capabilities and standardization activities are discussed. - Highlights: ► Four laboratories in radionuclide metrology are described. ► Health, environment, and energy applications are motivators. ► Facilities and resources supporting research activities are discussed. ► Activities in primary and secondary standardizations are also discussed.

Clinical evaluation of microhybrid composites in noncarious cervical ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Abstract. Objective: To evaluate the clinical performance of two different microhybrid resin composites in noncarious cervical lesions (NCCLs) after 24 months. Subjects and Methods: Ninety‑seven NCCLs were restored with either TPH Spectrum (n = 48) or Filtek Z250 (n = 49) using an etch‑and‑rinse adhesive in 20 patients.

Risk of Fungemia Due to Rhodotorula and Antifungal Susceptibility Testing of Rhodotorula Isolates

Science.gov (United States)

Zaas, Aimee K.; Boyce, Molly; Schell, Wiley; Lodge, Barbara Alexander; Miller, Jackie L.; Perfect, John R.

2003-01-01

Rhodotorula infections occur among patients with immunosuppression and/or central venous catheters. Using standardized methods (NCCLS M27-A), we determined the antifungal susceptibilities of 10 Rhodotorula bloodstream infection isolates. Patient information was collected for clinical correlation. The MICs of amphotericin B and posaconazole were the lowest, and the MICs of triazoles and echinocandins were higher than those of other antifungal agents. PMID:14605170

Comparison of a New Cobinamide-Based Method to a Standard Laboratory Method for Measuring Cyanide in Human Blood

Science.gov (United States)

Swezey, Robert; Shinn, Walter; Green, Carol; Drover, David R.; Hammer, Gregory B.; Schulman, Scott R.; Zajicek, Anne; Jett, David A.; Boss, Gerry R.

2013-01-01

Most hospital laboratories do not measure blood cyanide concentrations, and samples must be sent to reference laboratories. A simple method is needed for measuring cyanide in hospitals. The authors previously developed a method to quantify cyanide based on the high binding affinity of the vitamin B12 analog, cobinamide, for cyanide and a major spectral change observed for cyanide-bound cobinamide. This method is now validated in human blood, and the findings include a mean inter-assay accuracy of 99.1%, precision of 8.75% and a lower limit of quantification of 3.27 µM cyanide. The method was applied to blood samples from children treated with sodium nitroprusside and it yielded measurable results in 88 of 172 samples (51%), whereas the reference laboratory yielded results in only 19 samples (11%). In all 19 samples, the cobinamide-based method also yielded measurable results. The two methods showed reasonable agreement when analyzed by linear regression, but not when analyzed by a standard error of the estimate or paired t-test. Differences in results between the two methods may be because samples were assayed at different times on different sample types. The cobinamide-based method is applicable to human blood, and can be used in hospital laboratories and emergency rooms. PMID:23653045

NVLAP calibration laboratory program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cigler, J.L.

1993-12-31

This paper presents an overview of the progress up to April 1993 in the development of the Calibration Laboratories Accreditation Program within the framework of the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

NVLAP calibration laboratory program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cigler, J.L.

1993-01-01

This paper presents an overview of the progress up to April 1993 in the development of the Calibration Laboratories Accreditation Program within the framework of the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

Preservation Study for Ultra-Dilute VX Standards | Science ...

Science.gov (United States)

Report Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) supplies ultra-dilute (10 µg/mL) chemical warfare agent (CWA) standards to the Environmental Response Laboratory Network (ERLN) laboratories to allow the use of authentic standards to assist in analyses required for a remediation event involving CWAs. For this reason, it is important to collect data regarding the shelf-lives of these standards. The instability has the potential to impact quality control in regional ERLN laboratories, resulting in data that are difficult to interpret. Thus, this study investigated the use of chemical stabilizers to increase the shelf-life of VX standards. VX standards with long shelf-lives are desirable, as long shelf-life would significantly reduce the costs associated with synthesizing and resupplying the ERLN laboratories with VX.

Radiological Calibration and Standards Facility

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — PNNL maintains a state-of-the-art Radiological Calibration and Standards Laboratory on the Hanford Site at Richland, Washington. Laboratory staff provide expertise...

Characterization of the neutron sources storage pool of the Neutron Standards Laboratory, using Montecarlo Techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campo Blanco, X.

2015-01-01

The development of irradiation damage resistant materials is one of the most important open fields in the design of experimental facilities and conceptual nucleoelectric fusion plants. The Neutron Standards Laboratory aims to contribute to this development by allowing the neutron irradiation of materials in its calibration neutron sources storage pool. For this purposes, it is essential to characterize the pool itself in terms of neutron fluence and spectra due to the calibration neutron sources. In this work, the main features of this facility are presented and the characterization of the storage pool is carried out. Finally, an application is shown of the obtained results to the neutron irradiation of material.

The GSF secondary standard dosimetry laboratory for photon and beta radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eckerl, H.; Nahrstedt, U.

1986-03-01

A brief outline of the laboratory's tasks and a detailed description of its layout and equipment is given. The laboratory contains a Co-60 irradiation unit, a Cs-137 irradiation unit, a panoramic irradiation unit for different nuclide sources, a 160- and 420 kV X-ray unit, a beta-irradiation unit and a measuring and control room. The calibration laboratory is equipped with reference and field dosemeters. (DG)

Quality documentation challenges for veterinary clinical pathology laboratories.

Science.gov (United States)

Sacchini, Federico; Freeman, Kathleen P

2008-05-01

An increasing number of veterinary laboratories worldwide have obtained or are seeking certification based on international standards, such as the International Organization for Standardization/International Electrotechnical Commission 17025. Compliance with any certification standard or quality management system requires quality documentation, an activity that may present several unique challenges in the case of veterinary laboratories. Research specifically addressing quality documentation is conspicuously absent in the veterinary literature. This article provides an overview of the quality system documentation needed to comply with a quality management system with an emphasis on preparing written standard operating procedures specific for veterinary laboratories. In addition, the quality documentation challenges that are unique to veterinary clinical pathology laboratories are critically evaluated against the existing quality standards and discussed with respect to possible solutions and/or recommended courses of action. Documentation challenges include the establishment of quality requirements for veterinary tests, the use or modification of human analytic methods for animal samples, the limited availability of quality control materials satisfactory for veterinary clinical pathology laboratories, the limited availability of veterinary proficiency programs, and the complications in establishing species-specific reference intervals.

Plasma creatinine in dogs: intra- and inter-laboratory variation in 10 European veterinary laboratories

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ulleberg Thomas

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There is substantial variation in reported reference intervals for canine plasma creatinine among veterinary laboratories, thereby influencing the clinical assessment of analytical results. The aims of the study was to determine the inter- and intra-laboratory variation in plasma creatinine among 10 veterinary laboratories, and to compare results from each laboratory with the upper limit of its reference interval. Methods Samples were collected from 10 healthy dogs, 10 dogs with expected intermediate plasma creatinine concentrations, and 10 dogs with azotemia. Overlap was observed for the first two groups. The 30 samples were divided into 3 batches and shipped in random order by postal delivery for plasma creatinine determination. Statistical testing was performed in accordance with ISO standard methodology. Results Inter- and intra-laboratory variation was clinically acceptable as plasma creatinine values for most samples were usually of the same magnitude. A few extreme outliers caused three laboratories to fail statistical testing for consistency. Laboratory sample means above or below the overall sample mean, did not unequivocally reflect high or low reference intervals in that laboratory. Conclusions In spite of close analytical results, further standardization among laboratories is warranted. The discrepant reference intervals seem to largely reflect different populations used in establishing the reference intervals, rather than analytical variation due to different laboratory methods.

Distribution and Characteristics of Non Carious Cervical lesions in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Controversies rages in the literature as to the characteristics of non carious cervical lesions (NCCLs) in terms of the location and its severity. Objective: The study is to investigate the characteristics of NCCLs in adult patients who had a high incidence in them and to see if there are any association with the ...

Evaluation of uncertainties in X radiation metrologic chain in the Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory/IRD-Brazilian CNEN

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fonseca Coelho, B.C. da.

1987-01-01

The equipment to measure ionizing radiation used in medicine needs appropriate technical qualifications to comply with their purposes and regular calibrations to assure the correct evaluation of associated quantities. By legal requirements, the annual calibration of users' dosemeters is to be done in a Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory (SSDL), andthe SSDL'S standard dosemeters are refered to a Primary Standard Dosimetry (PSDL), establishing a rigourous metrological network. The SSDL network. The SSDL needs to maintain, regularly, a quality control program for short and Long term stability of standard dosemeters. The purpose of the work was to determine the uncertainties associated to technical procedures of X-rays calibration at the SSDL/IRD/IRD. To evaluate the influence of the nine main parameters that can give origin to uncertainties, specific procedures and methods are established, according to international requirements and recomendations. The methods are based on the comparison of the behaviour of the users' dosemeters, with a standard dosemeter in the many measuring conditions set up for the secondary standard used as a reference. The total uncertainty obtained was 1,81% usig a conservative procedure, to protect the users and patients. When needed to transfer the calibration factor and their uncertainty, the procedure used was to determine the uncertainty under the worsst possible operating conditions of the equipment, to obtain a superestimated value. This represents an excellent result for an SDDL of IAEA Network. (autor) [pt

Liquid scintillation systems and apparatus for measuring high-energy radiation emitted by samples in standard laboratory test tubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benvenutti, R.A.

1976-01-01

Liquid scintillation detection system employs improved sample holders in which the cap of a glass vial is provided with a well for receiving a standard laboratory test tube containing a radioactive sample. The well is immersed in a liquid scintillator in the vial, the scintillator containing lead acetate solution to enhance its efficiency. A commercially available beta-counting liquid scintillation apparatus is modified to provide gamma-counting with the improved sample holders

International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 15189.

Science.gov (United States)

Schneider, Frank; Maurer, Caroline; Friedberg, Richard C

2017-09-01

The College of American Pathologists (CAP) offers a suite of laboratory accreditation programs, including one specific to accreditation to the international organization for standardization (ISO) 15189 standard for quality management specific to medical laboratories. CAP leaders offer an overview of ISO 15189 including its components, internal audits, occurrence management, document control, and risk management. The authors provide a comparison of its own ISO 15189 program, CAP 15189, to the CAP Laboratory Accreditation Program. The authors conclude with why laboratories should use ISO 15189. © The Korean Society for Laboratory Medicine.

42 CFR 493.1405 - Standard; Laboratory director qualifications.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... degree in a chemical, physical, biological, or clinical laboratory science from an accredited institution; and (i) Be certified by the American Board of Medical Microbiology, the American Board of Clinical... certified in anatomic or clinical pathology, or both, by the American Board of Pathology or the American...

Proposed quality control guidelines for National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards Susceptibility Tests using the veterinary antimicrobial agent tiamulin.

Science.gov (United States)

Pfaller, M A; Jones, R N; Walter, D H

2001-01-01

Quality control guidelines for standardized antimicrobial susceptibility test methods are critical for the continuing accuracy of these clinical tests. In this report, quality control limits were proposed for the veterinary antimicrobial agent tiamulin with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranges of three or four log(2) dilution steps in two different medium formulations. Disk diffusion zone diameter ranges were proposed for tiamulin tested against Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae ATCC 27090 (12-18 mm) and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 (25-32 mm). The data from eight participating laboratories produced 100% of results within proposed MIC limits (8-32 microg/mL), and 95.8-97.0% of zones were found within suggested zone diameter QC guidelines. These proposed QC ranges should be validated by in-use results from veterinary clinical laboratories.

Introduction to ISO 15189: a blueprint for quality systems in veterinary laboratories.

Science.gov (United States)

Freeman, Kathleen P; Bauer, Natali; Jensen, Asger L; Thoresen, Stein

2006-06-01

A trend in human and veterinary medical laboratory management is to achieve accreditation based on international standards. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 15189 standard is the first developed especially for accreditation of medical laboratories, and emphasizes the laboratory-client interface. European veterinary laboratories seeking to train candidates for the certification examination of the European College of Veterinary Clinical Pathology (ECVCP) require approval by the ECVCP Laboratory Standards Committee, which bases its evaluation in part on adherence to quality systems described in the ISO 15189 standards. The purpose of this article was to introduce the latest ISO quality standard and describe its application to veterinary laboratories in Europe, specifically as pertains to accreditation of laboratories involved in training veterinary clinical pathologists. Between 2003 and 2006, the Laboratory Standards Committee reviewed 12 applications from laboratories (3 commercial and 9 university) involved in training veterinary clinical pathologists. Applicants were asked to provide a description of the facilities for training and testing, current methodology and technology, health and safety policy, quality assurance policy (including internal quality control and participation in an external quality assurance program), written standard operating procedures (SOPs) and policies, a description of the laboratory information system, and personnel and training. Also during this time period multiple informal and formal discussions among ECVCP diplomates took place as to current practices and perceived areas of concern with regard to laboratory accreditation requirements. Areas in which improvement most often was needed in veterinary laboratories applying for ECVCP accreditation were the written quality plan, defined quality requirements for the tests performed, written SOPs and policies, training records, ongoing audits and competency

Quality system for Medical laboratories

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shiva Raj K.C.

2015-03-01

Full Text Available According to William Edwards Deming “Good quality does not necessarily mean high quality. Instead it means a predicable degree of uniformity and dependability at low cost with a quality suited to the market.” Whereas according to famous engineer and management consultant Joseph M. Juran quality is “fitness for purpose”. It should meet the customers’ expectations and requirements, should be cost effective.ISO began in 1926 as the International Federation of the National Standardizing Associations (ISA. The name, "ISO" was derived from the Greek word "isos" meaning "equal". (The relation to standards is that if two objects meet the same standard, they should be equal. This name eliminates any confusion that could result from the translation of "International Organization for Standardization" into different languages which would lead to different acronyms.In health sector, quality plays pivotal role, as it is directly related to patient’s care. Earlier time, health service was simple, quite safe but ineffective. Now health care system is an organizational system with more complex processes to deliver care. Medical laboratory service is an integral part in patient’s management system. So, for everyone involved in the treatment of the patient, the accuracy, reliability and safety of those services must be the primary concerns. Accreditation is a significant enabler of quality, thereby delivering confidence to healthcare providers, clinicians, the medical laboratories and the patients themselves.ISO announced meeting in Philadelphia to form a technical committee to develop a new standard for medical laboratory quality. It took 7 years for the creation of a new Quality standard for medical laboratories. It was named as “ISO 15189” and was first published in 2003. The ISO has released three versions of the standard. The first two were released in 2003 and 2007. In 2012, a revised and updated version of the standard, ISO 15189

Measurement quality assurance for radioassay laboratories

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McCurdy, D.E. [Yankee Atomic Environmental Laboratory, Boston, MA (United States)

1993-12-31

Until recently, the quality of U.S. radioassay laboratory services has been evaluated by a limited number of governmental measurement assurance programs (MAPs). The major programs have been limited to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). In 1988, an industry MAP was established for the nuclear power utility industry through the U.S. Council for Energy Awareness/National Institute of Standards and Technology (USCEA/NIST). This program functions as both a MAP for utility laboratories and/or their commercial contractor laboratories, and as a traceability program for the U.S. radioactive source manufacturers and the utility laboratories. Each of these generic MAPs has been initiated and is maintained to serve the specific needs of the sponsoring agency or organization. As a result, there is diversification in their approach, scope, requirements, and degree of traceability to NIST. In 1987, a writing committee was formed under the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) N42.2 committee to develop a standard to serve as the basis document for the creation of a national measurement quality assurance (MQA) program for radioassay laboratories in the U.S. The standard is entitled, {open_quotes}Measurement Quality Assurance For Radioassay Laboratories.{open_quotes} The document was developed to serve as a guide for MQA programs maintained for the specialized sectors of the radioassay community, such as bioassay, routine environmental monitoring, environmental restoration and waste management, radiopharmaceuticals, and nuclear facilities. It was the intent of the writing committee to develop a guidance document that could be utilized to establish a laboratory`s specific data quality objectives (DQOs) that govern the operational requirements of the radioassay process, including mandated protocols and recommendations.

The prevalence and severity of non-carious cervical lesions in a group of patients attending a university hospital in Trinidad.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, W A J; Marchan, S; Rafeek, R N

2008-02-01

Non-carious cervical lesions (NCCLs) are often encountered in clinical practice and their aetiology attributed to toothbrush abrasion, erosion and tooth flexure. This paper aims to determine the prevalence and severity of NCCLs in a sample of patients attending a university clinic in Trinidad and to investigate the relationship with medical and dental histories, oral hygiene practices, dietary habits and occlusion. Data were collected via a questionnaire and clinical examination. Odds ratios were used to determine the association of the presence of lesions and the factors examined. One hundred and fifty-six patients with a mean age of 40.6 years were examined of whom 62.2% had one or more NCCLs. Forty five per cent of the lesions were sensitive to compressed air. Younger age groups had a significantly lower correlation with the presence of NCCLs than older age groups. Other significant factors included patients who reported heartburn, gastric reflux, headaches, bruxism, sensitive teeth and swimming or had a history of broken restorations in the last year. There was also significant correlation of NCCLs in patients who brushed more than once a day or used a medium or hard toothbrush. Patients with vegetarian diets and those who reported consuming citrus fruits, soft drinks, alcohol, yoghurt and vitamin C drinks were associated with the presence of lesions. Significant associations were also found in patients with group function, faceting, clicking joints or those who wore occlusal splints.

Standardization of glycohemoglobin results and reference values in whole blood studied in 103 laboratories using 20 methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Weykamp, C W; Penders, T J; Miedema, K; Muskiet, F A; van der Slik, W

1995-01-01

We investigated the effect of calibration with lyophilized calibrators on whole-blood glycohemoglobin (glyHb) results. One hundred three laboratories, using 20 different methods, determined glyHb in two lyophilized calibrators and two whole-blood samples. For whole-blood samples with low (5%) and high (9%) glyHb percentages, respectively, calibration decreased overall interlaboratory variation (CV) from 16% to 9% and from 11% to 6% and decreased intermethod variation from 14% to 6% and from 12% to 5%. Forty-seven laboratories, using 14 different methods, determined mean glyHb percentages in self-selected groups of 10 nondiabetic volunteers each. With calibration their overall mean (2SD) was 5.0% (0.5%), very close to the 5.0% (0.3%) derived from the reference method used in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial. In both experiments the Abbott IMx and Vision showed deviating results. We conclude that, irrespective of the analytical method used, calibration enables standardization of glyHb results, reference values, and interpretation criteria.

Laboratory quality improvement in Thailand's northernmost provinces.

Science.gov (United States)

Kanitvittaya, S; Suksai, U; Suksripanich, O; Pobkeeree, V

2010-01-01

In Thailand nearly 1000 public health laboratories serve 65 million people. A qualified indicator of a good quality laboratory is Thailand Medical Technology Council certification. Consequently, Chiang Rai Regional Medical Sciences Center established a development program for laboratory certification for 29 laboratories in the province. This paper seeks to examine this issue. The goal was to improve laboratory service quality by voluntary participation, peer review, training and compliance with standards. The program consisted of specific activities. Training and workshops to update laboratory staffs' quality management knowledge were organized. Staff in each laboratory performed a self-assessment using a standard check-list to evaluate ten laboratory management areas. Chiang Rai Regional Medical Sciences Center staff supported the distribution of quality materials and documents. They provided calibration services for laboratory equipment. Peer groups performed an internal audit and successful laboratories received Thailand Medical Technology Council certification. By December 2007, eight of the 29 laboratories had improved quality sufficiently to be certified. Factors that influenced laboratories' readiness for quality improvement included the number of staff, their knowledge, budget and staff commitment to the process. Moreover, the support of each hospital's laboratory working group or network was essential for success. There was no clear policy for supporting the program. Laboratories voluntarily conducted quality management using existing resources. A bottom-up approach to this kind of project can be difficult to accomplish. Laboratory professionals can work together to illustrate and highlight outcomes for top-level health officials. A top-down, practical approach would be much less difficult to implement. Quality certification is a critical step for laboratory staff, which also encourages them to aspire to international quality standards like ISO. The

[Standardization in laboratory hematology by participating in external quality assurance programs].

Science.gov (United States)

Nazor, Aida; Siftar, Zoran; Flegar-Mestrić, Zlata

2011-09-01

Since 1985, Department of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Merkur University Hospital, Zagreb, has been participating in the International External Quality Assessment Scheme for Hematology (IEQAS-H) organized by the World Health Organization (WHO). Owing to very good results, in 1987 the Department received a certificate of participation in this control scheme. Department has been cooperating in the external quality assessment program in laboratory hematology which has been continuously performed in Croatia since 1986 by the Committee for External Quality Assessment Schemes under the auspices of the Croatian Society of Medical Biochemists and School of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Zagreb. Nowadays, 186 medical biochemical laboratories are included in the National External Quality Assessment program, which is performed three times per year. Our Department has participated in the international projects of the European Committee for External Quality Assurance Programs in Laboratory Medicine (EQALM).

Development of the Global Measles Laboratory Network.

Science.gov (United States)

Featherstone, David; Brown, David; Sanders, Ray

2003-05-15

The routine reporting of suspected measles cases and laboratory testing of samples from these cases is the backbone of measles surveillance. The Global Measles Laboratory Network (GMLN) has developed standards for laboratory confirmation of measles and provides training resources for staff of network laboratories, reference materials and expertise for the development and quality control of testing procedures, and accurate information for the Measles Mortality Reduction and Regional Elimination Initiative. The GMLN was developed along the lines of the successful Global Polio Laboratory Network, and much of the polio laboratory infrastructure was utilized for measles. The GMLN has developed as countries focus on measles control activities following successful eradication of polio. Currently more than 100 laboratories are part of the global network and follow standardized testing and reporting procedures. A comprehensive laboratory accreditation process will be introduced in 2002 with six quality assurance and performance indicators.

Components of laboratory accreditation.

Science.gov (United States)

Royal, P D

1995-12-01

Accreditation or certification is a recognition given to an operation or product that has been evaluated against a standard; be it regulatory or voluntary. The purpose of accreditation is to provide the consumer with a level of confidence in the quality of operation (process) and the product of an organization. Environmental Protection Agency/OCM has proposed the development of an accreditation program under National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program for Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) laboratories as a supplement to the current program. This proposal was the result of the Inspector General Office reports that identified weaknesses in the current operation. Several accreditation programs can be evaluated and common components identified when proposing a structure for accrediting a GLP system. An understanding of these components is useful in building that structure. Internationally accepted accreditation programs provide a template for building a U.S. GLP accreditation program. This presentation will discuss the traditional structure of accreditation as presented in the Organization of Economic Cooperative Development/GLP program, ISO-9000 Accreditation and ISO/IEC Guide 25 Standard, and the Canadian Association for Environmental Analytical Laboratories, which has a biological component. Most accreditation programs are managed by a recognized third party, either privately or with government oversight. Common components often include a formal review of required credentials to evaluate organizational structure, a site visit to evaluate the facility, and a performance evaluation to assess technical competence. Laboratory performance is measured against written standards and scored. A formal report is then sent to the laboratory indicating accreditation status. Usually, there is a scheduled reevaluation built into the program. Fee structures vary considerably and will need to be examined closely when building a GLP program.

Arrangement between the International Atomic Energy Agency and the World Health Organization concerning the establishment and operation of a network of Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1986-01-01

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the World Health Organization (WHO), recognizing that they have been co-operating in the operation of a network of Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratories (the Network), established pursuant to a Working Arrangement, dated 5 April 1976; and desiring to continue this co-operation in accordance with Article V of the relationship agreement concluded by IAEA and WHO in 1959; hereby enter a new arrangement to guide their work in operating the Network and providing assistance, when needed, to individual Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratories (SSDLs). The purpose of this Arrangement is to set forth responsibilities of IAEA and WHO in the operation and support of the Network and to establish criteria for SSDLs

Effects of acute gamma-irradiation on reproduction of the collembolan (Folsomia candida) in a standard laboratory test

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakamori, Taizo; Yoshida, Satoshi; Kubota, Yoshihisa; Ban-nai, Tadaaki

2006-01-01

The abstract of this study was to provide data for radiological protection of the environment, the dose-effect relationship of acute gamma irradiation on the reproduction of the soil invertebrate Folsomia candida (Collembola) was studied according to a standard laboratory test. Juvenile collembolans were exposed to 137 Cs gamma-radiation at a dose range of 4-110 Gy. After four weeks' rearing, the number of neonate juveniles was compared with that of the non-irradiated control. The value of the 10% effective dose for reproduction was estimated to be 7.1 Gy. (author)

Radioanalytical laboratory quality control: Current status at Tennessee Valley Authority's western area radiological laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rogers, W.J.

1986-01-01

The Tennessee Valley Authority operates a laboratory for radiological analysis of nuclear plant environmental monitoring samples and also for analysis of environmental samples from uranium mining and milling decommissioning activities. The laboratory analyzes some 9,000 samples per year and employs approximately 20 people as analysts, sample collectors, and supervisory staff members. The laboratory is supported by a quality control section of four people involved in computer support, production of radioactive standards, quality control data assessment and reporting, and internal reviews of compliance. The entire laboratory effort is controlled by 60 written procedures or standards. An HP-1000 computer and data base software are used to schedule samples for collection, assign and schedule samples within the laboratory for preparation and analysis, calculate sample activity, review data, and report data outside the laboratory. Gamma spectroscopy systems with nine germanium detectors, an alpha spectroscopy system, five alpha/beta counters, two liquid scintillation counters, four beta-gamma coincidence systems, two sodium iodide single-channel systems, and four photomultipliers for counting Lucas cells are all employed. Each device has various calibration and quality control checks performed on it routinely. Logbooks and control charts are in use for each instrument

Laboratory biosafety manual

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1983-01-01

This book is in three sections; basic standards of laboratory design and equipment; procedures for safe laboratory practice; and the selection and use of essential biosafety equipment. The intention is that the guidance given in the book should have a broad basis and international application, and that it should be a source from which manuals applicable to local and special conditions can be usefully derived.

Design and fabrication of NDA standards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Long, S.M.; Hsue, S.T.

1996-01-01

The Plutonium Facility, TA-55, at Los Alamos National Laboratory is currently producing NDA calibration standards used by various laboratories in the DOE complex. These NIST traceable standards have been produced to calibrate NDA instruments for accountability measurements used for resolving shipper/receiver differences, and for accountability in process residues and process waste. Standards are needed to calibrate various NDA (Non-destructive Assay) instruments such as neutron coincidence counters, gamma-ray counters, and calorimeters. These instruments measure various ranges of nuclear material being produced in the DOE nuclear community. Los Alamos National Laboratory has taken a lead role in fabrication of uranium and plutonium standards, along with other actinides such as neptunium and americium. These standards have been fabricated for several laboratories within the complex. This paper will summarize previous publications detailing the careful planning encompassing components such as precise weighing, destructive analysis, and the use of post fabrication NDA measurements to confirm that the standards meet all preliminary expectations before use in instrument calibration. The paper will also describe the specialized containers, diluents, and the various amount of nuclear materials needed to accommodate the calibration ranges of the instruments

42 CFR 493.1419 - Standard; Clinical consultant responsibilities.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... Testing Laboratories Performing Moderate Complexity Testing § 493.1419 Standard; Clinical consultant... clinical consultation to the laboratory's clients; (b) Be available to assist the laboratory's clients in... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Standard; Clinical consultant responsibilities. 493...

Optical networks and laboratory services

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ciaffoni, O.; Ferrer, M.L.; Trasatti, L.

1987-01-01

Possible technical solutions to the problem of high speed data links between laboratories are presented. Long distance networks (WAN), ranging from tens to hundreds of kilometers, offer a variety of possibilities, from standard 64 Kbit/s connections to optical fiber links and radio or satellite Mbit channels. Short range (up to 2-3 km) communications are offered by many existing LAN (local area network) standards up to 10 Mbit/s. The medium distance range (around 10 km) can be covered by high performance fiber optic links and the now emerging MAN (metropolitan area network) protocols. A possible area of application is between the Gran Sasso Tunnel Laboratory, the outside installations and other Italien and foreign laboratories. (orig.)

Biomass Compositional Analysis Laboratory Procedures | Bioenergy | NREL

Science.gov (United States)

Biomass Compositional Analysis Laboratory Procedures Biomass Compositional Analysis Laboratory Procedures NREL develops laboratory analytical procedures (LAPs) for standard biomass analysis. These procedures help scientists and analysts understand more about the chemical composition of raw biomass

42 CFR 493.1457 - Standard; Clinical consultant responsibilities.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS AND CERTIFICATION LABORATORY REQUIREMENTS Personnel for Nonwaived Testing Laboratories Performing High Complexity Testing § 493.1457 Standard; Clinical consultant... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Standard; Clinical consultant responsibilities. 493...

Measurement quality assurance for radioassay laboratories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCurdy, D.E.

1993-01-01

Until recently, the quality of U.S. radioassay laboratory services has been evaluated by a limited number of governmental measurement assurance programs (MAPs). The major programs have been limited to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). In 1988, an industry MAP was established for the nuclear power utility industry through the U.S. Council for Energy Awareness/National Institute of Standards and Technology (USCEA/NIST). This program functions as both a MAP for utility laboratories and/or their commercial contractor laboratories, and as a traceability program for the U.S. radioactive source manufacturers and the utility laboratories. Each of these generic MAPs has been initiated and is maintained to serve the specific needs of the sponsoring agency or organization. As a result, there is diversification in their approach, scope, requirements, and degree of traceability to NIST. In 1987, a writing committee was formed under the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) N42.2 committee to develop a standard to serve as the basis document for the creation of a national measurement quality assurance (MQA) program for radioassay laboratories in the U.S. The standard is entitled, open-quotes Measurement Quality Assurance For Radioassay Laboratories.open-quotes The document was developed to serve as a guide for MQA programs maintained for the specialized sectors of the radioassay community, such as bioassay, routine environmental monitoring, environmental restoration and waste management, radiopharmaceuticals, and nuclear facilities. It was the intent of the writing committee to develop a guidance document that could be utilized to establish a laboratory's specific data quality objectives (DQOs) that govern the operational requirements of the radioassay process, including mandated protocols and recommendations

High-dose secondary calibration laboratory accreditation program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Humphreys, J.C. [National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD (United States)

1993-12-31

There is a need for high-dose secondary calibration laboratories to serve the multi-billion dollar radiation processing industry. This need is driven by the desires of industry for less costly calibrations and faster calibration-cycle response time. Services needed include calibration irradiations of routine processing dosimeters and the supply of reference standard transfer dosimeters for irradiation in the production processing facility. In order to provide measurement quality assurance and to demonstrate consistency with national standards, the high-dose secondary laboratories would be accredited by means of an expansion of an existing National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program. A laboratory performance criteria document is under development to implement the new program.

High-dose secondary calibration laboratory accreditation program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Humphreys, J.C.

1993-01-01

There is a need for high-dose secondary calibration laboratories to serve the multi-billion dollar radiation processing industry. This need is driven by the desires of industry for less costly calibrations and faster calibration-cycle response time. Services needed include calibration irradiations of routine processing dosimeters and the supply of reference standard transfer dosimeters for irradiation in the production processing facility. In order to provide measurement quality assurance and to demonstrate consistency with national standards, the high-dose secondary laboratories would be accredited by means of an expansion of an existing National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program. A laboratory performance criteria document is under development to implement the new program

Evidence for the occurrence of gingival recession and non-carious cervical lesions as a consequence of traumatic toothbrushing.

Science.gov (United States)

Heasman, Peter A; Holliday, Richard; Bryant, Andrew; Preshaw, Philip M

2015-04-01

To identify the best available evidence for the effect of toothbrushing on the initiation and progression of gingival recession and non-carious cervical lesions (NCCLs). A protocol was developed for the questions: Does traumatic toothbrushing, compared to normal toothbrushing, lead to an increased prevalence of non-inflammatory gingival recession? [FQ1] and NCCLs? [FQ2]. The search covered four electronic databases. Bibliographies of review articles, relevant texts, World and European Workshops were screened. Hand searches were performed of the Journals of Clinical Periodontology, Periodontology, Periodontal Research and IADR abstracts. A meta-analysis included 159 subjects and showed that subjects who used MTBs (manual toothbrush) had greater gingival recession after 12 months when compared with those using PTBs (powered toothbrush). Thirteen cross-sectional studies identified the most frequent toothbrushing factors associated with gingival recession as being toothbrushing frequency, a horizontal or scrub toothbrushing method, bristle hardness, toothbrushing duration and the frequency of changing a toothbrush. The principal toothbrushing factors associated with NCCLs were toothbrushing method and frequency. The data to support or refute the association between toothbrushing and gingival recession and NCCLs remain largely inconclusive. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Quality of Control of Clinical-Biochemical Laboratories – Serbian Case

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vinko Peric

2014-06-01

Full Text Available In the last 20 years in medical laboratories, numerous activities regarding quality and accreditation system were taken. Approach to this problem in European countries is different, so the task of the Accreditation Work Group of the Confederation of European societies for clinical chemistry (EC 4 to help the efforts to harmonize this issue. External quality control in clinical-chemical laboratories imposed the need for the implementation of quality management system. »Good laboratory practice« and its principles were adopted by nominated bodies, both international and national. In the beginning, the standard ISO 9001 was applied for certification and for accreditation EN 45001 and ISO Guide 25, which are prepared for testing and calibration laboratories. Standard ISO 17025 is the successor of the previous documents and for now it is a reference for mentioned laboratories. Accreditation Work Group of the Confederation of European societies for clinical chemistry (EC 4 made an amendment of the requirements for medical laboratories, which this standard describes. Standard draft ISO 15189 was adopted on February 2003 as a final version with requirements for medical laboratories.

Undergraduate Organic Chemistry Laboratory Safety

Science.gov (United States)

Luckenbaugh, Raymond W.

1996-11-01

Each organic chemistry student should become familiar with the educational and governmental laboratory safety requirements. One method for teaching laboratory safety is to assign each student to locate safety resources for a specific class laboratory experiment. The student should obtain toxicity and hazardous information for all chemicals used or produced during the assigned experiment. For example, what is the LD50 or LC50 for each chemical? Are there any specific hazards for these chemicals, carcinogen, mutagen, teratogen, neurotixin, chronic toxin, corrosive, flammable, or explosive agent? The school's "Chemical Hygiene Plan", "Prudent Practices for Handling Hazardous Chemicals in the Laboratory" (National Academy Press), and "Laboratory Standards, Part 1910 - Occupational Safety and Health Standards" (Fed. Register 1/31/90, 55, 3227-3335) should be reviewed for laboratory safety requirements for the assigned experiment. For example, what are the procedures for safe handling of vacuum systems, if a vacuum distillation is used in the assigned experiment? The literature survey must be submitted to the laboratory instructor one week prior to the laboratory session for review and approval. The student should then give a short presentation to the class on the chemicals' toxicity and hazards and describe the safety precautions that must be followed. This procedure gives the student first-hand knowledge on how to find and evaluate information to meet laboartory safety requirements.

1996 Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPs) -- Radionuclides. Annual report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-06-01

Under Section 61.94 of Title 40, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 61, Subpart H, ''National Emission Standards for Emissions of Radionuclides Other Than Radon From Department of Energy Facilities,'' each Department of Energy (DOE) facility must submit an annual report documenting compliance. This report addresses the Section 61.94 reporting requirements for operations at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) for calendar year (CY) 1996. The Idaho Operations Office of the DOE is the primary contact concerning compliance with the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPs) at the INEEL. For calendar year 1996, airborne radionuclide emissions from the INEEL operations were calculated to result in a maximum individual dose to a member of the public of 3.14E-02 mrem (3.14E-07 Sievert). This effective dose equivalent (EDE) is well below the 40 CFR 61, Subpart H, regulatory standard of 10 mrem per year (1.0E-04 Sievert per year)

National Laboratory Planning: Developing Sustainable Biocontainment Laboratories in Limited Resource Areas.

Science.gov (United States)

Yeh, Kenneth B; Adams, Martin; Stamper, Paul D; Dasgupta, Debanjana; Hewson, Roger; Buck, Charles D; Richards, Allen L; Hay, John

2016-01-01

Strategic laboratory planning in limited resource areas is essential for addressing global health security issues. Establishing a national reference laboratory, especially one with BSL-3 or -4 biocontainment facilities, requires a heavy investment of resources, a multisectoral approach, and commitments from multiple stakeholders. We make the case for donor organizations and recipient partners to develop a comprehensive laboratory operations roadmap that addresses factors such as mission and roles, engaging national and political support, securing financial support, defining stakeholder involvement, fostering partnerships, and building trust. Successful development occurred with projects in African countries and in Azerbaijan, where strong leadership and a clear management framework have been key to success. A clearly identified and agreed management framework facilitate identifying the responsibility for developing laboratory capabilities and support services, including biosafety and biosecurity, quality assurance, equipment maintenance, supply chain establishment, staff certification and training, retention of human resources, and sustainable operating revenue. These capabilities and support services pose rate-limiting yet necessary challenges. Laboratory capabilities depend on mission and role, as determined by all stakeholders, and demonstrate the need for relevant metrics to monitor the success of the laboratory, including support for internal and external audits. Our analysis concludes that alternative frameworks for success exist for developing and implementing capabilities at regional and national levels in limited resource areas. Thus, achieving a balance for standardizing practices between local procedures and accepted international standards is a prerequisite for integrating new facilities into a country's existing public health infrastructure and into the overall international scientific community.

Bio-Oil Analysis Laboratory Procedures | Bioenergy | NREL

Science.gov (United States)

Bio-Oil Analysis Laboratory Procedures Bio-Oil Analysis Laboratory Procedures NREL develops laboratory analytical procedures (LAPs) for the analysis of raw and upgraded pyrolysis bio-oils. These standard procedures have been validated and allow for reliable bio-oil analysis. Procedures Determination

Avaliação laboratorial da estabilidade do padrão calibrador de bilirrubina Laboratorial evaluation of standard bilirubin stability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria das Graças da Cunha Leite

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Introdução: O preparo do padrão calibrador de bilirrubina é essencial para um controle adequado das dosagens laboratoriais da bilirrubinemia, visto que estas estão sujeitas a grande variabilidade nos resultados, dependendo do método de dosagem escolhido e da falta de padronização rigorosa na sua execução. Uma vez preparado, este padrão calibrador deve ser dividido em alíquotas e estocado para ser utilizado de rotina. Objetivo: Avaliar os efeitos de diferentes condições de armazenamento de um padrão calibrador de bilirrubina sobre sua estabilidade, com finalidade de calibração de equipamentos utilizados na determinação da bilirrubinemia em neonatos. Material e métodos: Após o preparo de um padrão calibrador com 25mg/dl de bilirrubina, este foi armazenado a 4°C, congelado a - 20°C e a - 70°C. Durante nove meses foram feitas dosagens consecutivas da bilirrubina da solução padrão, as quais foram analisadas através da análise de variância de duas vias com blocagem. Resultados: As amostras congeladas a - 70°C não sofreram degradação significativa nos nove meses estudados, enquanto que, no período de três meses, as congeladas a - 20°C e a 4°C sofreram uma degradação de 5% e 24,18%, respectivamente, dos níveis iniciais de bilirrubina. Conclusão: A estocagem do padrão calibrador de bilirrubina a - 70°C é a recomendada para a preservação dos níveis de bilirrubina.Background: The preparation of a standard bilirubin is essential for an adequate quality control of laboratorial bilirubinemia measurements because they are subjected to a large variability in results depending on the dosage method used and the lack of a rigorous standardization of its performance. Once prepared, this standard solution has to be divided in aliquots and stored to be routinely used. Objective: To evaluate the effect of different conditions of the standard solution storage in the stability of bilirubin with the purpose of using it for

42 CFR 493.1276 - Standard: Clinical cytogenetics.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... SERVICES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS AND CERTIFICATION LABORATORY REQUIREMENTS Quality System for Nonwaived Testing Analytic Systems § 493.1276 Standard: Clinical cytogenetics. (a) The laboratory must have policies and procedures for ensuring accurate and reliable patient specimen identification during the process...

HPS instrument calibration laboratory accreditation program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Masse, F.X; Eisenhower, E.H.; Swinth, K.L.

1993-12-31

The purpose of this paper is to provide an accurate overview of the development and structure of the program established by the Health Physics Society (HPS) for accrediting instrument calibration laboratories relative to their ability to accurately calibrate portable health physics instrumentation. The purpose of the program is to provide radiation protection professionals more meaningful direct and indirect access to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) national standards, thus introducing a means for improving the uniformity, accuracy, and quality of ionizing radiation field measurements. The process is designed to recognize and document the continuing capability of each accredited laboratory to accurately perform instrument calibration. There is no intent to monitor the laboratory to the extent that each calibration can be guaranteed by the program; this responsibility rests solely with the accredited laboratory.

Inter-Laboratory Comparison for Calibration of Relative Humidity Devices Among Accredited Laboratories in Malaysia

Science.gov (United States)

Hussain, F.; Khairuddin, S.; Othman, H.

2017-01-01

An inter-laboratory comparison in relative humidity measurements among accredited laboratories has been coordinated by the National Metrology Institute of Malaysia. It was carried out to determine the performance of the participating laboratories. The objective of the comparison was to acknowledge the participating laboratories competencies and to verify the level of accuracies declared in their scope of accreditation, in accordance with the MS ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation. The measurement parameter involved was relative humidity for the range of 30-90 %rh at a nominal temperature of 50°C. Eight accredited laboratories participated in the inter-laboratory comparison. Two units of artifacts have been circulated among the participants as the transfer standards.

Avaliação da tolerância à vancomicina em 395 cepas hospitalares de Staphylococcus aureus resistentes à oxacilina Evaluation of the tolerance to vancomycin in 395 oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from Brazilian hospitals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Geraldo A. Oliveira

2001-01-01

Full Text Available O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a presença de tolerância à vancomicina em cepas de Staphylococcus aureus resistentes à oxacilina (Orsa isoladas de quatro hospitais da cidade de São Paulo. Foram estudadas 395 cepas Orsa isoladas de pacientes hospitalizados entre outubro de 1998 e maio de 2000. A determinação da concentração inibitória mínima (CIM e da concentração bactericida mínima (CBM para vancomicina foi realizada conforme padronizado pelo National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS. A tolerância à vancomicina foi definida como a razão CBM/CIM > ou = 32. Do total de cepas estudadas, 10,4% apresentaram CIM de 0,5µg/ml para vancomicina; 41,3%, CIM de 1µg/ml; 42,2%, CIM de 2µg/ml; e 6,1%, CIM de 4µg/ml. Em média, 49,1% dos Orsa apresentaram tolerância à vancomicina. Em conclusão, a tolerância à vancomicina entre as cepas Orsa foi considerada elevada. Conseqüentemente, aumentam as chances de falhas no tratamento com vancomicina, além de aumentar o risco da emergência de Staphylococcus aureus vancomicina-intermediário.The objective of this study was to evaluate the presence of tolerance to vancomycin in oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (Orsa strains isolated from four hospitals in the city of São Paulo. From October/1998 to May/2000 we analysed 395 Orsa strains isolated from hospitalized patients. MIC and MBC to vancomycin were determined as standardised by National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS. Tolerance was defined as the ratio MBC/MIC > or = 32. The results showed that 10.4% of the Orsa strains presented a MIC of 0.5µg/mL for vancomycin, 41.3% presented a MIC of 1µg/mL, 42.2% a MIC of 2µg/mL and 6.1% a MIC of 4µg/mL. On average, 49,1% of the Orsa presented tolerance to vancomycin. We conclude that the tolerance to vancomycin amongst the Orsa strains was considered high. These high levels of tolerance augment the chances of failure in the treatment with

40 CFR 160.81 - Standard operating procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

.... (10) Data handling, storage and retrieval. (11) Maintenance and calibration of equipment. (12... GOOD LABORATORY PRACTICE STANDARDS Testing Facilities Operation § 160.81 Standard operating procedures... test, control, and reference substances. (4) Test system observations. (5) Laboratory or other tests...

Laboratory and field temperature preference and avoidance data of fish related to the establishment of standards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stauffer, J.R.; Cherry, D.S.; Dickson, K.L.; Cairns, J. Jr.

1975-01-01

Temperature preferences for important fish species in the New River in the vicinity of Appalachian Power Company's Glen Lyn, Virginia plant were determined independently by both field and laboratory studies. A relationship was demonstrated between the temperature preference data generated by the two approaches. Based on the temperature preference data the responses of fish to the thermal discharges can be predicted. From these data and from other data on the fish community structure, it was possible to determine that the thermal discharge was causing no appreciable harm to the fish community. Based on these studies it was concluded that the most reasonable approach to establishing thermal standards is to couple temperature preference studies with site specific studies. (U.S.)

NVLAP activities at Department of Defense calibration laboratories

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schaeffer, D.M. [Defense Nuclear Agency, Alexandria, VA (United States)

1993-12-31

There are 367 active radiological instrument calibration laboratories within the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). Each of the four services in DoD manages, operates, and certifies the technical proficiency and competency of those laboratories under their cognizance. Each service has designated secondary calibration laboratories to trace all calibration source standards to the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Individual service radiological calibration programs and capabilities, present and future, are described, as well as the measurement quality assurance (MQA) processes for their traceability. National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) programs for dosimetry systems are briefly summarized. Planned NVLAP accreditation of secondary laboratories is discussed in the context of current technical challenges and future efforts.

NVLAP activities at Department of Defense calibration laboratories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schaeffer, D.M.

1993-01-01

There are 367 active radiological instrument calibration laboratories within the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). Each of the four services in DoD manages, operates, and certifies the technical proficiency and competency of those laboratories under their cognizance. Each service has designated secondary calibration laboratories to trace all calibration source standards to the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Individual service radiological calibration programs and capabilities, present and future, are described, as well as the measurement quality assurance (MQA) processes for their traceability. National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) programs for dosimetry systems are briefly summarized. Planned NVLAP accreditation of secondary laboratories is discussed in the context of current technical challenges and future efforts

Underground laboratories in Europe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coccia, E

2006-01-01

The only clear evidence today for physics beyond the standard model comes from underground experiments and the future activity of underground laboratories appears challenging and rich. I review here the existing underground research facilities in Europe. I present briefly the main characteristics, scientific activity and perspectives of these Laboratories and discuss the present coordination actions in the framework of the European Union

Situation analysis of occupational and environmental health laboratory accreditation in Thailand.

Science.gov (United States)

Sithisarankul, Pornchai; Santiyanont, Rachana; Wongpinairat, Chongdee; Silva, Panadda; Rojanajirapa, Pinnapa; Wangwongwatana, Supat; Srinetr, Vithet; Sriratanaban, Jiruth; Chuntutanon, Swanya

2002-06-01

The objective of this study was to analyze the current situation of laboratory accreditation (LA) in Thailand, especially on occupational and environmental health. The study integrated both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The response rate of the quantitative questionnaires was 54.5% (226/415). The majority of the responders was environmental laboratories located outside hospital and did not have proficiency testing. The majority used ISO 9000, ISO/IEC 17025 or ISO/ EEC Guide 25, and hospital accreditation (HA) as their quality system. However, only 30 laboratories were currently accredited by one of these systems. Qualitative research revealed that international standard for laboratory accreditation for both testing laboratory and calibration laboratory was ISO/IEC Guide 25, which has been currently revised to be ISO/IEC 17025. The National Accreditation Council (NAC) has authorized 2 organizations as Accreditation Bodies (ABs) for LA: Thai Industrial Standards Institute, Ministry of Industry, and Bureau of Laboratory Quality Standards, Department of Medical Sciences, Ministry of Public Health. Regarding LA in HA, HA considered clinical laboratory as only 1 of 31 items for accreditation. Obtaining HA might satisfy the hospital director and his management team, and hence might actually be one of the obstacles for the hospital to further improve their laboratory quality system and apply for ISO/IEC 17025 which was more technically oriented. On the other hand, HA may be viewed as a good start or even a pre-requisite for laboratories in the hospitals to further improve their quality towards ISO/IEC 17025. Interviewing the director of NAC and some key men in some large laboratories revealed several major problems of Thailand's LA. Both Thai Industrial Standards Institute and Bureau of Laboratory Quality Standards did not yet obtain Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) with other international ABs. Several governmental bodies had their own standards and

ISO 15189 accreditation: Requirements for quality and competence of medical laboratories, experience of a laboratory I.

Science.gov (United States)

Guzel, Omer; Guner, Ebru Ilhan

2009-03-01

Medical laboratories are the key partners in patient safety. Laboratory results influence 70% of medical diagnoses. Quality of laboratory service is the major factor which directly affects the quality of health care. The clinical laboratory as a whole has to provide the best patient care promoting excellence. International Standard ISO 15189, based upon ISO 17025 and ISO 9001 standards, provides requirements for competence and quality of medical laboratories. Accredited medical laboratories enhance credibility and competency of their testing services. Our group of laboratories, one of the leading institutions in the area, had previous experience with ISO 9001 and ISO 17025 Accreditation at non-medical sections. We started to prepared for ISO 15189 Accreditation at the beginning of 2006 and were certified in March, 2007. We spent more than a year to prepare for accreditation. Accreditation scopes of our laboratory were as follows: clinical chemistry, hematology, immunology, allergology, microbiology, parasitology, molecular biology of infection serology and transfusion medicine. The total number of accredited tests is 531. We participate in five different PT programs. Inter Laboratory Comparison (ILC) protocols are performed with reputable laboratories. 82 different PT Program modules, 277 cycles per year for 451 tests and 72 ILC program organizations for remaining tests have been performed. Our laboratory also organizes a PT program for flow cytometry. 22 laboratories participate in this program, 2 cycles per year. Our laboratory has had its own custom made WEB based LIS system since 2001. We serve more than 500 customers on a real time basis. Our quality management system is also documented and processed electronically, Document Management System (DMS), via our intranet. Preparatory phase for accreditation, data management, external quality control programs, personnel related issues before, during and after accreditation process are presented. Every laboratory has

The quality and scope of information provided by medical laboratories to patients before laboratory testing: Survey of the Working Group for Patient Preparation of the Croatian Society of Medical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Nikolac, Nora; Simundic, Ana-Maria; Kackov, Sanja; Serdar, Tihana; Dorotic, Adrijana; Fumic, Ksenija; Gudasic-Vrdoljak, Jelena; Klenkar, Kornelija; Sambunjak, Jadranka; Vidranski, Valentina

2015-10-23

The aim of this work was to evaluate to what extent the scope and content of information provided to patients is standardized across medical biochemistry laboratories in Croatia. Two on-line self-report surveys were sent out: Survey A regarding attitudes on importance of patient preparation and Survey B on the contents of patient preparation instructions. 13/118 laboratories (11%) do not provide written instructions to patients on how to prepare for laboratory testing, and 36 (40%) do not include information about water intake in their instructions. Only half of laboratories provide instructions for prostate-specific antigen (53.8%), female sex hormones (53.7%) and therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) (52.5%). Inadequate information about fasting status (55.0%) and 24 hour urine collection (77.9%) were frequent errors with high severity and were associated with the greatest potential to cause patient harm. Laboratory professionals in Croatia have a positive attitude towards the importance of patient preparation for laboratory testing. However, the information for laboratory testing is not standardized and frequently lacks guidance for tests related to TDM, coagulation and endocrinology. This study highlights the need for standardized, updated and evidence-based recommendations for patient preparation in order to minimize the risk for patients. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Understanding Laboratory Tests

Science.gov (United States)

... and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the development and marketing of all laboratory tests that use test kits ... Cancer.gov en español Multimedia Publications Site Map Digital Standards for NCI Websites POLICIES Accessibility Comment Policy ...

42 CFR 493.1274 - Standard: Cytology.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... (CONTINUED) STANDARDS AND CERTIFICATION LABORATORY REQUIREMENTS Quality System for Nonwaived Testing Analytic... must be completed before reporting patient results. (2) Laboratory comparison of clinical information... applicable requirements of this subpart K. (h) Documentation. The laboratory must document all control...

CRCPD`S laboratory accrediation program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dukes, P.M. [South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, Columbia, SC (United States)

1993-12-31

The Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors, or CRCPD, first became involved in a calibration laboratory accreditation program about 17 years ago. Since that time, the CRCPD has formed a Committee on Ionizing Measurements which writes criteria for the accreditation of laboratories, and performs the accreditation review process. To become accredited, a laboratory must agree to an administrative review, and an onsite review, and participate in measurement quality assurance (MQA) testing with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The CRCPD currently has four accredited laboratories. All the laboratories are working with the Conference in promoting the improvement of MQA in radiation control programs.

Assessment of biosafety precautions in Khartoum state diagnostic laboratories, Sudan.

Science.gov (United States)

Elduma, Adel Hussein

2012-01-01

This study was conducted to evaluate the biosafety precautions that applied by diagnostic laboratories in Khartoum state, 2009. A total number of 190 laboratories were surveyed about their compliance with standard biosafety precautions. These laboratories included 51 (27%) laboratories from government, 75 (39%) from private sectors and 64 (34%) laboratories belong to organization providing health care services. The study found that 32 (16.8%) of laboratories appointed biosafety officers. Only, ten (5.2%) participated in training about response to fire emergency, and 28 (14.7%) reported the laboratory accident occurred during work. 45 (23.7%) laboratories had a written standard operation procedures (SOPs), and 35 (18.4%) had written procedures for the lean-up of spills. Moreover, biosafety cabinet was found in 11 (5.8%) laboratories, autoclave in 28 (14.7%) and incinerator in only two (1.1%) laboratories. Sharp disposable containers were found in 84 (44.2%). Fire alarm system was found in 2 (1.1%) laboratories, fire extinguisher in 39 (20.5%) laboratories, and fire emergency exit found in 14 (7.4%) laboratories. Furthermore, 19 (10%) laboratories had a hepatitis B virus vaccination programme, 5 (6.2%) applied BCG vaccine, and 2 (1.1%0) vaccinated the staff against influenza. The study concluded that the standards biosafety precautions adopted by the diagnostic laboratories in Khartoum state was very low. Further, the laboratory personnel awareness towards biosafety principles implementation was very low too.

76 FR 39879 - Clinical Laboratory Improvement Advisory Committee (CLIAC)

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-07

... the standards to accommodate technological advances. Matters to be Discussed: The agenda will include... the meeting online at least 14 days in advance at http://www.cdc.gov/cliac/default.aspx by clicking... Information: Nancy Anderson, Chief, Laboratory Practice Standards Branch, Division of Laboratory Science and...

77 FR 41188 - Clinical Laboratory Improvement Advisory Committee (CLIAC)

Science.gov (United States)

2012-07-12

... to general issues related to improvement in clinical laboratory quality and laboratory medicine... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Clinical... patient-centeredness of laboratory services; revisions to the standards under which clinical laboratories...

A Tool for Assessment of Animal Health Laboratory Safety and Biosecurity: The Safety Module of the Food and Agriculture Organization’s Laboratory Mapping Tool

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beatrice Mouillé

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The Laboratory Management Tool (LMT is a standardized spreadsheet-based assessment tool developed to help support national, regional, and global efforts to maintain an effective network of animal health and veterinary public health laboratories. The safety and biosecurity module of the LMT (LMT-S includes 98 measures covering administrative, operational, engineering, and personal protective equipment practices used to provide laboratory safety and biosecurity. Performance aspects of laboratory infrastructure and technical compliance considered fundamental for ensuring that a laboratory is able to appropriately function in a safe and biosecure manner are systematically queried and scored for compliance on a four-point scale providing for a semi-quantitative assessment. Data collected is used to generate graphs and tables mapping levels of compliance with international standards and good practices, as well as for documenting progress over time. The LMT-S was employed by trained auditors in 34 laboratories located in 19 countries between 2015 and 2017. The tool is intended to help standardize animal health laboratory assessments, document compliance with recognized laboratory safety and biosecurity measures, serve as a self-help and training tool, and assist global laboratory development efforts by providing an accurate measurement of laboratory safety and biosecurity at local, national, and regional levels.

Effects of cyclic fatigue stress-biocorrosion on noncarious cervical lesions.

Science.gov (United States)

Grippo, John O; Chaiyabutr, Yada; Kois, John C

2013-08-01

Although there is a high prevalence of noncarious cervical lesions (NCCLs), the etiology of these lesions remains contentious. To evaluate the combined effects of cyclic fatigue stress and biocorrosion activity on NCCLs. Extracted premolar teeth were allocated into four groups (N = 10). Two groups were cyclically fatigue loaded (100 N; 72 cycles per minute; 9,200 cycles) and placed in either hydrochloric acid gel (pH = 0.1) or orange juice (pH = 4). The other two groups were stored in identical chemical solutions without fatigue load. The buccal-lingual width of each tooth was measured before and after testing. The depth of biocorrosion, normalized by the percentage change in buccolingual width, normalized by time (hour) was calculated. The data were analyzed using a two-way analysis of variance and Tukey's HSD multiple comparison test (α = 0.05). Mean (SD) of the depth of biocorrosion values were as follows: teeth receiving fatigue loading with hydrochloric acid gel exposure (1.003%/hour [0.063]) revealed a significantly higher depth of biocorrosion than the fatigue-loaded group with orange juice exposure (0.511%/hour [0.281]) (p biocorrosion than the group with orange juice (0.009%/hour [0.004]) (p biocorrosion than either group without fatigue loading (p biocorrosion had a significant effect on the depth of the NCCLs. In order to manage the destructive NCCLs lesions properly, it is essential to understand the etiology of these lesions. The present study indicated that the combined mechanisms of cyclic fatigue stress and biocorrosion could contribute to the formation of NCCLs. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

75 FR 39028 - Clinical Laboratory Improvement Advisory Committee (CLIAC)

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-07

... accommodate technological advances. Matters to be Discussed: The agenda will include agency updates from the... attendees are required to register for the meeting online at least 14 days in advance at http://wwwn.cdc.gov... Standards Branch, Division of Laboratory Science and Standards (proposed), Laboratory Science, Policy and...

Establishing the Isotope Hydrology Laboratory in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025:2005 standard

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen Thi Hong Thinh; Ha Lan Anh; Vo Thi Anh; Dinh Thi Bich Lieu; Vo Thi Tuong Hanh

2013-01-01

The ISO/IEC 17025:2005 General requirements for the competence calibration laboratories is basis for the accreditation body of the country in general and VILAS in particular recognizing the competence of laboratories. With the desire to prove that we have sufficient technical , management capacity , and the ability to provide the legally recognized and technically valuable test results, the Isotope Hydrology Laboratory have developed a quality management system in accordance with ISO / IEC 17025:2005, in which the laboratory quality manual has been developed. It describes the laboratory management system , scope of activities related to quality assurance of 13 major ions and tritium content measurement services in water samples. Under quality management system, there are management and technical procedures, analysis procedures, work instructions, technical documentation, file and form system. These documents define the roles, responsibilities, powers, detailed instructions for applying and maintaining effective quality management system. Isotope Hydrology Laboratory received a certificate of accreditation issued by Bureau of Accreditation which recognized the laboratory in accordance with ISO 17025:2005 with VILAS 670 accreditation code. Scope of recognition is analyzed 14 parameters: F - , Cl - , NO 2 - , NO 3 - , Br - , PO 4 3- , SO 4 2- , Li + , Na + , NH 4 + , K + , Mg 2+ , Ca 2+ and 3 H in water by ion chromatography and liquid scintillator counting method. (author)

AUDILAB: a knowledge-based quality audit simulator for testing laboratories.

Science.gov (United States)

Brai, A; Garnerin, P

1997-05-01

In order to obtain an accreditation, a laboratory must be prepared to provide a point-by-point check of various activities against the chosen reference standard, both from a general point of view and in relation to details of application. This paper describes AUDILAB, a computerized simulator accessible by network, able to provide testing laboratories with realistic quality audits performed in a customized way. AUDILAB establishes a detailed list of strengths (compliance with corresponding requirements of established standards) and weaknesses (improvements needed for laboratory's accreditation). The standard used by AUDILAB is the EN 45001 "General criteria for the operation of testing laboratories". A preliminary validation has already been completed. AUDILAB became operational in September 1993.

Calibration Laboratory of the Paul Scherrer Institute

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gmuer, K.; Wernli, C.

1994-01-01

Calibration and working checks of radiation protection instruments are carried out at the Calibration Laboratory of the Paul Scherrer Institute. In view of the new radiation protection regulation, the calibration laboratory received an official federal status. The accreditation procedure in cooperation with the Federal Office of Metrology enabled a critical review of the techniques and methods applied. Specifically, personal responsibilities, time intervals for recalibration of standard instruments, maximum permissible errors of verification, traceability and accuracy of the standard instruments, form and content of the certificates were defined, and the traceability of the standards and quality assurance were reconsidered. (orig.) [de

Standardization of irradiation values at the Radiation Calibration Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pham Van Dung; Hoang Van Nguyen; Phan Van Toan; Phan Dinh Sinh; Tran Thi Tuyet; Do Thi Phuong

2007-01-01

The objective of the theme is to determine dose rates around radiation facilities and sources in the NRI Radiation Calibration Laboratory. By improving equipment, calibrating a main dosemeter and carrying out experiments, the theme team received the following results: 1. The controller of a X-rays generator PY(-200 was improved. It permits to increase accuracy of radiation dose calibration up to 2-4 times; 2. The FAMER DOSEMETER 2570/1B with the ionization chamber NE 2575 C of the NRI Radiation Calibration Laboratory was calibrated at SSDL (Hanoi); 3. Dose rates at 4 positions around a high activity Co-60 source were determined; 4. Dose rates at 3 positions around a low activity Co-60 source were determined; 5. Dose rates at 3 positions around a low activity Cs-137 source were determined; 6. Dose rate at 1 position of a X-rays beam (Eaverage = 48 keV) was determined; 7. Dose rate at 1 position of a X-rays beam (Eaverage = 65 keV) was determined. (author)

A Laboratory Safety Program at Delaware.

Science.gov (United States)

Whitmyre, George; Sandler, Stanley I.

1986-01-01

Describes a laboratory safety program at the University of Delaware. Includes a history of the program's development, along with standard safety training and inspections now being implemented. Outlines a two-day laboratory safety course given to all graduate students and staff in chemical engineering. (TW)

The role of Polish Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory in view of the requirements of the EC Directive 97/43 EURATOM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gwiazdowska, B.; Bulski, W.

2004-01-01

The aim of this paper is to present the history and experience of the Polish SSDL (Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory). It also presents the propositions in the domain of quality assurance in radiotherapy in Poland, as fulfilling the requirements of the Directive 97/43 EURATOM on health protection of individuals against the dangers of ionizing radiation in relation to medical exposure, which is obligatory for the countries of the European Union. It has been pointed out that there are, among other provisions, two concepts concerning the quality assurance in application of radiation in medicine, mentioned by the Directive, a) inspection and b) clinical audit, which should be implemented by the Member States. In the process of establishing and implementing the Directive confusion may appear as to the difference between the two concepts of external audits. The role of the SSDLs in carrying out external dosimetry audits is presented. The history of the establishment of the Polish SSDL (Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory) and its inclusion into the international network of laboratories coordinated by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the World Health Organization is presented as well as the resulting advantages, obligations and perspectives for further activities. The main activities of the Polish have been presented, namely maintaining a data-base on the radiotherapy infrastructure in Poland, preparation of recommendations on dosimetry procedures and quality control, calibration of dosimeters, external postal quality audits of dosimetry, etc. These activities are illustrated with the results from the period 1991-2003. Based on the solutions and results presented in this paper, the authors conclude that the Ministry of Health should grant the Polish SSDL with a suitable legal status for carrying out external audits nationwide, especially since, according to the Directive 97/43, clinical audits in radiotherapy have to include dosimetry audits. (author)

[Quality Management and Quality Specifications of Laboratory Tests in Clinical Studies--Challenges in Pre-Analytical Processes in Clinical Laboratories].

Science.gov (United States)

Ishibashi, Midori

2015-01-01

The cost, speed, and quality are the three important factors recently indicated by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) for the purpose of accelerating clinical studies. Based on this background, the importance of laboratory tests is increasing, especially in the evaluation of clinical study participants' entry and safety, and drug efficacy. To assure the quality of laboratory tests, providing high-quality laboratory tests is mandatory. For providing adequate quality assurance in laboratory tests, quality control in the three fields of pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical processes is extremely important. There are, however, no detailed written requirements concerning specimen collection, handling, preparation, storage, and shipping. Most laboratory tests for clinical studies are performed onsite in a local laboratory; however, a part of laboratory tests is done in offsite central laboratories after specimen shipping. As factors affecting laboratory tests, individual and inter-individual variations are well-known. Besides these factors, standardizing the factors of specimen collection, handling, preparation, storage, and shipping, may improve and maintain the high quality of clinical studies in general. Furthermore, the analytical method, units, and reference interval are also important factors. It is concluded that, to overcome the problems derived from pre-analytical processes, it is necessary to standardize specimen handling in a broad sense.

Differences in serum thyroglobulin measurements by 3 commercial immunoradiometric assay kits and laboratory standardization using Certified Reference Material 457 (CRM-457).

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Ji In; Kim, Ji Young; Choi, Joon Young; Kim, Hee Kyung; Jang, Hye Won; Hur, Kyu Yeon; Kim, Jae Hyeon; Kim, Kwang-Won; Chung, Jae Hoon; Kim, Sun Wook

2010-09-01

Serum thyroglobulin (Tg) is essential in the follow-up of patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). However, interchangeability and standardization between Tg assays have not yet been achieved, even with the development of an international Tg standard (Certified Reference Material 457 [CRM-457]). Serum Tg from 30 DTC patients and serially diluted CRM-457 were measured using 3 different immunoradiometric assays (IRMA-1, IRMA-2, IRMA-3). The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) method was used to describe the concordance of each IRMA to CRM-457. The serum Tg measured by 3 different IRMAs correlated well (r > .85, p CRM-457, showed the best ICC (p(1) = .98) for the CRM-457. Hospitals caring for patients with DTC should either set their own cutoffs for IRMAs for Tg based on their patient pools, or adopt IRMAs standardized to CRM-457 and calibrate their laboratory using CRM-457.

Laboratories new to the ICRM.

Science.gov (United States)

Karam, Lisa; Anagnostakis, Marios J; Gudelis, Arunas; Marsoem, Pujadi; Mauring, Alexander; Wurdiyanto, Gatot; Yücel, Ülkü

2012-09-01

The Scientific Committee of the ICRM decided, for the 2011 Conference, to present laboratories that are at a key developmental stage in establishing, expanding or applying radionuclide metrology capabilities. The expansion of radionuclide metrology capabilities is crucial to meet evolving and emerging needs in health care, environmental monitoring, and nuclear energy. Five laboratories (from Greece, Lithuania, Indonesia, Norway and Turkey) agreed to participate. Each laboratory is briefly introduced, and examples of their capabilities and standardization activities are discussed. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Standardization of collection requirements for fasting samples: for the Working Group on Preanalytical Phase (WG-PA) of the European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EFLM).

Science.gov (United States)

Simundic, A M; Cornes, M; Grankvist, K; Lippi, G; Nybo, M

2014-05-15

Standardized protocols for patient preparation for laboratory testing are currently lacking. Moreover, a great heterogeneity exists in the definitions of "fasting" currently being used among healthcare workers and in the literature. Marked metabolic and hormonal changes occur after food ingestion, mainly due to the absorption of fluids, lipids, proteins, carbohydrates and other food constituents. This postprandial response varies markedly in response to numerous factors, such as eating behavior, food composition, fasting duration, time of the day, chronic and acute smoking, coffee and alcohol consumption. It is therefore crucial to minimize the total variability by controlling as many of these modifying factors as possible. Control of the abovementioned effects on postprandial response can only be achieved by standardizing the way patients are prepared for laboratory testing, i.e. by defining the fasting duration, as well as what is and what is not allowed (e.g., coffee, tea, smoking, water) during the period of fasting prior to sample collection. The aim of this article is to describe the range of effects of different approaches to fasting on laboratory tests, and to provide a framework for the harmonization of definitions for fasting requirements for laboratory tests. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Acoustics. Measurement of sound insulation in buildings and of building elements. Laboratory measurements of the reduction of transmitted impact noise by floor coverings on a heavyweight standard floor

CERN Document Server

British Standards Institution. London

1998-01-01

Acoustics. Measurement of sound insulation in buildings and of building elements. Laboratory measurements of the reduction of transmitted impact noise by floor coverings on a heavyweight standard floor

Quality control at the Regional Centre of Nuclear Sciences chemical dosimetry laboratory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Souza, Vivianne L.B. de; Melo, Roberto T. de; Silva, Danubia B. da; Pedroza, Eryka H.; Rodrigues, Kelia R.G.; Cunha, Manuela S. da; Figueiredo, Marcela D.C. de [Centro Regional de Ciencias Nucleares (CRCN-NE/CNEN-PE), Recife, PE (Brazil); Oliveira, Aristides, E-mail: vlsouza@cnen.gov.b, E-mail: rtmelo@cnen.gov.b [Hospital de Cancer de Pernambuco, Recife, PE (Brazil)

2011-07-01

Standards for accreditation of laboratories as in ISO 9001 in section: 4.11 require inspection, measuring and equipment testing; likewise, IEC 17025: 2005 in section: 5.5.2 requires the equipment to be calibrated or verified before being put into use. In our laboratory, quality control is often accomplished by standards set done by the laboratory scientists themselves; however, at present, Hellma secondary calibration standards (4026 - Holmium oxide - Filters: F0, F2, F3, F4 and filter didymium - F7) have been used in order to verify if errors in the laboratory have been close to the 1-2% margin. Control graphs were made by using the results of synthetically prepared standards and standardized spectral calibration certificates. The set of secondary calibration standards permits to check the accuracy of the spectrophotometers used in research for both the absorbance in the visible spectrum (at 440, 465, 546, 590 and 635 nm wavelengths) and for the wavelengths (270, 280, 300, 320 nm) of the ultraviolet light. Filters (F0, F2, F3, F4 and F7) are stable and do not suffer the influence of temperature (the influence is negligible), the F0 filter was being used as a blank. The purpose is to verify whether the spectrometer needs adjustments, an important procedure to check absorbance stability, baseline flatness, slit width accuracy and stray radiation. The calibration tests are performed annually in our laboratory and recalibration of Hellma secondary standards is recommended every two years. The results show that the Chemical Dosimetry Laboratory in CRCN has a calibrated spectrophotometer and their synthetic standards for Fricke dosimetry could be used as an alternative method for testing the proficiency and competence of calibration laboratories in accordance with the regulations and standards. (author)

Quality in the molecular microbiology laboratory.

Science.gov (United States)

Wallace, Paul S; MacKay, William G

2013-01-01

In the clinical microbiology laboratory advances in nucleic acid detection, quantification, and sequence analysis have led to considerable improvements in the diagnosis, management, and monitoring of infectious diseases. Molecular diagnostic methods are routinely used to make clinical decisions based on when and how to treat a patient as well as monitor the effectiveness of a therapeutic regime and identify any potential drug resistant strains that may impact on the long term patient treatment program. Therefore, confidence in the reliability of the result provided by the laboratory service to the clinician is essential for patient treatment. Hence, suitable quality assurance and quality control measures are important to ensure that the laboratory methods and service meet the necessary regulatory requirements both at the national and international level. In essence, the modern clinical microbiology laboratory ensures the appropriateness of its services through a quality management system that monitors all aspects of the laboratory service pre- and post-analytical-from patient sample receipt to reporting of results, from checking and upholding staff competency within the laboratory to identifying areas for quality improvements within the service offered. For most European based clinical microbiology laboratories this means following the common International Standard Organization (ISO9001) framework and ISO15189 which sets out the quality management requirements for the medical laboratory (BS EN ISO 15189 (2003) Medical laboratories-particular requirements for quality and competence. British Standards Institute, Bristol, UK). In the United States clinical laboratories performing human diagnostic tests are regulated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) following the requirements within the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments document 1988 (CLIA-88). This chapter focuses on the key quality assurance and quality control requirements within the

Quality assurance programs at the PNL calibrations laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piper, R.K.; McDonald, J.C.; Fox, R.A.; Eichner, F.N.

1993-03-01

The calibrations laboratory at Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) serves as a radiological standardization facility for personnel and environmental dosimetry and radiological survey instruments. As part of this function, the calibrations laboratory must maintain radiological reference fields with calibrations traceable to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). This task is accomplished by a combination of (1) sources or reference instruments calibrated at or by NIST, (2) measurement quality assurance (MQA) interactions with NIST, and (3) rigorous internal annual and quarterly calibration verifications. This paper describes a representative sample of the facilities, sources, and actions used to maintain accurate and traceable fields

Activities of IPEN Nuclear Metrology Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dias, M.S.; Koskinas, M.F.; Pocobi, E.; Silva, C.A.M.; Machado, R.R.

1987-01-01

The activities of IPEN Nuclear Metrology Laboratory, which the principal objective is radionuclides activities determination for supplying sources and standard radioactive solutions in activity are presented. The systems installed, the activity bands and some of standards radionuclides are shown. (C.G.C.) [pt

Laboratory errors and patient safety.

Science.gov (United States)

Miligy, Dawlat A

2015-01-01

Laboratory data are extensively used in medical practice; consequently, laboratory errors have a tremendous impact on patient safety. Therefore, programs designed to identify and reduce laboratory errors, as well as, setting specific strategies are required to minimize these errors and improve patient safety. The purpose of this paper is to identify part of the commonly encountered laboratory errors throughout our practice in laboratory work, their hazards on patient health care and some measures and recommendations to minimize or to eliminate these errors. Recording the encountered laboratory errors during May 2008 and their statistical evaluation (using simple percent distribution) have been done in the department of laboratory of one of the private hospitals in Egypt. Errors have been classified according to the laboratory phases and according to their implication on patient health. Data obtained out of 1,600 testing procedure revealed that the total number of encountered errors is 14 tests (0.87 percent of total testing procedures). Most of the encountered errors lay in the pre- and post-analytic phases of testing cycle (representing 35.7 and 50 percent, respectively, of total errors). While the number of test errors encountered in the analytic phase represented only 14.3 percent of total errors. About 85.7 percent of total errors were of non-significant implication on patients health being detected before test reports have been submitted to the patients. On the other hand, the number of test errors that have been already submitted to patients and reach the physician represented 14.3 percent of total errors. Only 7.1 percent of the errors could have an impact on patient diagnosis. The findings of this study were concomitant with those published from the USA and other countries. This proves that laboratory problems are universal and need general standardization and bench marking measures. Original being the first data published from Arabic countries that

Recommended procedures for performance testing of radiobioassay laboratories: Volume 1, Quality assurance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fenrick, H.W.; MacLellan, J.A.

1988-11-01

Draft American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Standard N13.30 (Performance Criteria for Radiobioassay) was developed in response to a concern expressed by the US Department of Energy and US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to help ensure that bioassay laboratories provide accurate and consistent results. The draft standard specifies the criteria for defining the procedures necessary to establish a bioassay performance-testing laboratory and program. The testing laboratory will conduct tests to evaluate the performance of service laboratories. Pacific Northwest Laboratory helped define responsibilities and develop procedures as part of an effort to evaluate the draft ANSI N13.30 performance criteria for quality assurance at bioassay laboratories. This report recommends elements of quality assurance and quality control responsibilities for the bioassay performance-testing laboratory program, including the qualification and performance of personnel and the calibration, certification, and performance of equipment. The data base and recommended records system for documenting radiobioassay performance at the service laboratories are also presented. 15 refs

Laboratory Safety Guide for Arkansas K-12 Schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Arkansas State Dept. of Education, Little Rock.

This document presents laboratory safety rules for Arkansas K-12 schools which were developed by the Arkansas Science Teachers Association (ASTA) and the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE). Contents include: (1) "Laboratory Safety Guide for Arkansas K-12 Schools"; (2) "Safety Considerations"; (3) "Safety Standards for Science Laboratories";…

21 CFR 58.81 - Standard operating procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

...) Data handling, storage, and retrieval. (11) Maintenance and calibration of equipment. (12) Transfer... LABORATORY PRACTICE FOR NONCLINICAL LABORATORY STUDIES Testing Facilities Operation § 58.81 Standard... forth nonclinical laboratory study methods that management is satisfied are adequate to insure the...

Calgary Laboratory Services

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James R. Wright MD, PhD

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Calgary Laboratory Services provides global hospital and community laboratory services for Calgary and surrounding areas (population 1.4 million and global academic support for the University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine. It developed rapidly after the Alberta Provincial Government implemented an austerity program to address rising health care costs and to address Alberta’s debt and deficit in 1994. Over roughly the next year, all hospital and community laboratory test funding within the province was put into a single budget, fee codes for fee-for-service test billing were closed, roughly 40% of the provincial laboratory budget was cut, and roughly 40% of the pathologists left the province of Alberta. In Calgary, in the face of these abrupt changes in the laboratory environment, private laboratories, publicly funded hospital laboratories and the medical school department precipitously and reluctantly merged in 1996. The origin of Calgary Laboratory Services was likened to an “unhappy shotgun marriage” by all parties. Although such a structure could save money by eliminating duplicated services and excess capacity and could provide excellent city-wide clinical service by increasing standardization, it was less clear whether it could provide strong academic support for a medical school. Over the past decade, iterations of the Calgary Laboratory Services model have been implemented or are being considered in other Canadian jurisdictions. This case study analyzes the evolution of Calgary Laboratory Services, provides a metric-based review of academic performance over time, and demonstrates that this model, essentially arising as an unplanned experiment, has merit within a Canadian health care context.

Bacteriology laboratories and musculoskeletal tissue banks in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Varettas, Kerry

2012-11-01

In Australia, there are six Therapeutic Goods Administration-licensed clinical bacteriology laboratories providing bacterial and fungal bioburden testing of allograft musculoskeletal samples sent from 10 tissue banks. Musculoskeletal swab and/or tissue biopsy samples are collected at the time of allograft retrieval and sent to bacteriology laboratories for bioburden testing, in some cases requiring interstate transport. Bacteria and fungi may be present within the allograft at the time of retrieval or contaminated from an external source. The type of organism recovered will determine if the allograft is rejected for transplant, which may include all allografts from the same donor. Bacteriology staff also provides unpaid support of tissue banks through meeting involvement, consultations, licence-related activities, validations and research funded by their organisation and not part of any contractual agreement. Bacteriology laboratories and tissue banks must be compliant to the Code of Good Manufacturing Practice - Human Blood and Tissues and regulated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration. Clinical bacteriology laboratories also require mandatory accreditation to Standards Australia International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) 15189:2009 medical laboratories - particular requirements for quality and competence, and may also attain Standards Australia/New Zealand Standard ISO 9001:2000 quality management systems certification. Bacteriology laboratories and musculoskeletal tissue banks are integral partners in providing safe allograft musculoskeletal tissue for transplant. © 2012 The Author. ANZ Journal of Surgery © 2012 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

Safety in laboratories: Indian scenario.

Science.gov (United States)

Mustafa, Ajaz; Farooq, A Jan; Qadri, Gj; S A, Tabish

2008-07-01

Health and safety in clinical laboratories is becoming an increasingly important subject as a result of emergence of highly infectious diseases such as Hepatitis and HIV. A cross sectional study was carried out to study the safety measures being adopted in clinical laboratories of India. Heads of laboratories of teaching hospitals of India were subjected to a standardized, pretested questionnaire. Response rate was 44.8%. only 60% of laboratories had person in-charge of safety in laboratory. Seventy three percent of laboratories had safety education program regarding hazards. In 91% of laboratories staff is using protective clothing while working in laboratories. Hazardous material regulations are followed in 78% of laboratories. Regular health check ups are carried among laboratory staff in 43.4% of laboratories.Safety manual is available in 56.5% of laboratories. 73.9% of laboratories are equipped with fire extinguishers. Fume cupboards are provided in 34.7% of laboratories and they are regularly checked in 87.5% of these laboratories. In 78.26% of laboratories suitable measures are taken to minimize formation of aerosols.In 95.6% of laboratories waste is disposed off as per bio-medical waste management handling rules. Laboratory of one private medical college was accredited with NABL and safety parameters were better in that laboratory. Installing safety engineered devices apparently contributes to significant decrease in injuries in laboratories; laboratory safety has to be a part of overall quality assurance programme in hospitals. Accreditation has to be made necessary for all laboratories.

Internal quality control indicators of cervical cytopathology exams performed in laboratories monitored by the External Quality Control Laboratory.

Science.gov (United States)

Ázara, Cinara Zago Silveira; Manrique, Edna Joana Cláudio; Tavares, Suelene Brito do Nascimento; de Souza, Nadja Lindany Alves; Amaral, Rita Goreti

2014-09-01

To evaluate the impact of continued education provided by an external quality control laboratory on the indicators of internal quality control of cytopathology exams. The internal quality assurance indicators for cytopathology exams from 12 laboratories monitored by the External Quality Control Laboratory were evaluated. Overall, 185,194 exams were included, 98,133 of which referred to the period preceding implementation of a continued education program, while 87,061 referred to the period following this intervention. Data were obtained from the Cervical Cancer Database of the Brazilian National Health Service. Following implementation of the continued education program, the positivity index (PI) remained within recommended limits in four laboratories. In another four laboratories, the PI progressed from below the limits to within the recommended standards. In one laboratory, the PI remained low, in two laboratories, it remained very low, and in one, it increased from very low to low. The percentage of exams compatible with a high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) remained within the recommended limits in five laboratories, while in three laboratories it progressed from below the recommended levels to >0.4% of the total number of satisfactory exams, and in four laboratories it remained below the standard limit. Both the percentage of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) in relation to abnormal exams, and the ratio between ASC-US and intraepithelial lesions remained within recommended levels in all the laboratories investigated. An improvement was found in the indicators represented by the positivity index and the percentage of exams compatible with a high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, showing that the role played by the external quality control laboratory in providing continued education contributed towards improving laboratory staff skills in detecting cervical cancer precursor lesions.

Laboratory implantation for well type ionization chambers calibration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vianello, E.A.; Dias, D.J.; Almeida, C.E. de

1998-01-01

The Radiological Science Laboratory is implanting a service for calibration of well type chambers by IAEA training program. The kerma rate in the air (mu Gy/h) of the linear Cs-137 reference source CDCS-J4 have been determined using a well type chamber Standard Imaging HDR-1000 model, which have been calibrated at Secondary Standard Laboratory Calibration of IAEA, whereas two HDR-1000 Plus chambers were calibrated too, following the same standards. The results were compared with Wisconsin University calibration certification and has demonstrated that well type ionization chamber calibration can be used in brachytherapy for several kinds of radionuclides. (Author)

Laboratory automation and LIMS in forensics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stangegaard, Michael; Hansen, Anders Johannes; Morling, Niels

2013-01-01

. Furthermore, implementation of automated liquid handlers reduces the risk of sample misplacement. A LIMS can efficiently control the sample flow through the laboratory and manage the results of the conducted tests for each sample. Integration of automated liquid handlers with a LIMS provides the laboratory......Implementation of laboratory automation and LIMS in a forensic laboratory enables the laboratory, to standardize sample processing. Automated liquid handlers can increase throughput and eliminate manual repetitive pipetting operations, known to result in occupational injuries to the technical staff...... with the tools required for setting up automated production lines of complex laboratory processes and monitoring the whole process and the results. Combined, this enables processing of a large number of samples. Selection of the best automated solution for an individual laboratory should be based on user...

The Master level optics laboratory at the Institute of Optics

Science.gov (United States)

Adamson, Per

2017-08-01

The master level optics laboratory is a biannual, intensive laboratory course in the fields of geometrical, physical and modern optics. This course is intended for the master level student though Ph.D. advisors which often recommend it to their advisees. The students are required to complete five standard laboratory experiments and an independent project during a semester. The goals of the laboratory experiments are for the students to get hands-on experience setting up optical laboratory equipment, collecting and analyzing data, as well as to communicate key results. The experimental methods, analysis, and results of the standard experiments are submitted in a journal style report, while an oral presentation is given for the independent project.

Errors in clinical laboratories or errors in laboratory medicine?

Science.gov (United States)

Plebani, Mario

2006-01-01

Laboratory testing is a highly complex process and, although laboratory services are relatively safe, they are not as safe as they could or should be. Clinical laboratories have long focused their attention on quality control methods and quality assessment programs dealing with analytical aspects of testing. However, a growing body of evidence accumulated in recent decades demonstrates that quality in clinical laboratories cannot be assured by merely focusing on purely analytical aspects. The more recent surveys on errors in laboratory medicine conclude that in the delivery of laboratory testing, mistakes occur more frequently before (pre-analytical) and after (post-analytical) the test has been performed. Most errors are due to pre-analytical factors (46-68.2% of total errors), while a high error rate (18.5-47% of total errors) has also been found in the post-analytical phase. Errors due to analytical problems have been significantly reduced over time, but there is evidence that, particularly for immunoassays, interference may have a serious impact on patients. A description of the most frequent and risky pre-, intra- and post-analytical errors and advice on practical steps for measuring and reducing the risk of errors is therefore given in the present paper. Many mistakes in the Total Testing Process are called "laboratory errors", although these may be due to poor communication, action taken by others involved in the testing process (e.g., physicians, nurses and phlebotomists), or poorly designed processes, all of which are beyond the laboratory's control. Likewise, there is evidence that laboratory information is only partially utilized. A recent document from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) recommends a new, broader definition of the term "laboratory error" and a classification of errors according to different criteria. In a modern approach to total quality, centered on patients' needs and satisfaction, the risk of errors and mistakes

Distributed Energy Resource (DER) Cybersecurity Standards

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saleem, Danish [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Johnson, Jay [Sandia National Laboratories

2017-11-08

This presentation covers the work that Sandia National Laboratories and National Renewable Energy Laboratory are doing for distributed energy resource cybersecurity standards, prepared for NREL's Annual Cybersecurity & Resilience Workshop on October 9-10, 2017.

DRDC Ottawa working standard for biological dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Segura, T.M.; Prud'homme-Lalonde, L.; Thorleifson, E.; Lachapelle, S.; Mullins, D.; Qutob, S.; Wilkinson, D.

2005-07-01

This Standard provides quality assurance, quality control, and evaluation of the performance criteria for the purpose of accreditation of the Radiation Biology laboratory at Defence Research and Development Canada - Ottawa (DRDC Ottawa) using biological dosimetry to predict radiation exposure doses. The International Standard (ISO 19238) and the International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) Technical Report Series No. 405 are used as guiding documents in preparation of this working document specific to the DRDC Ottawa Radiation Biology Laboratory. This Standard addresses: 1. The confidentiality of personal information, for the customer and the service laboratory; 2. The laboratory safety requirements; 3. The calibration sources and calibration dose ranges useful for establishing the reference dose-effect curves allowing the dose estimation from chromosome aberration frequency, and the minimum detection levels; 4. Transportation criteria for shipping of test samples to the laboratory; 5. Preparation of samples for analysis; 6. The scoring procedure for unstable chromosome aberrations used for biological dosimetry; 7. The criteria for converting a measured aberration frequency into an estimate of absorbed dose; 8. The reporting of results; 9. The quality assurance and quality control plan for the laboratory; and 10. Informative annexes containing examples of a questionnaire, instructions for customers, a data sheet for recording aberrations, a sample report and other supportive documents. (author)

DRDC Ottawa working standard for biological dosimetry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Segura, T M; Prud' homme-Lalonde, L [Defence Research and Development Canada, Ottawa, Ontario (Canada); Thorleifson, E [Health Canada, Gatineau, Quebec (Canada); Lachapelle, S; Mullins, D [JERA Consulting (Canada); Qutob, S [Health Canada, Gatineau, Quebec (Canada); Wilkinson, D

2005-07-15

This Standard provides quality assurance, quality control, and evaluation of the performance criteria for the purpose of accreditation of the Radiation Biology laboratory at Defence Research and Development Canada - Ottawa (DRDC Ottawa) using biological dosimetry to predict radiation exposure doses. The International Standard (ISO 19238) and the International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) Technical Report Series No. 405 are used as guiding documents in preparation of this working document specific to the DRDC Ottawa Radiation Biology Laboratory. This Standard addresses: 1. The confidentiality of personal information, for the customer and the service laboratory; 2. The laboratory safety requirements; 3. The calibration sources and calibration dose ranges useful for establishing the reference dose-effect curves allowing the dose estimation from chromosome aberration frequency, and the minimum detection levels; 4. Transportation criteria for shipping of test samples to the laboratory; 5. Preparation of samples for analysis; 6. The scoring procedure for unstable chromosome aberrations used for biological dosimetry; 7. The criteria for converting a measured aberration frequency into an estimate of absorbed dose; 8. The reporting of results; 9. The quality assurance and quality control plan for the laboratory; and 10. Informative annexes containing examples of a questionnaire, instructions for customers, a data sheet for recording aberrations, a sample report and other supportive documents. (author)

[Future roles of clinical laboratories and clinical laboratory technologists in university hospitals].

Science.gov (United States)

Yokota, Hiromitsu; Yatomi, Yutaka

2013-08-01

Clinical laboratories in university hospitals should be operated with a good balance of medical practice, education, research, and management. The role of a clinical laboratory is to promptly provide highly reliable laboratory data to satisfy the needs of clinicians involved in medical practice and health maintenance of patients. Improvement and maintenance of the quality of the laboratory staff and environment are essential to achieve this goal. In order to implement these requirements efficiently, an appropriate quality management system should be introduced and established, and evaluated objectively by a third party (e.g. by obtaining ISO 15189 certification). ISO 15189 is an international standard regarding the quality and competence of clinical laboratories, and specifies a review of the efficient operational system and technical requirements such as competence in implementing practical tests and calibration. This means the results of laboratory tests reported by accredited laboratories withstand any international evaluation, which is very important to assure the future importance of the existence and management of clinical laboratories as well as internationalization of medical practice. "Education" and "research" have important implications in addition to "medical practice" and "management", as the roles that clinical laboratories should play in university hospitals. University hospital laboratories should be operated by keeping these four factors in good balance. Why are "education" and "research" required in addition to "medical practice" services? If individual clinical laboratory technologists can provide an appropriate response to this question, the importance of the existence of clinical laboratories would be reinforced, without being compromised.

Microbial ecology laboratory procedures manual NASA/MSFC

Science.gov (United States)

Huff, Timothy L.

1990-01-01

An essential part of the efficient operation of any microbiology laboratory involved in sample analysis is a standard procedures manual. The purpose of this manual is to provide concise and well defined instructions on routine technical procedures involving sample analysis and methods for monitoring and maintaining quality control within the laboratory. Of equal importance is the safe operation of the laboratory. This manual outlines detailed procedures to be followed in the microbial ecology laboratory to assure safety, analytical control, and validity of results.

Reducing Inter-Laboratory Differences between Semen Analyses Using Z Score and Regression Transformations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Esther Leushuis

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Background: Standardization of the semen analysis may improve reproducibility. We assessed variability between laboratories in semen analyses and evaluated whether a transformation using Z scores and regression statistics was able to reduce this variability. Materials and Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study. We calculated between-laboratory coefficients of variation (CVB for sperm concentration and for morphology. Subsequently, we standardized the semen analysis results by calculating laboratory specific Z scores, and by using regression. We used analysis of variance for four semen parameters to assess systematic differences between laboratories before and after the transformations, both in the circulation samples and in the samples obtained in the prospective cohort study in the Netherlands between January 2002 and February 2004. Results: The mean CVB was 7% for sperm concentration (range 3 to 13% and 32% for sperm morphology (range 18 to 51%. The differences between the laboratories were statistically significant for all semen parameters (all P<0.001. Standardization using Z scores did not reduce the differences in semen analysis results between the laboratories (all P<0.001. Conclusion: There exists large between-laboratory variability for sperm morphology and small, but statistically significant, between-laboratory variation for sperm concentration. Standardization using Z scores does not eliminate between-laboratory variability.

The 1993 QUASIMEME laboratory-performance study: chlorobiphenyls in fish oil and standard solutions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wells, D.E.; Boer, de J.

1994-01-01

A laboratory-performance study has been undertaken to improve the measurement of chlorobiphenyls in marine biota as part of the QUASIMEME (EU - Measurement and Testing) project. Fifty-two laboratories were invited to participate, of which 47 returned data on nine congeners in iso-octane solution and

Error tracking in a clinical biochemistry laboratory

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Szecsi, Pal Bela; Ødum, Lars

2009-01-01

BACKGROUND: We report our results for the systematic recording of all errors in a standard clinical laboratory over a 1-year period. METHODS: Recording was performed using a commercial database program. All individuals in the laboratory were allowed to report errors. The testing processes were cl...

7 CFR 94.5 - Charges for laboratory service.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) COMMODITY LABORATORY TESTING PROGRAMS... costs for analysis of mandatory egg product samples at Science and Technology Division laboratories...

Photovoltaic module certification/laboratory accreditation criteria development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Osterwald, C.R. [National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States); Hammond, R.L.; Wood, B.D.; Backus, C.E.; Sears, R.L. [Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ (United States); Zerlaut, G.A. [SC-International Inc., Phoenix, AZ (United States); D`Aiello, R.V. [RD Associates, Tempe, AZ (United States)

1995-04-01

This document provides an overview of the structure and function of typical product certification/laboratory accreditation programs. The overview is followed by a model program which could serve as the basis for a photovoltaic (PV) module certification/laboratory accreditation program. The model covers quality assurance procedures for the testing laboratory and manufacturer, third-party certification and labeling, and testing requirements (performance and reliability). A 30-member Criteria Development Committee was established to guide, review, and reach a majority consensus regarding criteria for a PV certification/laboratory accreditation program. Committee members represented PV manufacturers, end users, standards and codes organizations, and testing laboratories.

Electromedical devices test laboratories accreditation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murad, C; Rubio, D; Ponce, S; Alvarez Abri, A; Terron, A; Vicencio, D; Fascioli, E

2007-01-01

In the last years, the technology and equipment at hospitals have been increase in a great way as the risks of their implementation. Safety in medical equipment must be considered an important issue to protect patients and their users. For this reason, test and calibrations laboratories must verify the correct performance of this kind of devices under national and international standards. Is an essential mission for laboratories to develop their measurement activities taking into account a quality management system. In this article, we intend to transmit our experience working to achieve an accredited Test Laboratories for medical devices in National technological University

46 CFR 159.010-3 - Independent laboratory: Standards for acceptance.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... engaged, as a regular part of its business, in performing inspections and tests that are the same as or... manufacturer; (4) Not be dependent on Coast Guard acceptance under this subchapter to remain in business; and (5) Not advertise or promote the manufacturer's equipment or material that the laboratory inspects...

Technical evaluation of draft ANSI Standard N13.30, ''performance criteria for radiobioassay''

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacLellan, J.A.; Traub, R.J.

1986-03-01

The Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) is conducting a research program to evaluate the appropriateness of criteria in the ANSI draft Standard N13.30, ''Performance Criteria for Radiobioassay.'' The evaluation has progressed parallel with the preparation of the Standard by evaluating the performance of existing bioassay laboratories against the criteria specified. Recommendations for revision of the Standard and implementation of a testing/accreditation program have been formulated based on study results. The current performance testing program includes both in-vivo counting and in-vitro sample measurements. Test criteria specified in the Standard include relative bias, relative precision, and acceptable minimum detectable activity (AMDA). Results to date have indicated that the acceptance criteria in the Standard are appropriate for the existing state of the industry and are achievable by a majority of the participating laboratories. Specific conclusions are that the AMDA criteria are most difficult for the laboratories to achieve; the relative bias criterion is second in difficulty, and the precision criterion presents no problem for the laboratories; most of the participating laboratories can meet the Standard; and failure rates may decrease as the laboratories become more knowledgeable of the performance criteria. 3 refs., 11 figs., 6 tabs

Recommended procedures for performance testing of radiobioassay laboratories: Volume 2, In vitro samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fenrick, H.W.; MacLellan, J.A.

1988-11-01

Draft American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Standard N13.30 (Performance Criteria for Radiobioassay) was developed for the US Department of Energy and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to help ensure that bioassay laboratories provide accurate and consistent results. The draft standard specifies the criteria for defining the procedures necessary to establish a bioassay performance-testing laboratory and program. The bioassay testing laboratory will conduct tests to evaluate the performance of service laboratories. Pacific Northwest Laboratory helped develop testing procedures as part of an effort to evaluate the performance criteria by testing the existing measurement capabilities of various bioassay laboratories. This report recommends guidelines for the preparation, handling, storage, distribution, shipping, and documentation of in vitro test samples (artificial urine and fecal matter) for indirect bioassay. The data base and recommended records system for documenting radiobioassay performance at the service laboratories are also presented. 8 refs., 3 tabs

Progress in Harmonizing Tiered HIV Laboratory Systems: Challenges and Opportunities in 8 African Countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Jason; Umaru, Farouk; Edgil, Dianna; Kuritsky, Joel

2016-09-28

In 2014, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS released its 90-90-90 targets, which make laboratory diagnostics a cornerstone for measuring efforts toward the epidemic control of HIV. A data-driven laboratory harmonization and standardization approach is one way to create efficiencies and ensure optimal laboratory procurements. Following the 2008 "Maputo Declaration on Strengthening of Laboratory Systems"-a call for government leadership in harmonizing tiered laboratory networks and standardizing testing services-several national ministries of health requested that the United States Government and in-country partners help implement the recommendations by facilitating laboratory harmonization and standardization workshops, with a primary focus on improving HIV laboratory service delivery. Between 2007 and 2015, harmonization and standardization workshops were held in 8 African countries. This article reviews progress in the harmonization of laboratory systems in these 8 countries. We examined agreed-upon instrument lists established at the workshops and compared them against instrument data from laboratory quantification exercises over time. We used this measure as an indicator of adherence to national procurement policies. We found high levels of diversity across laboratories' diagnostic instruments, equipment, and services. This diversity contributes to different levels of compliance with expected service delivery standards. We believe the following challenges to be the most important to address: (1) lack of adherence to procurement policies, (2) absence or limited influence of a coordinating body to fully implement harmonization proposals, and (3) misalignment of laboratory policies with minimum packages of care and with national HIV care and treatment guidelines. Overall, the effort to implement the recommendations from the Maputo Declaration has had mixed success and is a work in progress. Program managers should continue efforts to advance the

[How do hospital clinical laboratories and laboratory testing companies cooperate and build reciprocal relations?].

Science.gov (United States)

Kawano, Seiji

2014-12-01

As the 2nd Joint Symposium of the Japanese Society of Laboratory Medicine and the Japanese Association of Laboratory Pathologists, the symposium on clinical test out-sourcing and branch laboratories was held at the 60th General Meeting of the Japanese Society of Laboratory Medicine on November 2nd, 2013 in Kobe. For the symposium, we conducted a questionnaire survey on the usage of clinical test out-sourcing and the introduction of branch laboratories to clinical laboratories of Japanese university hospitals, both private and public, between July 25th and August 20th, 2013. Seventy-two hospitals responded to the questionnaire survey, consisting of 41 public medical school hospitals and 31 private ones. According to the survey, the selection of each clinical test for out-sourcing was mainly determined by the capacities of hospital clinical laboratories and their equipment, as well as the profitability of each test. The main concerns of clinical laboratory members of university hospitals involved the continuity of measurement principles, traceability, and standardization of reference values for each test. They strongly requested the interchangeability and computerization of test data between laboratory testing companies. A branch laboratory was introduced to six hospitals, all of which were private medical college hospitals, out of 72 university hospitals, and eight of the other hospitals were open to its introduction. The merits and demerits of introducing a branch laboratory were also discussed. (Review).

Technical evaluation of draft ANSI Standard N13.30, ''Performance Criteria for Radiobioassay''

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacLellan, J.A.; Traub, R.J.

1986-01-01

To evaluate the appropriateness of the draft Standard, a research program, entitled Technical Evaluation of Draft ANSI Standard N13.30, ''Performance Criteria for Radiobioassay,'' was initiated at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL). This program incorporates a number of tasks including a nationwide, two-round intercomparison study to test the analytical performance of both in-vitro and in-vivo bioassay laboratories and determine their ability to meet the minimum performance criteria specified in the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) draft Standard, and other tasks related to the establishment of an accreditation laboratory. Based on two rounds of in-vitro testing and the in-vivo pilot study, the project staff has concluded that the criteria selected are appropriate for the existing state of the industry and achievable by most participating laboratories. Specific conclusions are as follows: the AMDA criteria are most difficult for the laboratories to achieve, the relative bias criterion is second in difficulty, and the precision criterion presents no problem for the laboratories, most of the participating laboratories can meet the Standard, and failure rates may decrease as the laboratories become knowledgeable of the performance criteria

Validation of simple and inexpensive algometry using sphygmomanometer cuff and neuromuscular junction monitor with standardized laboratory algometer

Science.gov (United States)

Durga, Padmaja; Wudaru, Sreedhar Reddy; Khambam, Sunil Kumar Reddy; Chandra, Shobha Jagadish; Ramachandran, Gopinath

2016-01-01

Background and Aims: The availability, ergonomics and economics prohibit the routine use of algometers in clinical practice and research by the anesthesiologists. A simple bedside technique of quantitative pain measurement would enable the routine use of algometry. We proposed to validate simple pain provocation using sphygmomanometer cuff and the electric stimulation of neuromuscular junction monitor (TOF-guard, Organon Teknika) to measure pain against a standardized laboratory pressure algometer. Material and Methods: Pain detection threshold (Pdt) and pain tolerance threshold (Ptt) were measured in forty healthy volunteers of both genders, using the above three techniques. All measurements were repeated three times. The co-efficient of inter-rater reliability (or consistency) between three independent measurements obtained from each of the techniques was determined by Cronbach's co-efficient alpha (α C). The correlation between the mean Pdt and Ptt values recorded by standardized algometer and the sphygmomanometer technique and nerve stimulator technique was performed using Pearson Correlation. An r >0.5 and a two-tailed significance of algometer and the tested techniques. Results: There was a good inter-rater reliability (α C > 0.7) for the three techniques. There was a good correlation with r >0.65 (P algometer and the two techniques being tested as alternatives for algometer to measure pain. Conclusion: The sphygmomanometer cuff technique and electrical stimulation with the peripheral nerve stimulator to measure pain threshold and tolerance provide a simple, efficient, repeatable measure of pain intensity and can be used as suitable alternatives to standard algometers. PMID:27006546

Quality control of parasitology stool examination in Tabriz clinical laboratories

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

shahram Khademvatan

2011-06-01

Full Text Available The purpose of quality control program was to make doctors and laboratory personnel trust in laboratory results and consequently increasing confidence in laboratory achievements. The quality assurance means raising the level of quality in all tests that lead to raising the level of work efficiency and laboratories including minimum expense for society and minimum time for lab personnel. This study aimed to assess and determine the accuracy and precision of results in Tabriz medical diagnostic laboratories. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, 790 stool samples were selected randomly and tested by standard methods.Student t- test, SPSS software and sensitivity and accuracy formulas were used for data analysis. Results: The sensitivity was 62%, 22% and 8% with 95% confidence intervals for worm's eggs, protozoan cysts and trophozoite detection respectively. Conclusion: To elevate quality assurance in clinical diagnostic laboratory, monitoring and check of the laboratories by standard methods continually should be done.

Assessment of biosafety precautions in Khartoum state diagnostic laboratories, Sudan

OpenAIRE

Elduma, Adel Hussein

2012-01-01

Background This study was conducted to evaluate the biosafety precautions that applied by diagnostic laboratories in Khartoum state, 2009. Methods A total number of 190 laboratories were surveyed about their compliance with standard biosafety precautions. These laboratories included 51 (27%) laboratories from government, 75 (39%) from private sectors and 64 (34%) laboratories belong to organization providing health care services. Results The study found that 32 (16.8%) of laboratories appoint...

Suboptimal compliance with blood culture standards at a district

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The Clinical and Laboratory Standards. Institute (CLSI)'s ... reviewing clinical and laboratory data and by a clinician questionnaire. Results. ... the laboratory information system (LIS). ..... management of severe sepsis and septic shock: 2012.

Laboratory diagnostics of malaria

Science.gov (United States)

Siahaan, L.

2018-03-01

Even now, malaria treatment should only be administered after laboratory confirmation. There are several principal methods for diagnosing malaria. All these methods have their disadvantages.Presumptive treatment of malaria is widely practiced where laboratory tests are not readily available. Microscopy of Giemsa-stained thick and thin blood films remains the gold standard for the diagnosis of malaria infection. The technique of slide preparation, staining and reading are well known and standardized, and so is the estimate of the parasite density and parasite stages. Microscopy is not always available or feasible at primary health services in limited resource settings due to cost, lack of skilled manpower, accessories and reagents required. Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are potential tools for parasite-based diagnosis since the tests are accurate in detecting malaria infections and are easy to use. The test is based on the capture of parasite antigen that released from parasitized red blood cells using monoclonal antibodies prepared against malaria antigen target. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), depend on DNA amplification approaches and have higher sensitivity than microscopy. PCR it is not widely used due to the lack of a standardized methodology, high costs, and the need for highly-trained staff.

US Army primary radiation standards complex

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rogers, S.C. [Radiation Standards and Dosimetry Laboratory, Redstone Arsenal, AL (United States)

1993-12-31

This paper describes the U.S. Army Primary Radiation Standards Complex (PRSC) to be constructed at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. The missions of the organizations to be located in the PRSC are described. The health physics review of the facility design is discussed. The radiation sources to be available in the PRSC and the resulting measurement capabilities of the Army Primary Standards Laboratory Nucleonics section are specified. Influence of the National Voluntary Laboratory Accrediation Program (NVLAP) accreditation criteria on facility design and source selection is illustrated.

Sandia National Laboratories Facilities Management and Operations Center Design Standards Manual

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peterson, Timothy L. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2014-09-01

At Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico (SNL/NM), the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of facilities is guided by industry standards, a graded approach, and the systematic analysis of life cycle benefits received for costs incurred. The design of the physical plant must ensure that the facilities are "fit for use," and provide conditions that effectively, efficiently, and safely support current and future mission needs. In addition, SNL/NM applies sustainable design principles, using an integrated whole-building design approach, from site planning to facility design, construction, and operation to ensure building resource efficiency and the health and productivity of occupants. The safety and health of the workforce and the public, any possible effects on the environment, and compliance with building codes take precedence over project issues, such as performance, cost, and schedule. These design standards generally apply to all disciplines on all SNL/NM projects. Architectural and engineering design must be both functional and cost-effective. Facility design must be tailored to fit its intended function, while emphasizing low-maintenance, energy-efficient, and energy-conscious design. Design facilities that can be maintained easily, with readily accessible equipment areas, low maintenance, and quality systems. To promote an orderly and efficient appearance, architectural features of new facilities must complement and enhance the existing architecture at the site. As an Architectural and Engineering (A/E) professional, you must advise the Project Manager when this approach is prohibitively expensive. You are encouraged to use professional judgment and ingenuity to produce a coordinated interdisciplinary design that is cost-effective, easily contractible or buildable, high-performing, aesthetically pleasing, and compliant with applicable building codes. Close coordination and development of civil, landscape, structural, architectural, fire

Time and Frequency Activities at the Lithuanian National Time Standard Laboratory

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Miskinis, Rimantas

2007-01-01

...), the Datum 2001 and SyncServer S250 NTP servers are used. Laboratory activities on coordination of the BALTICTIME project Reinforcing e-Government services in Baltic States through legal and accountable Digital Time Stamps...

Progress in Harmonizing Tiered HIV Laboratory Systems: Challenges and Opportunities in 8 African Countries

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Jason; Umaru, Farouk; Edgil, Dianna; Kuritsky, Joel

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT In 2014, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS released its 90-90-90 targets, which make laboratory diagnostics a cornerstone for measuring efforts toward the epidemic control of HIV. A data-driven laboratory harmonization and standardization approach is one way to create efficiencies and ensure optimal laboratory procurements. Following the 2008 “Maputo Declaration on Strengthening of Laboratory Systems”—a call for government leadership in harmonizing tiered laboratory networks and standardizing testing services—several national ministries of health requested that the United States Government and in-country partners help implement the recommendations by facilitating laboratory harmonization and standardization workshops, with a primary focus on improving HIV laboratory service delivery. Between 2007 and 2015, harmonization and standardization workshops were held in 8 African countries. This article reviews progress in the harmonization of laboratory systems in these 8 countries. We examined agreed-upon instrument lists established at the workshops and compared them against instrument data from laboratory quantification exercises over time. We used this measure as an indicator of adherence to national procurement policies. We found high levels of diversity across laboratories’ diagnostic instruments, equipment, and services. This diversity contributes to different levels of compliance with expected service delivery standards. We believe the following challenges to be the most important to address: (1) lack of adherence to procurement policies, (2) absence or limited influence of a coordinating body to fully implement harmonization proposals, and (3) misalignment of laboratory policies with minimum packages of care and with national HIV care and treatment guidelines. Overall, the effort to implement the recommendations from the Maputo Declaration has had mixed success and is a work in progress. Program managers should continue efforts to

Traceability in laboratories; Trazabilidad en laboratorios

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Palacios, Tulio [Comision Nacional de Energia Atomica, Buenos Aires (Argentina). Centro Atomico Constituyentes; Peretti, Matilde; Saravi, Margarita [Comision Nacional de Energia Atomica, Buenos Aires (Argentina). Centro Atomico Ezeiza

1996-07-01

The testing and/or calibration laboratories main concern in to obtain reliability in the results delivered, therefore the accuracy and precision should be guaranteed. The regulations with respect to the quality systems makes special mention to the traceability in the equipment and in the measurements. In order to obtain that goal the laboratories are organized in national as well as in international nets to maintain the traceability to the primary standards. In the present work will be given the example of a particular laboratory in this regard. (author)

Assessment and management of chemical exposure in the Mohs laboratory.

Science.gov (United States)

Gunson, Todd H; Smith, Harvey R; Vinciullo, Carl

2011-01-01

The correct handling, storage, and disposal of chemicals used in the processing of tissue for Mohs micrographic surgery are essential. To identify the chemicals involved in the preparation of Mohs frozen sections and assess the associated occupational health risks. To quantify exposure levels of hazardous chemicals and ensure that they are minimized. A risk assessment form was completed for each chemical. Atmospheric sampling was performed at our previous laboratory for formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds. These data were used in the design of our new facility, where testing was repeated. Twenty-five chemicals were identified. Ten were classified as hazardous substances, 10 were flammable, six had specific disposal requirements, four were potential carcinogens, and three were potential teratogens. Formaldehyde readings at our previous laboratory were up to eight times the national exposure standard. Testing at the new laboratory produced levels well below the exposure standards. Chemical exposure within the Mohs laboratory can present a significant occupational hazard. Acutely toxic and potentially carcinogenic formaldehyde was found at high levels in a relatively standard laboratory configuration. A laboratory can be designed with a combination of physical environment and operational protocols that minimizes hazards and creates a safe working environment. © 2010 by the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, Inc.

A Comprehensive Subcellular Proteomic Survey of Salmonella Grown under Phagosome-Mimicking versus Standard Laboratory Conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brown, Roslyn N.; Sanford, James A.; Park, Jea H.; Deatherage, Brooke L.; Champion, Boyd L.; Smith, Richard D.; Heffron, Fred; Adkins, Joshua N.

2012-06-01

Towards developing a systems-level pathobiological understanding of Salmonella enterica, we performed a subcellular proteomic analysis of this pathogen grown under standard laboratory and infection-mimicking conditions in vitro. Analysis of proteins from cytoplasmic, inner membrane, periplasmic, and outer membrane fractions yielded coverage of over 30% of the theoretical proteome. Confident subcellular location could be assigned to over 1000 proteins, with good agreement between experimentally observed location and predicted/known protein properties. Comparison of protein location under the different environmental conditions provided insight into dynamic protein localization and possible moonlighting (multiple function) activities. Notable examples of dynamic localization were the response regulators of two-component regulatory systems (e.g., ArcB, PhoQ). The DNA-binding protein Dps that is generally regarded as cytoplasmic was significantly enriched in the outer membrane for all growth conditions examined, suggestive of moonlighting activities. These observations imply the existence of unknown transport mechanisms and novel functions for a subset of Salmonella proteins. Overall, this work provides a catalog of experimentally verified subcellular protein location for Salmonella and a framework for further investigations using computational modeling.

Strengthening laboratory systems in resource-limited settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Olmsted, Stuart S; Moore, Melinda; Meili, Robin C; Duber, Herbert C; Wasserman, Jeffrey; Sama, Preethi; Mundell, Ben; Hilborne, Lee H

2010-09-01

Considerable resources have been invested in recent years to improve laboratory systems in resource-limited settings. We reviewed published reports, interviewed major donor organizations, and conducted case studies of laboratory systems in 3 countries to assess how countries and donors have worked together to improve laboratory services. While infrastructure and the provision of services have seen improvement, important opportunities remain for further advancement. Implementation of national laboratory plans is inconsistent, human resources are limited, and quality laboratory services rarely extend to lower tier laboratories (eg, health clinics, district hospitals). Coordination within, between, and among governments and donor organizations is also frequently problematic. Laboratory standardization and quality control are improving but remain challenging, making accreditation a difficult goal. Host country governments and their external funding partners should coordinate their efforts effectively around a host country's own national laboratory plan to advance sustainable capacity development throughout a country's laboratory system.

76 FR 7817 - Announcing Draft Federal Information Processing Standard 180-4, Secure Hash Standard, and Request...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-11

...-02] Announcing Draft Federal Information Processing Standard 180-4, Secure Hash Standard, and Request... and request for comments. SUMMARY: This notice announces the Draft Federal Information Processing..., Information Technology Laboratory, Attention: Comments on Draft FIPS 180-4, 100 Bureau Drive--Stop 8930...

Remote Experiments in Control Engineering Education Laboratory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Milica B Naumović

2008-05-01

Full Text Available This paper presents Automatic Control Engineering Laboratory (ACEL - WebLab, an under-developed, internet-based remote laboratory for control engineering education at the Faculty of Electronic Engineering in Niš. Up to now, the remote laboratory integrates two physical systems (velocity servo system and magnetic levitation system and enables some levels of measurement and control. To perform experiments in ACEL-WebLab, the "LabVIEW Run Time Engine"and a standard web browser are needed.

Calibration of photon and beta ray sources used in brachytherapy. Guidelines on standardized procedures at Secondary Standards Dosimetry Laboratories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-03-01

It has generally been recognized that international harmonization in radiotherapy dosimetry is essential. Consequently, the IAEA has given much effort to this, for example by publishing a number of reports in the Technical Reports Series (TRS) for external beam dosimetry, most notably TRS-277 and more recently TRS-398. Both of these reports describe in detail the steps to be taken for absorbed dose determination in water and they are often referred to as 'dosimetry protocols'. Similar to TRS-277, it is expected that TRS-398 will be adopted or used as a model by a large number of countries as their national protocol. In 1996, the IAEA established a calibration service for low dose rate (LDR) 137 Cs brachytherapy sources, which is the most widely used source for treatment of gynecological cancer. To further enhance harmonization in brachytherapy dosimetry, the IAEA published in 1999 IAEA-TECDOC-1079 entitled 'Calibration of Brachytherapy Sources. Guidelines on Standardized Procedures for the Calibration of Brachytherapy Sources at Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratories (SSDLs) and Hospitals'. The report was well received and was distributed in a large number of copies to the members of the IAEA/WHO network of SSDLs and to medical physicists working with brachytherapy. The present report is an update of the aforementioned TECDOC. Whereas TECDOC-1079 described methods for calibrating brachytherapy sources with photon energies at or above those of 192 Ir, the current report has a wider scope in that it deals with standardization of calibration of all the most commonly used brachytherapy sources, including both photon and beta emitting sources. The latter sources have been in use for a few decades already, but their calibration methods have been unclear. Methods are also described for calibrating sources used in the rapidly growing field of cardiovascular angioplasty. In this application, irradiation of the vessel wall is done in an attempt to prevent restenosis after

Ozone Standard Reference Photometer

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — The Standard Reference Photometer (SRP) Program began in the early 1980s as collaboration between NIST and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to design,...

Do Doctors differ from Medical Laboratory Scientists?

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Doctors and laboratory scientists are at risk of infection from blood borne pathogens during routine clinical duties. After over 20 years of standard precautions, health care workers knowledge and compliance is not adequate. Aim: This study is aimed at comparing adherence and knowledge of standard ...

Good laboratory practices guarantee biosafety in the Sierra Leone-China friendship biosafety laboratory.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Qin; Zhou, Wei-Min; Zhang, Yong; Wang, Huan-Yu; Du, Hai-Jun; Nie, Kai; Song, Jing-Dong; Xiao, Kang; Lei, Wen-Wen; Guo, Jian-Qiang; Wei, He-Jiang; Cai, Kun; Wang, Yan-Hai; Wu, Jiang; Kamara, Gerard; Kamara, Idrissa; Wei, Qiang; Liang, Mi-Fang; Wu, Gui-Zhen; Dong, Xiao-Ping

2016-06-23

The outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in West Africa between 2014 and 2015 was the largest EDV epidemic since the identification of Ebola virus (EBOV) in 1976, and the countries most strongly affected were Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia. The Sierra Leone-China Friendship Biological Safety Laboratory (SLE-CHN Biosafety Lab), a fixed Biosafety Level 3 laboratory in the capital city of Sierra Leone, was established by the Chinese government and has been active in EBOV detection since 11 March 2015. Complete management and program documents were created for the SLE-CHN Biosafety Lab, and it was divided into four zones (the green, yellow, brown, and red zones) based on the risk assessment. Different types of safe and appropriate personnel protection equipment (PPE) are used in different zones of the laboratory, and it fully meets the Biosafety Level 3 laboratory standards of the World Health Organization. Good preparedness, comprehensive risk assessment and operation documents, appropriate PPE, effective monitoring and intensive training, together with well-designed and reasonable laboratory sectioning are essential for guaranteeing biosafety.

Activities of the IPEN laboratory (CNEN/SP - Brazil) of nuclear metrology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dias, M.S.; Koskinas, M.F.; Pocobi, E.; Silva, C.A.M.; Machado, R.R.

1987-01-01

The determination of radionuclide activity for radioactive sources and standardized solutions is reported as the main purpose of the IPEN laboratory of nuclear metrology. The measurement systems installed in the laboratory, the measurable activity intervals and some of the standardized radionuclides (emphasizing the ones used in nuclear medicine) are presented. (M.A.C.) [pt

Recommended procedures for performance testing of radiobioassay laboratories: Volume 3, In vivo test phantoms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacLellan, J.A.; Traub, R.J.

1988-11-01

Draft American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Standard N13.30 (Performance Criteria for Radiobioassay) was developed for the US Department of Energy and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to help ensure that bioassay laboratories provide accurate and consistent results. The draft standard describes the procedures necessary to establish a bioassay performance-testing laboratory and program. The bioassay performance-testing laboratory will conduct tests to evaluate the performance of service laboratories. Pacific Northwest Laboratory helped develop testing procedures as part of an effort to evaluate the draft ANSI N13.30 performance criteria by testing the existing measurement capabilities of various bioassay laboratories. This report recommends guidelines for the preparation, handling, storage, distribution, shipping, and documentation of test phantoms used for calibration of measurement systems for direct bioassay. The data base and recommended records system for documenting radiobioassay performance at the service laboratories are also presented

X radiation qualities characterization following the standard IEC 61267 recommendations at the calibration laboratory of IPEN

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Franciscatto, Priscila Cerutti

2009-01-01

This work presents a methodology for the X radiation qualities characterization following the new recommendations of the standard 61267 of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) to establish a new procedure for calibration of dosimetric systems used in the field of diagnostic radiology. The reference qualities radiation of IEC 61267: RQR 2 to RQR 10, RQA 2 to RQA 10, RQB 2 to RQB 10 and RQN 2 to RQN 10 were implanted at the calibration laboratory of IPEN (LCI). Their characteristics were analyzed through measurements of beam parameters such as: Practical peak voltage (PPV), specific additional filtrations for each qualities (high purity aluminum of about 99.9%), 1st and 2nd Half Value Layers, homogeneity coefficient. The inherent filtration of the X ray tube was also determined. With the establishment of these radiation qualities, the LCI will be ready to calibrate the measuring instruments of radiation in the new qualities, allowing an improvement in radiological services offered by IPEN. (author)

Premise for Standardized Sepsis Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Remick, Daniel G; Ayala, Alfred; Chaudry, Irshad; Coopersmith, Craig M; Deutschman, Clifford; Hellman, Judith; Moldawer, Lyle; Osuchowski, Marcin

2018-06-05

Sepsis morbidity and mortality exacts a toll on patients and contributes significantly to healthcare costs. Preclinical models of sepsis have been used to study disease pathogenesis and test new therapies, but divergent outcomes have been observed with the same treatment even when using the same sepsis model. Other disorders such as diabetes, cancer, malaria, obesity and cardiovascular diseases have used standardized, preclinical models that allow laboratories to compare results. Standardized models accelerate the pace of research and such models have been used to test new therapies or changes in treatment guidelines. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) mandated that investigators increase data reproducibility and the rigor of scientific experiments and has also issued research funding announcements about the development and refinement of standardized models. Our premise is that refinement and standardization of preclinical sepsis models may accelerate the development and testing of potential therapeutics for human sepsis, as has been the case with preclinical models for other disorders. As a first step towards creating standardized models, we suggest 1) standardizing the technical standards of the widely used cecal ligation and puncture model and 2) creating a list of appropriate organ injury and immune dysfunction parameters. Standardized sepsis models could enhance reproducibility and allow comparison of results between laboratories and may accelerate our understanding of the pathogenesis of sepsis.

Quality systems in veterinary diagnostics laboratories.

Science.gov (United States)

de Branco, Freitas Maia L M

2007-01-01

Quality assurance of services provided by veterinary diagnostics laboratories is a fundamental element promoted by international animal health organizations to establish trust, confidence and transparency needed for the trade of animals and their products at domestic and international levels. It requires, among other things, trained personnel, consistent and rigorous methodology, choice of suitable methods as well as appropriate calibration and traceability procedures. An important part of laboratory quality management is addressed by ISO/IEC 17025, which aims to facilitate cooperation among laboratories and their associated parties by assuring the generation of credible and consistent information derived from analytical results. Currently, according to OIE recommendation, veterinary diagnostics laboratories are only subject to voluntary compliance with standard ISO/IEC 17025; however, it is proposed here that OIE reference laboratories and collaboration centres strongly consider its adoption.

The NRPB Chilton Calibration Laboratory for radiological protection measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iles, W.J.

1982-01-01

The Calibration Laboratory in NRPB Headquarters is intended as an authoritative reference laboratory for all aspects of radiation protection level instrument calibrations for X-, gamma and beta radiations and to be complementary to the national primary standards of the National Physical Laboratory. The gamma ray, filtered X-ray, fluorescence X-ray and beta ray facilities are described. (U.K.)

Residential exposures to pesticides and childhood leukaemia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Metayer, C.; Buffler, P. A.

2008-01-01

Like many chemicals, carcinogenicity of pesticides is poorly characterised in humans, especially in children, so that the present knowledge about childhood leukaemia risk derives primarily from epidemiological studies. Overall, case-control studies published in the last decade have reported positive associations with home use of insecticides, mostly before the child's birth, while findings for herbicides are mixed. Previous studies relied solely on self-reports, therefore lacking information on active ingredients and effects of potential recall bias. Few series to date have examined the influence of children's genetic susceptibility related to transport and metabolism of pesticides. To overcome these limitations, investigators of the Northern California Childhood Leukaemia Study (NCCLS) have undertaken, in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team, a comprehensive assessment of residential pesticide exposure, including: (1) quality control of self-reports; (2) home pesticide inventory and linkage to the Environmental Protection Agency to obtain data on active ingredients; (3) collection and laboratory analyses of ∼600 home dust samples for over 60 pesticides and (4) geographic information studies using California environmental databases to assess exposure to agricultural pesticides. The NCCLS is also conducting large-scale geno-typing to evaluate the role of genes in xenobiotic pathways relevant to the transport and metabolism of pesticides. A better quantification of children's exposures to pesticides at home is critical to the evaluation of childhood leukaemia risk, especially for future gene-environment interaction studies. (authors)

Necessary and Sufficient Process leading to Work Smart Standards. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-11-01

The Necessary and Sufficient Process leading to Work Smart Standards is a Department of Energy initiative to assure adequate protection for workers, the public, and the environment. The Work Smart Standards initiative directs the Laboratory to develop a set of ES and H standards based on the work performed at the Laboratory and the hazards associated with the work. Berkeley Lab`s set of Work Smart Standards includes required Federal, State and local laws and, additionally, national and international standards which represent the highest operating standards of industrial and commercial institutions.

Necessary and Sufficient Process leading to Work Smart Standards. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-11-01

The Necessary and Sufficient Process leading to Work Smart Standards is a Department of Energy initiative to assure adequate protection for workers, the public, and the environment. The Work Smart Standards initiative directs the Laboratory to develop a set of ES and H standards based on the work performed at the Laboratory and the hazards associated with the work. Berkeley Lab's set of Work Smart Standards includes required Federal, State and local laws and, additionally, national and international standards which represent the highest operating standards of industrial and commercial institutions

Module Architecture for in Situ Space Laboratories

Science.gov (United States)

Sherwood, Brent

2010-01-01

The paper analyzes internal outfitting architectures for space exploration laboratory modules. ISS laboratory architecture is examined as a baseline for comparison; applicable insights are derived. Laboratory functional programs are defined for seven planet-surface knowledge domains. Necessary and value-added departures from the ISS architecture standard are defined, and three sectional interior architecture options are assessed for practicality and potential performance. Contemporary guidelines for terrestrial analytical laboratory design are found to be applicable to the in-space functional program. Densepacked racks of system equipment, and high module volume packing ratios, should not be assumed as the default solution for exploration laboratories whose primary activities include un-scriptable investigations and experimentation on the system equipment itself.

Preparation of high purity plutonium oxide for radiochemistry instrument calibration standards and working standards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wong, A.S.; Stalnaker, N.D.

1997-04-01

Due to the lack of suitable high level National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) traceable plutonium solution standards from the NIST or commercial vendors, the CST-8 Radiochemistry team at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) has prepared instrument calibration standards and working standards from a well-characterized plutonium oxide. All the aliquoting steps were performed gravimetrically. When a 241 Am standardized solution obtained from a commercial vendor was compared to these calibration solutions, the results agreed to within 0.04% for the total alpha activity. The aliquots of the plutonium standard solutions and dilutions were sealed in glass ampules for long term storage

Secondary School Chemistry Teacher's Current Use of Laboratory Activities and the Impact of Expense on Their Laboratory Choices

Science.gov (United States)

Boesdorfer, Sarah B.; Livermore, Robin A.

2018-01-01

In the United States with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)'s emphasis on learning science while doing science, laboratory activities in the secondary school chemistry continues to be an important component of a strong curriculum. Laboratory equipment and consumable materials create a unique expense which chemistry teachers and schools…

An inter-laboratory comparison of Si isotope reference materials

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Reynolds, B.C.; Aggarwal, J.; André, L.; Baxter, B.; Beucher, C.; Brzezinski, M.A.; Engström, E.; Georg, R.B.; Land, M.; Leng, M.J.; Opfergelt, S.; Rodushkin, I.; Sloane, H.J.; Van den Boorn, S.H.J.M.; Vroon, P.Z.; Cardinal, D.

2007-01-01

Three Si isotope materials have been used for an inter-laboratory comparison exercise to ensure reproducibility between international laboratories investigating natural Si isotope variations using a variety of chemical preparation methods and mass spectrometric techniques. These proposed standard

Comparison of Smoke Yield Data Collected from Different Laboratories

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Teillet B

2014-12-01

Full Text Available In the context of increasing tobacco product regulations, more requirements are observed for the reporting of smoke constituent yield data and its variability e.g., US Food and Drug Administration (FDA. The objective of this work was to evaluate the relevance of the short term standard deviation to describe the variability of measurements using the dataset of the CORESTA 2006 Joint Experiment which included a number of cigarette smoke constituents more recently identified by FDA for reporting. Their testing protocol required the analysis of Kentucky Reference cigarettes 2R4F and 1R5F performing five replicates run over consecutive days, repeated during three different time periods. This dataset provided access to different sources of smoke yield variability across measurements: short term and medium term within-laboratory variability and among-laboratory variability. For each reference cigarette, analysis of variance on one factor (laboratory combined with the Newman-Keuls multiple range test was performed to compare data generated across laboratories. Results showed that the expression of yield variability as an individual standard deviation (describing repeatability gives erroneous conclusions due to the major contribution of amonglaboratory variability not being taken into account. The different sources of variability can be taken into account in the comparison using the critical difference, as described in the ISO Standard 5725 part 6. This paper shows the importance of having i the appropriate statistical methods to compare results from different laboratories in order to avoid erroneous conclusions, and ii validated and standardized methods with known precision across laboratories. Moreover, it was demonstrated that the number of replicates had only a minor effect on product comparison on the basis of the critical difference as a function of repeatability and reproducibility of the methods.

Implementation of ISO guide 25 in a medical dosimetry secondary standards calibration laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

DeWerd, L.A.

1995-01-01

Currently, there is a great deal of discussion among industry and government agencies about ISO 9000 accreditation. U.S. manufacturers with ISO 9000 accreditation are regarded more favorably by European countries. The principles behind the ISO 9000 accreditation are based on the Total Quality Management (TQM) principles that are being implemented in many U.S. industries. This paper will deal only with the calibration issue. There is a difference in the areas covered by ISO 9000 and ISO Guide 25 documents. ISO 9000, in particular ISO 9001 - ISO 9003, cover the open-quotes calibrationclose quotes of inspection, measuring and test equipment. This equipment is basically used for open-quotes factory calibrationsclose quotes to determine that equipment is performing within manufacturer specifications. ISO Guide 25 is specifically for open-quotes calibration and testing laboratories,close quotes generally laboratories that have painstaking procedures to reduce uncertainties and establish high accuracy of the transfer of calibration. The experience of the University of Wisconsin Accredited Dosimetry Calibration Laboratory in conforming to ISO Guide 25 will be outlined. The entire laboratory staff must become familiar with the process and an individual with direct authority must become the one to maintain the quality of equipment and calibrations in the role of open-quotes quality-assurance manager.close quotes

Development and operation of a quality assurance system for deviations from standard operating procedures in a clinical cell therapy laboratory.

Science.gov (United States)

McKenna, D; Kadidlo, D; Sumstad, D; McCullough, J

2003-01-01

Errors and accidents, or deviations from standard operating procedures, other policy, or regulations must be documented and reviewed, with corrective actions taken to assure quality performance in a cellular therapy laboratory. Though expectations and guidance for deviation management exist, a description of the framework for the development of such a program is lacking in the literature. Here we describe our deviation management program, which uses a Microsoft Access database and Microsoft Excel to analyze deviations and notable events, facilitating quality assurance (QA) functions and ongoing process improvement. Data is stored in a Microsoft Access database with an assignment to one of six deviation type categories. Deviation events are evaluated for potential impact on patient and product, and impact scores for each are determined using a 0- 4 grading scale. An immediate investigation occurs, and corrective actions are taken to prevent future similar events from taking place. Additionally, deviation data is collectively analyzed on a quarterly basis using Microsoft Excel, to identify recurring events or developing trends. Between January 1, 2001 and December 31, 2001 over 2500 products were processed at our laboratory. During this time period, 335 deviations and notable events occurred, affecting 385 products and/or patients. Deviations within the 'technical error' category were most common (37%). Thirteen percent of deviations had a patient and/or a product impact score > or = 2, a score indicating, at a minimum, potentially affected patient outcome or moderate effect upon product quality. Real-time analysis and quarterly review of deviations using our deviation management program allows for identification and correction of deviations. Monitoring of deviation trends allows for process improvement and overall successful functioning of the QA program in the cell therapy laboratory. Our deviation management program could serve as a model for other laboratories in

Clinical and taxonomic status of pathogenic nonpigmented or late-pigmenting rapidly growing mycobacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown-Elliott, Barbara A; Wallace, Richard J

2002-10-01

The history, taxonomy, geographic distribution, clinical disease, and therapy of the pathogenic nonpigmented or late-pigmenting rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGM) are reviewed. Community-acquired disease and health care-associated disease are highlighted for each species. The latter grouping includes health care-associated outbreaks and pseudo-outbreaks as well as sporadic disease cases. Treatment recommendations for each species and type of disease are also described. Special emphasis is on the Mycobacterium fortuitum group, including M. fortuitum, M. peregrinum, and the unnamed third biovariant complex with its recent taxonomic changes and newly recognized species (including M. septicum, M. mageritense, and proposed species M. houstonense and M. bonickei). The clinical and taxonomic status of M. chelonae, M. abscessus, and M. mucogenicum is also detailed, along with that of the closely related new species, M. immunogenum. Additionally, newly recognized species, M. wolinskyi and M. goodii, as well as M. smegmatis sensu stricto, are included in a discussion of the M. smegmatis group. Laboratory diagnosis of RGM using phenotypic methods such as biochemical testing and high-performance liquid chromatography and molecular methods of diagnosis are also discussed. The latter includes PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, hybridization, ribotyping, and sequence analysis. Susceptibility testing and antibiotic susceptibility patterns of the RGM are also annotated, along with the current recommendations from the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) for mycobacterial susceptibility testing.

National survey on intra-laboratory turnaround time for some most common routine and stat laboratory analyses in 479 laboratories in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Fei, Yang; Zeng, Rong; Wang, Wei; He, Falin; Zhong, Kun; Wang, Zhiguo

2015-01-01

To investigate the state of the art of intra-laboratory turnaround time (intra-TAT), provide suggestions and find out whether laboratories accredited by International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 15189 or College of American Pathologists (CAP) will show better performance on intra-TAT than non-accredited ones. 479 Chinese clinical laboratories participating in the external quality assessment programs of chemistry, blood gas, and haematology tests organized by the National Centre for Clinical Laboratories in China were included in our study. General information and the median of intra-TAT of routine and stat tests in last one week were asked in the questionnaires. The response rate of clinical biochemistry, blood gas, and haematology testing were 36% (479/1307), 38% (228/598), and 36% (449/1250), respectively. More than 50% of laboratories indicated that they had set up intra-TAT median goals and almost 60% of laboratories declared they had monitored intra-TAT generally for every analyte they performed. Among all analytes we investigated, the intra-TAT of haematology analytes was shorter than biochemistry while the intra-TAT of blood gas analytes was the shortest. There were significant differences between median intra-TAT on different days of the week for routine tests. However, there were no significant differences in median intra-TAT reported by accredited laboratories and non-accredited laboratories. Many laboratories in China are aware of intra-TAT control and are making effort to reach the target. There is still space for improvement. Accredited laboratories have better status on intra-TAT monitoring and target setting than the non-accredited, but there are no significant differences in median intra-TAT reported by them.

Fluorescence quantum yield measurements of fluorescent proteins: a laboratory experiment for a biochemistry or molecular biophysics laboratory course.

Science.gov (United States)

Wall, Kathryn P; Dillon, Rebecca; Knowles, Michelle K

2015-01-01

Fluorescent proteins are commonly used in cell biology to assess where proteins are within a cell as a function of time and provide insight into intracellular protein function. However, the usefulness of a fluorescent protein depends directly on the quantum yield. The quantum yield relates the efficiency at which a fluorescent molecule converts absorbed photons into emitted photons and it is necessary to know for assessing what fluorescent protein is the most appropriate for a particular application. In this work, we have designed an upper-level, biochemistry laboratory experiment where students measure the fluorescence quantum yields of fluorescent proteins relative to a standard organic dye. Four fluorescent protein variants, enhanced cyan fluorescent protein (ECFP), enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP), mCitrine, and mCherry, were used, however the methods described are useful for the characterization of any fluorescent protein or could be expanded to fluorescent quantum yield measurements of organic dye molecules. The laboratory is designed as a guided inquiry project and takes two, 4 hr laboratory periods. During the first day students design the experiment by selecting the excitation wavelength, choosing the standard, and determining the concentration needed for the quantum yield experiment that takes place in the second laboratory period. Overall, this laboratory provides students with a guided inquiry learning experience and introduces concepts of fluorescence biophysics into a biochemistry laboratory curriculum. © 2014 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Iowa Central Quality Fuel Testing Laboratory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heach, Don; Bidieman, Julaine

2013-09-30

The objective of this project is to finalize the creation of an independent quality fuel testing laboratory on the campus of Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge, Iowa that shall provide the exploding biofuels industry a timely and cost-effective centrally located laboratory to complete all state and federal fuel and related tests that are required. The recipient shall work with various state regulatory agencies, biofuel companies and state and national industry associations to ensure that training and testing needs of their members and American consumers are met. The recipient shall work with the Iowa Department of Ag and Land Stewardship on the development of an Iowa Biofuel Quality Standard along with the Development of a standard that can be used throughout industry.

Laboratory accreditation complying with ISO 25 Guide (IRAM 301): Industrial radiography method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schneebeli, Jorge E.; Zampini, Juan J.; Naucevich, Alfredo

2000-01-01

The ISO 25 Guide (IRAM 301) replaced by ISO 17025 is the standard applied for the implementation of a quality system in a test or calibration laboratory. This document is not known as ISO 9000, but it is the proper standard for this kind of laboratory. This document establishes requirements no just for the quality system in general, but on technical competence, that means the laboratory technical aptitude to carry out the tests. The aim of this paper is to comment the criteria used in the Radiographic Laboratory of CEMEC, that have been assessed by the United King dome Accreditation Service (UKAS). (author)

Implementation of ISO 17025 in the Eletronuclear Environmental Monitoring Laboratory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baliza, Ana Rosa; Caetano, Carla de Brito, E-mail: baliza@eletronuclear.gov.br [Eletrobrás Termonuclear S.A. (ELETRONUCLEAR), Angra dos Reis, RJ (Brazil)

2017-07-01

In order to grant Angra 3 power plant operation license, the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA), in the IBAMA Installation License 591/2009 condition 2.24, required that Eletronuclear has to obtain the Environmental Monitoring Laboratory accreditation, in accordance with the requirements of NBR ISO / IEC 17025 standard. The accreditation is the formal recognition that a laboratory has a quality assurance system and technical competence to perform specific tests, evaluated according to the criteria based on NBR ISO/IEC 17025 (General requirements for testing and calibration laboratories competence) standard. In Brazil, the General Accreditation Coordination (CGCRE), according to the guidelines already explained by the Brazilian System of Conformity Assessment (INMETRO), does accreditation. The INMETRO is the only official accrediting body in Brazil and internationally recognized by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF). The Environmental Monitoring Laboratory at Eletronuclear is an analytical laboratory of chemical, radiochemical and biological tests, which analyzes several matrices, such as seawater, river water, marine sediment, beach sand, soil, pasture, banana, milk, besides marine sea life, around the Central Almirante Álvaro Alberto power plant station. It is licensed by CNEN, INEA, IBAMA and it follows national and international standards in the performance of the tests as well as in the collection and preparation of samples. This article describes the main steps that the Eletronuclear Environmental Monitoring Laboratory followed to implement ISO 17025. (author)

Implementation of ISO 17025 in the Eletronuclear Environmental Monitoring Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baliza, Ana Rosa; Caetano, Carla de Brito

2017-01-01

In order to grant Angra 3 power plant operation license, the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA), in the IBAMA Installation License 591/2009 condition 2.24, required that Eletronuclear has to obtain the Environmental Monitoring Laboratory accreditation, in accordance with the requirements of NBR ISO / IEC 17025 standard. The accreditation is the formal recognition that a laboratory has a quality assurance system and technical competence to perform specific tests, evaluated according to the criteria based on NBR ISO/IEC 17025 (General requirements for testing and calibration laboratories competence) standard. In Brazil, the General Accreditation Coordination (CGCRE), according to the guidelines already explained by the Brazilian System of Conformity Assessment (INMETRO), does accreditation. The INMETRO is the only official accrediting body in Brazil and internationally recognized by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF). The Environmental Monitoring Laboratory at Eletronuclear is an analytical laboratory of chemical, radiochemical and biological tests, which analyzes several matrices, such as seawater, river water, marine sediment, beach sand, soil, pasture, banana, milk, besides marine sea life, around the Central Almirante Álvaro Alberto power plant station. It is licensed by CNEN, INEA, IBAMA and it follows national and international standards in the performance of the tests as well as in the collection and preparation of samples. This article describes the main steps that the Eletronuclear Environmental Monitoring Laboratory followed to implement ISO 17025. (author)

An inter-laboratory comparison of arsenic analysis in Bangladesh. Draft report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aggarwal, P.K.; Dargie, M.; Groening, M.; Kulkarni, K.M.; Gibson, J.J.

2001-03-01

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conducted an evaluation of the quality of arsenic analysis in Bangladesh through an inter-laboratory comparison of the analysis of synthetic standards and field samples. A set of 8 synthetic standards with arsenic concentrations ranging from 0 to about 500 μg/kg, traceable to an internationally recognized standard solution of arsenic, were prepared by the IAEA and provided to the participating laboratories. In addition, two samples of drinking water were collected from near Dhaka by the local office of the World Health Organization (WHO) and provided to all participating laboratories and the IAEA for analysis. Out of the 25 laboratories who received the synthetic standards and field samples, 17 laboratories submitted results to the IAEA for comparison. The reported arsenic concentrations have a wide range with values much higher or much lower than the expected value. Analysis of field samples shows a range of values from 0 to 396 μg/kg. Less than one third of the participating laboratories obtained results that were within about 20% of the expected values (about 60 μg/kg) obtained by a laboratory cooperating with the IAEA (University of Rochester). Results of this inter-laboratory comparison point to a lack of consistency in the analytical results that have been and are being obtained in Bangladesh. More importantly, drinking water wells where elevated arsenic concentrations have been found may in fact have low concentrations. Similarly, wells that have been found to be free of arsenic may in fact have substantially higher arsenic concentrations. The quality and reliability of arsenic analysis needs to be established and continually evaluated in order to identify all affected areas and to provide appropriate mitigation

Standard guide for establishing a quality assurance program for analytical chemistry laboratories within the nuclear industry

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2006-01-01

1.1 This guide covers the establishment of a quality assurance (QA) program for analytical chemistry laboratories within the nuclear industry. Reference to key elements of ANSI/ISO/ASQC Q9001, Quality Systems, provides guidance to the functional aspects of analytical laboratory operation. When implemented as recommended, the practices presented in this guide will provide a comprehensive QA program for the laboratory. The practices are grouped by functions, which constitute the basic elements of a laboratory QA program. 1.2 The essential, basic elements of a laboratory QA program appear in the following order: Section Organization 5 Quality Assurance Program 6 Training and Qualification 7 Procedures 8 Laboratory Records 9 Control of Records 10 Control of Procurement 11 Control of Measuring Equipment and Materials 12 Control of Measurements 13 Deficiencies and Corrective Actions 14

Critical issues for implementation of the standard NBR ISO/IEC 17025:2005 in Testing and Calibration Laboratory: case study at a public institution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castro, Denise Confar Carvalho de

2013-01-01

The public institution aims to promote excellence in public management to contribute to the quality of services provided to its customers and to increase competitiveness in the country, as well as its international projection. A technical barrier to trade that can lead to dissatisfaction and achieve the reputation of the institution is failing the test or calibration results and measurement data, thereby accreditation is regarded as the first essential step to facilitate the mutual acceptance of test results and calibration or measurement data. For recognition, laboratories need to demonstrate full compliance with both the sections of ISO/IEC 17025:2005, i.e. management and technical requirements. This research aims to discuss the critical aspects for implementation of ABNT NBR ISO / IEC 17025:2005 for calibration and testing of a Public Institution seeking accreditation of its laboratories with INMETRO, national accreditation body Laboratories. Besides getting preventive, corrective and improvement actions continues guidelines. Furthermore, the methodology used was to conduct a literature search and apply a questionnaire to identify the degree of agreement / disagreement of the foundations of the standard servers. Analysis of the results showed that the critical issues were: commitment, training, resources (infrastructure, human) and culture. (author)

An inter-laboratory comparison of urinary 3-hydroxypropylmercapturic acid measurement demonstrates good reproducibility between laboratories

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bailey Brian

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Biomarkers have been used extensively in clinical studies to assess toxicant exposure in smokers and non-smokers and have recently been used in the evaluation of novel tobacco products. The urinary metabolite 3-HPMA, a metabolite of the major tobacco smoke toxicity contributor acrolein, is one example of a biomarker used to measure exposure to tobacco smoke. A number of laboratories have developed liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS based methods to measure urinary 3-HPMA; however, it is unclear to what extent the data obtained by these different laboratories are comparable. Findings This report describes an inter-laboratory comparison carried out to evaluate the comparability of 3-HPMA measurement between four laboratories. A common set of spiked and authentic smoker and non-smoker urine samples were used. Each laboratory used their in-house LC-MS/MS method and a common internal standard. A comparison of the repeatability ('r', reproducibility ('R', and coefficient of variation for 3-HPMA demonstrated that within-laboratory variation was consistently lower than between-laboratory variation. The average inter-laboratory coefficient of variation was 7% for fortified urine samples and 16.2% for authentic urine samples. Together, this represents an inter-laboratory variation of 12.2%. Conclusion The results from this first inter-laboratory comparison for the measurement of 3-HPMA in urine demonstrate a reasonably good consensus between laboratories. However, some consistent measurement biases were still observed between laboratories, suggesting that additional work may be required to further reduce the inter-laboratory coefficient of variation.

Reliability on intra-laboratory and inter-laboratory data of hair mineral analysis comparing with blood analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Namkoong, Sun; Hong, Seung Phil; Kim, Myung Hwa; Park, Byung Cheol

2013-02-01

Nowadays, although its clinical value remains controversial institutions utilize hair mineral analysis. Arguments about the reliability of hair mineral analysis persist, and there have been evaluations of commercial laboratories performing hair mineral analysis. The objective of this study was to assess the reliability of intra-laboratory and inter-laboratory data at three commercial laboratories conducting hair mineral analysis, compared to serum mineral analysis. Two divided hair samples taken from near the scalp were submitted for analysis at the same time, to all laboratories, from one healthy volunteer. Each laboratory sent a report consisting of quantitative results and their interpretation of health implications. Differences among intra-laboratory and interlaboratory data were analyzed using SPSS version 12.0 (SPSS Inc., USA). All the laboratories used identical methods for quantitative analysis, and they generated consistent numerical results according to Friedman analysis of variance. However, the normal reference ranges of each laboratory varied. As such, each laboratory interpreted the patient's health differently. On intra-laboratory data, Wilcoxon analysis suggested they generated relatively coherent data, but laboratory B could not in one element, so its reliability was doubtful. In comparison with the blood test, laboratory C generated identical results, but not laboratory A and B. Hair mineral analysis has its limitations, considering the reliability of inter and intra laboratory analysis comparing with blood analysis. As such, clinicians should be cautious when applying hair mineral analysis as an ancillary tool. Each laboratory included in this study requires continuous refinement from now on for inducing standardized normal reference levels.

Towards a rational antimicrobial testing policy in the laboratory.

Science.gov (United States)

Banaji, N; Oommen, S

2011-01-01

Antimicrobial policy for prophylactic and therapeutic use of antimicrobials in a tertiary care setting has gained importance. A hospital's antimicrobial policy as laid down by its hospital infection control team needs to include inputs from the microbiology laboratory, besides the pharmacy and therapeutic committee. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that clinical microbiologists across India follow international guidelines and also take into account local settings, especially detection and presence of resistance enzymes. This article draws a framework for rational antimicrobial testing in our laboratories in tertiary care centers, from the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. It does not address testing methodologies but suggests ways and means by which antimicrobial susceptibility reporting can be rendered meaningful not only to the treating physician but also to the resistance monitoring epidemiologist. It hopes to initiate some standardization in rational choice of antimicrobial testing in laboratories in the country pertaining to nonfastidious bacteria.

Accelerator safety program at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Graham, C.L.

1976-01-01

A proposed accelerator safety standard for the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory (LLL) is given. All accelerators will comply with this standard when it is included in the LLL Health and Safety Manual. The radiation alarm and radiation safety system for a radiography facility are also described

Interpretive criteria of antimicrobial disk susceptibility tests with flomoxef.

Science.gov (United States)

Grimm, H

1991-01-01

320 recently isolated pathogens, 20 strains from each of 16 species, were investigated using Mueller-Hinton agar and DIN as well as NCCLS standards. The geometric mean of the agar dilution MICs of flomoxef were 0.44 mg/l for Staphylococcus aureus, 0.05 mg/l (Klebsiella oxytoca) to 12.6 mg/l (Enterobacter spp.) for enterobacteriaceae, 33.1 mg/l for Acinetobacter anitratus, 64 mg/l for Enterococcus faecalis, and more than 256 mg/l for Pseudomonas aeruginosa. For disk susceptibility testing of flomoxef a 30 micrograms disk loading and the following interpretation of inhibition zones using the DIN method were recommended: resistant-up to 22 mm (corresponding to MICs of 8 mg/l or more), moderately susceptible-23 to 29 mm (corresponding to MICs from 1 to 4 mg/l), and susceptible-30 mm or more (corresponding to MICs of 0.5 mg/l or less). The respective values for the NCCLS method using the American high MIC breakpoints are: resistant--up to 14 mm (corresponding to MICs of 32 mg/l or more), moderately susceptible--15 to 17 mm (corresponding to MICs of 16 mg/l), and susceptible--18 mm or more (corresponding to MICs of 8 mg/l or less).

Selecting clinical quality indicators for laboratory medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Barth, Julian H

2012-05-01

Quality in laboratory medicine is often described as doing the right test at the right time for the right person. Laboratory processes currently operate under the oversight of an accreditation body which gives confidence that the process is good. However, there are aspects of quality that are not measured by these processes. These are largely focused on ensuring that the most clinically appropriate test is performed and interpreted correctly. Clinical quality indicators were selected through a two-phase process. Firstly, a series of focus groups of clinical scientists were held with the aim of developing a list of quality indicators. These were subsequently ranked in order by an expert panel of primary and secondary care physicians. The 10 top indicators included the communication of critical results, comprehensive education to all users and adequate quality assurance for point-of-care testing. Laboratories should ensure their tests are used to national standards, that they have clinical utility, are calibrated to national standards and have long-term stability for chronic disease management. Laboratories should have error logs and demonstrate evidence of measures introduced to reduce chances of similar future errors. Laboratories should make a formal scientific evaluation of analytical quality. This paper describes the process of selection of quality indicators for laboratory medicine that have been validated sequentially by deliverers and users of the service. They now need to be converted into measureable variables related to outcome and validated in practice.

Monte Carlo analysis of the Neutron Standards Laboratory of the CIEMAT; Analisis Monte Carlo del Laboratorio de Patrones Neutronicos del CIEMAT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vega C, H. R. [Universidad Autonoma de Zacatecas, Unidad Academica de Estudios Nucleares, Cipres No. 10, Fracc. La Penuela, 98068 Zacatecas (Mexico); Mendez V, R. [Centro de Investigaciones Energeticas, Medioambientales y Tecnologicas, Av. Complutense 40, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Guzman G, K. A., E-mail: fermineutron@yahoo.com [Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Departamento de Ingenieria Nuclear, C. Jose Gutierrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid (Spain)

2014-10-15

By means of Monte Carlo methods was characterized the neutrons field produced by calibration sources in the Neutron Standards Laboratory of the Centro de Investigaciones Energeticas, Medioambientales y Tecnologicas (CIEMAT). The laboratory has two neutron calibration sources: {sup 241}AmBe and {sup 252}Cf which are stored in a water pool and are placed on the calibration bench using controlled systems at distance. To characterize the neutrons field was built a three-dimensional model of the room where it was included the stainless steel bench, the irradiation table and the storage pool. The sources model included double encapsulated of steel, as cladding. With the purpose of determining the effect that produces the presence of the different components of the room, during the characterization the neutrons spectra, the total flow and the rapidity of environmental equivalent dose to 100 cm of the source were considered. The presence of the walls, floor and ceiling of the room is causing the most modification in the spectra and the integral values of the flow and the rapidity of environmental equivalent dose. (Author)

Laboratory EXAFS using photographic method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Joshi, S K [Government College, Badnawar (Dhar)-454660 (India); Gaur, A; Johari, A; Shrivastava, B D, E-mail: joshisantoshk@yahoo.co [School of Studies in Physics, Vikram University, Ujjain-456010 (India)

2009-11-15

Laboratory EXAFS facilities have been used since long. However, EXAFS data analysis has not been reported as yet for the spectra recorded photographically. Though from our laboratory we have been reporting various studies employing X-ray spectrographs using the photographic method of registration of EXAFS spectra, but the data has never been analyzed using the Fourier transformation method and fitting with standards. This paper reports the study of copper metal EXAFS spectra at the K-edge recorded photographically employing a 400 mm curved mica crystal Cauchois type spectrograph with 0.5 kW tungsten target X-ray tube. The data obtained in digital form with the help of a microphotometer has been processed using EXAFS data analysis programs Athena and Artemis. The experimental data for copper metal foil have been fitted with the theoretical standards. The results have been compared with those obtained from another laboratory EXAFS set up employing 12 kW Rigaku rotating anode, Johansson-type spectrometer with Si(311) monochromator crystal and scintillation counter. The results have also been compared with those obtained from SSRL. The parameters obtained for the first two shells from the photographic method are comparable with those obtained from the other two methods. The present work shows that the photographic method of registering EXAFS spectra in laboratory set up using fixed target X-ray tubes can also be used for getting structural information at least for the first two coordination shells.

Laboratory EXAFS using photographic method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joshi, S K; Gaur, A; Johari, A; Shrivastava, B D

2009-01-01

Laboratory EXAFS facilities have been used since long. However, EXAFS data analysis has not been reported as yet for the spectra recorded photographically. Though from our laboratory we have been reporting various studies employing X-ray spectrographs using the photographic method of registration of EXAFS spectra, but the data has never been analyzed using the Fourier transformation method and fitting with standards. This paper reports the study of copper metal EXAFS spectra at the K-edge recorded photographically employing a 400 mm curved mica crystal Cauchois type spectrograph with 0.5 kW tungsten target X-ray tube. The data obtained in digital form with the help of a microphotometer has been processed using EXAFS data analysis programs Athena and Artemis. The experimental data for copper metal foil have been fitted with the theoretical standards. The results have been compared with those obtained from another laboratory EXAFS set up employing 12 kW Rigaku rotating anode, Johansson-type spectrometer with Si(311) monochromator crystal and scintillation counter. The results have also been compared with those obtained from SSRL. The parameters obtained for the first two shells from the photographic method are comparable with those obtained from the other two methods. The present work shows that the photographic method of registering EXAFS spectra in laboratory set up using fixed target X-ray tubes can also be used for getting structural information at least for the first two coordination shells.

Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory 1994 site environmental report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-05-01

The 1994 Site Environmental Report summarizes environmental activities at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL) for the calendar year (CY) 1994. The report strives to present environmental data in a manner that characterizes the performance and compliance status of the Laboratory`s environmental management programs when measured against regulatory standards and DOE requirements. The report also discusses significant highlight and planning efforts of these programs. The format and content of the report are consistent with the requirements of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Order 5400.1, General Environmental Protection Program.

[Japanese sentinel project and contribution of laboratory medicine].

Science.gov (United States)

Nakashima, Naoki

2013-06-01

Ordinary passive surveillance (generally spontaneous reporting) of adverse effects of medical products is not enough to manage medical risks/safety. The Japanese government, following the "sentinel initiative" by the US government, started the "Japanese sentinel project" as an active surveillance of medical products with the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency(PMDA). Using entire prescription data in the hospital information system, data on laboratory examinations, diagnosis, and therapy specific to an adverse effect are checked by detecting differences between before and after prescription of a specific medical product to extract adverse effects and calculate their correct frequency in the surveillance. The project uses standard masters and protocols to analyze data among medial institutes by installation of the SS-MIX standard storage system. Ten hospitals were selected in 2011 to join the project, and the entire system and network will be implemented in those hospitals and PMDA until 2013 fiscal year. JLAC10 is used in the project as the laboratory examination code of the Japanese Society of Laboratory Medicine. Many incorrect coding and ambiguous coding rules were found by voluntary surveillance of 6 of the 10 hospitals in the project. Thus, the Council on Standardized Master Operation of Clinical Laboratory Examinations will launch in 2013 to improve and maintain JLAC10, which is essential not only for the Japanese sentinel project but also for data utilization by many other projects.

Do English NHS Microbiology laboratories offer adequate services for the diagnosis of UTI in children? Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) Audit of Standard Operational Procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

McNulty, Cliodna A M; Verlander, Neville Q; Moore, Philippa C L; Larcombe, James; Dudley, Jan; Banerjee, Jaydip; Jadresic, Lyda

2015-09-01

The National Institute of Care Excellence (NICE) 2007 guidance CG54, on urinary tract infection (UTI) in children, states that clinicians should use urgent microscopy and culture as the preferred method for diagnosing UTI in the hospital setting for severe illness in children under 3 years old and from the GP setting in children under 3 years old with intermediate risk of severe illness. NICE also recommends that all 'infants and children with atypical UTI (including non-Escherichia coli infections) should have renal imaging after a first infection'. We surveyed all microbiology laboratories in England with Clinical Pathology Accreditation to determine standard operating procedures (SOPs) for urgent microscopy, culture and reporting of children's urine and to ascertain whether the SOPs facilitate compliance with NICE guidance. We undertook a computer search in six microbiology laboratories in south-west England to determine urine submissions and urine reports in children under 3 years. Seventy-three per cent of laboratories (110/150) participated. Enterobacteriaceae that were not E. coli were reported only as coliforms (rather than non-E. coli coliforms) by 61% (67/110) of laboratories. Eighty-eight per cent of laboratories (97/110) provided urgent microscopy for hospital and 54% for general practice (GP) paediatric urines; 61% of laboratories (confidence interval 52-70%) cultured 1 μl volume of urine, which equates to one colony if the bacterial load is 106 c.f.u. l(-1). Only 22% (24/110) of laboratories reported non-E. coli coliforms and provided urgent microscopy for both hospital and GP childhood urines; only three laboratories also cultured a 5 μl volume of urine. Only one of six laboratories in our submission audit had a significant increase in urine submissions and urines reported from children less than 3 years old between the predicted pre-2007 level in the absence of guidance and the 2008 level following publication of the NICE guidance. Less than a

42 CFR 493.1263 - Standard: Mycology.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Standard: Mycology. 493.1263 Section 493.1263 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... Systems § 493.1263 Standard: Mycology. (a) The laboratory must check each batch (prepared in-house), lot...

Transportable Xenon Laboratory (TXL-1) Operations Manual

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thompson, Robert C.; Stewart, Timothy L.; Willett, Jesse A.; Woods, Vincent T.

2011-03-07

The Transportable Xenon Laboratory Operations Manual is a guide to set up and shut down TXL, a fully contained laboratory made up of instruments to identify and measure concentrations of the radioactive isotopes of xenon by taking air samples and analyzing them. The TXL is housed in a standard-sized shipping container. TXL can be shipped to and function in any country in the world.

Implementing a Quality Management System in the Medical Microbiology Laboratory.

Science.gov (United States)

Carey, Roberta B; Bhattacharyya, Sanjib; Kehl, Sue C; Matukas, Larissa M; Pentella, Michael A; Salfinger, Max; Schuetz, Audrey N

2018-07-01

This document outlines a comprehensive practical approach to a laboratory quality management system (QMS) by describing how to operationalize the management and technical requirements described in the ISO 15189 international standard. It provides a crosswalk of the ISO requirements for quality and competence for medical laboratories to the 12 quality system essentials delineated by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. The quality principles are organized under three main categories: quality infrastructure, laboratory operations, and quality assurance and continual improvement. The roles and responsibilities to establish and sustain a QMS are outlined for microbiology laboratory staff, laboratory management personnel, and the institution's leadership. Examples and forms are included to assist in the real-world implementation of this system and to allow the adaptation of the system for each laboratory's unique environment. Errors and nonconforming events are acknowledged and embraced as an opportunity to improve the quality of the laboratory, a culture shift from blaming individuals. An effective QMS encourages "systems thinking" by providing a process to think globally of the effects of any type of change. Ultimately, a successful QMS is achieved when its principles are adopted as part of daily practice throughout the total testing process continuum. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Microbiology.

The role of European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine Working Group for Preanalytical Phase in standardization and harmonization of the preanalytical phase in Europe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cornes, Michael P; Church, Stephen; van Dongen-Lases, Edmée

2016-01-01

Patient safety is a leading challenge in healthcare and from the laboratory perspective it is now well established that preanalytical errors are the major contributor to the overall rate of diagnostic and therapeutic errors. To address this, the European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Labor......Patient safety is a leading challenge in healthcare and from the laboratory perspective it is now well established that preanalytical errors are the major contributor to the overall rate of diagnostic and therapeutic errors. To address this, the European Federation of Clinical Chemistry...... and Laboratory Medicine Working Group for Preanalytical Phase (EFLM WG-PRE) was established to lead in standardization and harmonization of preanalytical policies and practices at a European level. One of the key activities of the WG-PRE is the organization of the biennial EFLM-BD conference on the preanalytical...... summarises the work that has and will be done in these areas. The goal of this initiative is to ensure the EFLM WG-PRE produces work that meets the needs of the European laboratory medicine community. Progress made in the identified areas will be updated at the next preanalytical phase conference and show...

1997 Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants - Radionuclides. Annual report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-06-01

Under Section 61.94 of Title 40, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 61, Subpart H, National Emission Standards for Emissions of Radionuclides Other Than Radon From Department of Energy Facilities, each Department of Energy (DOE) facility must submit an annual report documenting compliance. This report addresses the Section 61.94 reporting requirements for operations at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) for calendar year (CY) 1997. Section 1 of this report provides an overview of the INEEL facilities and a brief description of the radioactive materials and processes at the facilities. Section 2 identifies radioactive air effluent release points and diffuse sources at the INEEL and actual releases during 1997. Section 2 also describes the effluent control systems for each potential release point. Section 3 provides the methodology and EDE calculations for 1997 INEEL radioactive emissions

AUTOMATION OF THE SYSTEM OF INTERNAL LABORATORY QUALITY CONTROL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. Z. Stetsyuk

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Quality control system base d on the principles of standardi zation of all phases of laboratory testing and analysis of internal laboratory quality control and external quality assessment. For the detection accuracy of the results of laboratory tests, carried out internally between the laboratory and laboratory quality control. Under internal laboratory quality control we understand measurement results of each analysis in each anal ytical series rendered directly in the lab every day. The purpose of internal laboratory control - identifying and eliminating unacceptable deviations from standard perfor mance test in the laboratory, i.e. identifying and eliminating harmful analytical errors. The solutions to these problems by implementing automated systems - software that allows you to optimize analytical laboratory research stage of the procedure by automatically creating process control charts was shown.

International Society for the Advancement of Cytometry cell sorter biosafety standards.

Science.gov (United States)

Holmes, Kevin L; Fontes, Benjamin; Hogarth, Philip; Konz, Richard; Monard, Simon; Pletcher, Charles H; Wadley, Robert B; Schmid, Ingrid; Perfetto, Stephen P

2014-05-01

Flow cytometric cell sorting of biological specimens has become prevalent in basic and clinical research laboratories. These specimens may contain known or unknown infectious agents, necessitating precautions to protect instrument operators and the environment from biohazards arising from the use of sorters. To this end the International Society of Analytical Cytology (ISAC) was proactive in establishing biosafety guidelines in 1997 (Schmid et al., Cytometry 1997;28:99-117) and subsequently published revised biosafety standards for cell sorting of unfixed samples in 2007 (Schmid et al., Cytometry Part A J Int Soc Anal Cytol 2007;71A:414-437). Since their publication, these documents have become recognized worldwide as the standard of practice and safety precautions for laboratories performing cell sorting experiments. However, the field of cytometry has progressed since 2007, and the document requires an update. The new Standards provides guidance: (1) for laboratory design for cell sorter laboratories; (2) for the creation of laboratory or instrument specific Standard Operating Procedures (SOP); and (3) on procedures for the safe operation of cell sorters, including personal protective equipment (PPE) and validation of aerosol containment. Published © 2014 Wiley Periodicals Inc.

[Consensus for antimicrobial susceptibility testing for Enterobacteriaceae. Subcommittee on Antimicrobials, SADEBAC (Argentinian Society of Clinical Bacteriology), Argentinian Association of Microbiology].

Science.gov (United States)

Famiglietti, A; Quinteros, M; Vázquez, M; Marín, M; Nicola, F; Radice, M; Galas, M; Pasterán, F; Bantar, C; Casellas, J M; Kovensky Pupko, J; Couto, E; Goldberg, M; Lopardo, H; Gutkind, G; Soloaga, R

2005-01-01

Taking into account previous recommendations from the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS), the Antimicrobial Committee, Sociedad Argentina de Bacteriología Clínica (SADEBAC), Asociación Argentina de Microbiología (AAM), and the experience from its members and some invited microbiologists, a consensus was obtained for antimicrobial susceptibility testing and interpretation in most frequent enterobacterial species isolated from clinical samples in our region. This document describes the natural antimicrobial resistance of some Enterobacteriaceae family members, including the resistance profiles due to their own chromosomal encoded beta-lactamases. A list of the antimicrobial agents that should be tested, their position on the agar plates, in order to detect the most frequent antimicrobial resistance mechanisms, and considerations on which antimicrobial agents should be reported regarding to the infection site and patient characteristics are included. Also, a description on appropriate phenotypic screening and confirmatory test for detection of prevalent extended spectrum beta-lactamases in our region are presented. Finally, a summary on frequent antimicrobial susceptibility profiles and their probably associated resistance mechanisms, and some infrequent antimicrobial resistance profiles that deserve confirmation are outlined.

Antibiotic Resistance in Escherichia Coli Strains Isolated from Urine of Inpatients and Outpatients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abolfazl Davoodabadi

2012-08-01

Full Text Available The urinary tract infections regarded as a health problem around the world and not only as an agent of nosocomial infections but also infections in the community. Community acquired UTIs cause significant illness in the first 2 years of life [1]. Urinary tract infections in both inpatient and outpatient are common and widespread use of antibiotics is often the cause of emerging one or more antibiotic-resistant microorganisms [2]. Most studies have shown higher antibiotic resistance in bacterial strains isolated from hospitalized patients than outpatients. In this study, antibiogram was performed using disk diffusion susceptibility method according to NCCLS standards of the International Committee [3]. 8 different antibiotics, including ciprofloxacin (CP: 30 μg, ceftriaxone (CRO: 30 μg, cephalotin (CF: 30 μg, cefixime (CFM: 5 μg, cotrimoxazole (SXT, nalidixic acid (NA: 30 μg, nitrofurantoin (FM: 300 μg, gentamicin (GM: 10 μg were used for antibiogram. During 1388 the total number of urine samples sent to hospital microbiology laboratories valiasr (aj of Arak was 5156, of which 446 samples (65.8% were positive for E. coli culture.

[Change in drug resistance of Staphylococcus aureus].

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Yan; Liu, Yan; Luo, Yan-Ping; Liu, Chang-Ting

2013-11-01

To analyze the change in drug resistance of Staphylococcus aureus (SAU) in the PLA general hospital from January 2008 to December 2012, and to provide solid evidence to support the rational use of antibiotics for clinical applications. The SAU strains isolated from clinical samples in the hospital were collected and subjected to the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion test. The results were assessed based on the 2002 American National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) guidelines. SAU strains were mainly isolated from sputum, urine, blood and wound excreta and distributed in penology, neurology wards, orthopedics and surgery ICU wards. Except for glycopeptide drugs, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) had a higher drug resistance rate than those of the other drugs and had significantly more resistance than methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) (P resistance, we discovered a gradual increase in drug resistance to fourteen test drugs during the last five years. Drug resistance rate of SAU stayed at a higher level over the last five years; moreover, the detection ratio of MRSA keeps rising year by year. It is crucial for physicians to use antibiotics rationally and monitor the change in drug resistance in a dynamic way.

Accreditation - Its relevance for laboratories measuring radionuclides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Palsson, S E [Icelandic Radiation Protection Inst. (Iceland)

2001-11-01

Accreditation is an internationally recognised way for laboratories to demonstrate their competence. Obtaining and maintaining accreditation is, however, a costly and time-consuming procedure. The benefits of accreditation also depend on the role of the laboratory. Accreditation may be of limited relevance for a research laboratory, but essential for a laboratory associated with a national authority and e.g. issuing certificates. This report describes work done within the NKSBOK-1.1 sub-project on introducing accreditation to Nordic laboratories measuring radionuclides. Initially the focus was on the new standard ISO/IEC 17025, which was just in a draft form at the time, but which provides now a new framework for accreditation of laboratories. Later the focus was widened to include a general introduction to accreditation and providing through seminars a forum for exchanging views on the experience laboratories have had in this field. Copies of overheads from the last such seminar are included in the appendix to this report. (au)

Standard software for CAMAC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lenkszus, F.R.

1978-01-01

The NIM Committee (National Instrumentation Methods Committee) of the U.S. Department of Energy and the ESONE Committee of European Laboratories have jointly specified standard software for use with CAMAC. Three general approaches were followed: the definition of a language called IML for use in CAMAC systems, the definition of a standard set of subroutine calls, and real-time extensions to the BASIC language. This paper summarizes the results of these efforts. 1 table

Clinical Laboratory Tests in Some Acute Exogenous Poisonings.

Science.gov (United States)

Tufkova, Stoilka G; Yankov, Ivan V; Paskaleva, Diana A

2017-09-01

There is no specific toxicological screening of clinical laboratory parameters in clinical toxicology when it comes to acute exogenous poisoning. To determine routine clinical laboratory parameters and indicators for assessment of vital functions in patients with acute intoxications. One hundred and fifty-three patients were included in the present study. They were hospitalized in the Department of Clinical Toxicology at St. George University Hospital, Plovdiv for cerebral toxicity inducing medication (n = 45), alcohol (n = 40), heroin abuse (n = 33). The controls were 35. The laboratory tests were conducted in compliance with the standards of the clinical laboratory. We used the following statistical analyses: analysis of variance (the ucriterion of normal distribution, the Student's t-test, dispersion analysis based on ANOVA) and non-parametric analysis. Based on the routine hematological parameters with statistically significant changes in three groups of poisoning are: red blood cells, hematocrit, hemoglobin (except alcohol intoxication) and leukocytes. We found statistically significant changes in serum total protein, sodium and bilirubin. The highest statistical significance is the increased activity of AST and ALT. We present a model for selection of clinical laboratory tests for severe acute poisoning with modern equipment under standardized conditions. The results of the study suggest that the clinical laboratory constellation we used can be used as a mandatory element in the diagnosis of moderate and severe intoxication with the mentioned toxic substances.

Open- and closed-formula laboratory animal diets and their importance to research.

Science.gov (United States)

Barnard, Dennis E; Lewis, Sherry M; Teter, Beverly B; Thigpen, Julius E

2009-11-01

Almost 40 y ago the scientific community was taking actions to control environmental factors that contribute to variation in the responses of laboratory animals to scientific manipulation. Laboratory animal diet was recognized as an important variable. During the 1970s, the American Institute of Nutrition, National Academy of Science, Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources, and Laboratory Animals Centre Diets Advisory Committee supported the use of 'standard reference diets' in biomedical research as a means to improve the ability to replicate research. As a result the AIN76 purified diet was formulated. During this same time, the laboratory animal nutritionist at the NIH was formulating open-formula, natural-ingredient diets to meet the need for standardized laboratory animal diets. Since the development of open-formula diets, fixed-formula and constant-nutrient-concentration closed-formula laboratory animal natural ingredient diets have been introduced to help reduce the potential variation diet can cause in research.

Towards a rational antimicrobial testing policy in the laboratory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N Banaji

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Antimicrobial policy for prophylactic and therapeutic use of antimicrobials in a tertiary care setting has gained importance. A hospital′s antimicrobial policy as laid down by its hospital infection control team needs to include inputs from the microbiology laboratory, besides the pharmacy and therapeutic committee. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that clinical microbiologists across India follow international guidelines and also take into account local settings, especially detection and presence of resistance enzymes. This article draws a framework for rational antimicrobial testing in our laboratories in tertiary care centers, from the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. It does not address testing methodologies but suggests ways and means by which antimicrobial susceptibility reporting can be rendered meaningful not only to the treating physician but also to the resistance monitoring epidemiologist. It hopes to initiate some standardization in rational choice of antimicrobial testing in laboratories in the country pertaining to nonfastidious bacteria.

Quality Indicators in Laboratory Medicine: the status of the progress of IFCC Working Group "Laboratory Errors and Patient Safety" project.

Science.gov (United States)

Sciacovelli, Laura; Lippi, Giuseppe; Sumarac, Zorica; West, Jamie; Garcia Del Pino Castro, Isabel; Furtado Vieira, Keila; Ivanov, Agnes; Plebani, Mario

2017-03-01

The knowledge of error rates is essential in all clinical laboratories as it enables them to accurately identify their risk level, and compare it with those of other laboratories in order to evaluate their performance in relation to the State-of-the-Art (i.e. benchmarking) and define priorities for improvement actions. Although no activity is risk free, it is widely accepted that the risk of error is minimized by the use of Quality Indicators (QIs) managed as a part of laboratory improvement strategy and proven to be suitable monitoring and improvement tools. The purpose of QIs is to keep the error risk at a level that minimizes the likelihood of patients. However, identifying a suitable State-of-the-Art is challenging, because it calls for the knowledge of error rates measured in a variety of laboratories throughout world that differ in their organization and management, context, and the population they serve. Moreover, it also depends on the choice of the events to keep under control and the individual procedure for measurement. Although many laboratory professionals believe that the systemic use of QIs in Laboratory Medicine may be effective in decreasing errors occurring throughout the total testing process (TTP), to improve patient safety as well as to satisfy the requirements of International Standard ISO 15189, they find it difficult to maintain standardized and systematic data collection, and to promote continued high level of interest, commitment and dedication in the entire staff. Although many laboratories worldwide express a willingness to participate to the Model of QIs (MQI) project of IFCC Working Group "Laboratory Errors and Patient Safety", few systematically enter/record their own results and/or use a number of QIs designed to cover all phases of the TTP. Many laboratories justify their inadequate participation in data collection of QIs by claiming that the number of QIs included in the MQI is excessive. However, an analysis of results suggests

The Pathology Laboratory Act 2007 explained.

Science.gov (United States)

Looi, Lai-Meng

2008-06-01

The past century has seen tremendous changes in the scope and practice of pathology laboratories in tandem with the development of the medical services in Malaysia. Major progress was made in the areas of training and specialization of pathologists and laboratory technical staff. Today the pathology laboratory services have entered the International arena, and are propelled along the wave of globalization. Many new challenges have emerged as have new players in the field. Landmark developments over the past decade include the establishment of national quality assurance programmes, the mushrooming of private pathology laboratories, the establishment of a National Accreditation Standard for medical testing laboratories based on ISO 15189, and the passing of the Pathology Laboratory Act in Parliament in mid-2007. The Pathology Laboratory Act 2007 seeks to ensure that the pathology laboratory is accountable to the public, meets required standards of practice, participates in Quality Assurance programmes, is run by qualified staff, complies with safety requirements and is subject to continuous audit. The Act is applicable to all private laboratories (stand alone or hospital) and laboratories in statutory bodies (Universities, foundations). It is not applicable to public laboratories (established and operated by the government) and side-room laboratories established in clinics of registered medical or dental practitioners for their own patients (tests as in the First and Second Schedules respectively). Tests of the Third Schedule (home test blood glucose, urine glucose, urine pregnancy test) are also exempted. The Act has 13 Parts and provides for control of the pathology laboratory through approval (to establish and maintain) and licensing (to operate or provide). The approval or license may only be issued to a sole proprietor, partnership or body corporate, and then only if the entity includes a registered medical practitioner. Details of personnel qualifications and

Safety analysis report for packaging Lawrence Livermore Laboratories shipping containers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evans, J.H.

1975-12-01

The Lawrence Livermore Laboratories shipping containers were designed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory for use in transporting weapons and nuclear components. The design for the containers was evaluated to show compliance with applicable regulations governing packages in which radioactive and fissile materials are transported. Computational procedures were used to determine the structural integrity and thermal behavior of the containers relative to the standards for the normal conditions of transport. A full-scale container test model was destructively tested to verify compliance with the standards for the accident conditions. The results of the analytical evaluations and the tests demonstrate that the design for the Lawrence Livermore Laboratories shipping containers is in compliance with the applicable regulations

Electric Vehicle and Wireless Charging Laboratory

Science.gov (United States)

2018-03-23

Wireless charging tests of electric vehicles (EV) have been conducted at the EVTC Wireless Laboratory located at the Florida Solar Energy Center, Cocoa, FL. These tests were performed to document testing protocols, evaluate standards and evaluate ope...

42 CFR 493.1423 - Standard; Testing personnel qualifications.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

..., or bachelor's degree in a chemical, physical, biological or clinical laboratory science, or medical... stability and storage; (F) The skills required to implement the quality control policies and procedures of... HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS AND CERTIFICATION LABORATORY REQUIREMENTS Personnel for Nonwaived...

NVN 5694 intra laboratory validation. Feasibility study for interlaboratory- validation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Voors, P.I.; Baard, J.H.

1998-11-01

Within the project NORMSTAR 2 a number of Dutch prenormative protocols have been defined for radioactivity measurements. Some of these protocols, e.g. the Dutch prenormative protocol NVN 5694, titled Methods for radiochemical determination of polonium-210 and lead-210, have not been validated, neither by intralaboratory nor interlaboratory studies. Validation studies are conducted within the framework of the programme 'Normalisatie and Validatie van Milieumethoden 1993-1997' (Standardization and Validation of test methods for environmental parameters) of the Dutch Ministry of Housing, Physical Planning and the Environment (VROM). The aims of this study were (a) a critical evaluation of the protocol, (b) investigation on the feasibility of an interlaboratory study, and (c) the interlaboratory validation of NVN 5694. The evaluation of the protocol resulted in a list of deficiencies varying from missing references to incorrect formulae. From the survey by interview it appeared that for each type of material, there are 4 to 7 laboratories willing to participate in a interlaboratory validation study. This reflects the situation in 1997. Consequently, if 4 or 6 (the minimal number) laboratories are participating and each laboratory analyses 3 subsamples, the uncertainty in the repeatability standard deviation is 49 or 40 %, respectively. If the ratio of reproducibility standard deviation to the repeatability standard deviation is equal to 1 or 2, then the uncertainty in the reproducibility standard deviation increases from 42 to 67 % and from 34 to 52 % for 4 or 6 laboratories, respectively. The intralaboratory validation was established on four different types of materials. Three types of materials (milkpowder condensate and filter) were prepared in the laboratory using the raw material and certified Pb-210 solutions, and one (sediment) was obtained from the IAEA. The ECN-prepared reference materials were used after testing on homogeneity. The pre-normative protocol can

The Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratories (SSDL) story

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eisenlohr, H.H.

2000-01-01

In 1976, the International Atomic Energy Agency and the World Health Organization formally concluded a Working Arrangement aiming at setting up a world-wide Network of SSDLs under the auspices of the two organizations. It appears that the loose term Working Arrangement was used for this joint undertaking as both IAEA and WHO did not wish to signal, at that time, a deep involvement in the project. Moreover, the two organizations pursued different routes in implementing the project. In consequence, it took many years before the programme received adequate technical and financial support. Thus, after years of reluctance, the project was considered important enough to be included into the IAEA's Technical Assistance programme. It then began to thrive though, in the course of time, WHO's initial financial support declined. Now (1999), the SSDL Network comprises 76 laboratories around the world. It is guided by a joint IAEA/WHO Secretariat which, in turn, is advised by an SSDL Scientific Committee. It is supported by 5 Collaborating Organizations and enjoys full national and international recognition. Most of the people who initiated, promoted and directed the establishment of SSDLs and the Network have by now retired from their positions in national or international institutions. Some of the early enthusiasts are no longer alive, and the names of many of them were never associated with the project, because staff of, and consultants to, international organizations are expected to work in anonymity

XML Syntax for Clinical Laboratory Procedure Manuals

OpenAIRE

Saadawi, Gilan; Harrison, James H.

2003-01-01

We have developed a document type description (DTD) in Extensable Markup Language (XML)1 for clinical laboratory procedures. Our XML syntax can adequately structure a variety of procedure types across different laboratories and is compatible with current procedure standards. The combination of this format with an XML content management system and appropriate style sheets will allow efficient procedure maintenance, distributed access, customized display and effective searching across a large b...

Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory 1993 Site Environmental Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1994-05-01

This annual Site Environmental Report summarizes Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory`s (LBL`s) environmental activities in calendar year (CY) 1993. The purpose of this report is to characterize site environmental management performance, confirm compliance status with environmental standards and requirements, and highlight significant programs and efforts. Its format and content are consistent with the requirements of the US Department of Energy (DOE) Order 5400.1, General Environmental Protection Program.

Treatment of Laboratory Wastewater by Sequence Batch reactor technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Imtiaz, N.; Butt, M.; Khan, R.A.; Saeed, M.T.; Irfan, M.

2012-01-01

These studies were conducted on the characterization and treatment of sewage mixed with waste -water of research and testing laboratory (PCSIR Laboratories Lahore). In this study all the parameters COD, BOD and TSS etc of influent (untreated waste-water) and effluent (treated waste-water) were characterized using the standard methods of examination for water and waste-water. All the results of the analyzed waste-water parameters were above the National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS) set at National level. Treatment of waste-water was carried out by conventional sequencing batch reactor technique (SBR) using aeration and settling technique in the same treatment reactor at laboratory scale. The results of COD after treatment were reduced from (90-95 %), BOD (95-97 %) and TSS (96-99 %) and the reclaimed effluent quality was suitable for gardening purposes. (author)

Code of practice for safety in laboratory - non ionising radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramli Jaya; Mohd Yusof Mohd Ali; Khoo Boo Huat; Khatijah Hashim

1995-01-01

The code identifies the non-ionizing radiation encountered in laboratories and the associated hazards. The code is intended as a laboratory standard reference document for general information on safety requirements relating to the usage of non-ionizing radiations in laboratories. The nonionizing radiations cover in this code, namely, are ultraviolet radiation, visible light, radio-frequency radiation, lasers, sound waves and ultrasonic radiation. (author)

Brookhaven National Laboratory site environmental report for calendar year 1996

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schroeder, G.L.; Paquette, D.E.; Naidu, J.R.; Lee, R.J.; Briggs, S.L.K.

1998-01-01

This report documents the results of the Environmental Monitoring Program at Brookhaven National Laboratory and summarizes information about environmental compliance for 1996. To evaluate the effect of Brookhaven National Laboratory`s operations on the local environment, measurements of direct radiation, and of a variety of radionuclides and chemical compounds in the ambient air, soil, sewage effluent, surface water, groundwater, fauna, and vegetation were made at the Brookhaven National Laboratory site and at adjacent sites. The report also evaluates the Laboratory`s compliance with all applicable guides, standards, and limits for radiological and non-radiological emissions and effluents to the environment.

Fuels and Petroleum, Oil & Lubricants (POL) Laboratories

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — The Fuels and Lubricants Technology Team operates and maintains the Fuels and POL Labs at TARDEC. Lab experts adhere to standardized American Society for Testing and...

Quality management in European screening laboratories in blood establishments: A view of current approaches and trends.

Science.gov (United States)

Pereira, Paulo; Westgard, James O; Encarnação, Pedro; Seghatchian, Jerard; de Sousa, Gracinda

2015-04-01

The screening laboratory has a critical role in the post-transfusion safety. The success of its targets and efficiency depends on the management system used. Even though the European Union directive 2002/98/EC requires a quality management system in blood establishments, its requirements for screening laboratories are generic. Complementary approaches are needed to implement a quality management system focused on screening laboratories. This article briefly discusses the current good manufacturing practices and good laboratory practices, as well as the trends in quality management system standards. ISO 9001 is widely accepted in some European Union blood establishments as the quality management standard, however this is not synonymous of its successful application. The ISO "risk-based thinking" is interrelated with the quality risk-management process of the EuBIS "Standards and criteria for the inspection of blood establishments". ISO 15189 should be the next step on the quality assurance of a screening laboratory, since it is focused on medical laboratory. To standardize the quality management systems in blood establishments' screening laboratories, new national and European claims focused on technical requirements following ISO 15189 is needed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A tool for assessment of animal health laboratory safety and biosecurity: The safety module of the Food and Agriculture Organization’s laboratory mapping tool

OpenAIRE

Mouillé, B; Dauphin, G; Wiersma, L; Blacksell, SD; Claes, F; Kalpravidh, W; Kabore, Y; Hietala, S

2018-01-01

The Laboratory Management Tool (LMT) is a standardized spreadsheet-based assessment tool developed to help support national, regional, and global efforts to maintain an effective network of animal health and veterinary public health laboratories. The safety and biosecurity module of the LMT (LMT-S) includes 98 measures covering administrative, operational, engineering, and personal protective equipment practices used to provide laboratory safety and biosecurity. Performance aspects of laborat...

Accreditation of Medical Laboratories – System, Process, Benefits for Labs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zima Tomáš

2017-09-01

Full Text Available One and key of the priorities in laboratory medicine is improvement of quality management system for patient safety. Quality in the health care is tightly connected to the level of excellence of the health care provided in relation to the current level of knowledge and technical development. Accreditation is an effective way to demonstrate competence of the laboratory, a tool to recognize laboratories world-wide, is linked to periodical audits, to stimulate the maintenance and improvement of the quality, which leads to high standard of services for clients (patients, health care providers, etc.. The strategic plans of IFCC and EFLM include focusing on accreditation of labs based on ISO standards and cooperation with European Accreditation and national accreditation bodies. IFCC and EFLM recognised that ISO 15189:2012 Medical laboratories – Requirements for quality and competence, encompasses all the assessment criteria specified in the policy of quality. The last version is oriented to process approach with detailed division and clearly defined requirements. The accreditation of labs improves facilitation of accurate and rapid diagnostics, efficiency of treatment and reduction of errors in the laboratory process. Accreditation is not about who the best is, but who has a system of standard procedures with aim to improve the quality and patient safety. Quality system is about people, with people and for people.

Avaliação da qualidade dos discos com antimicrobianos para testes de disco-difusão disponíveis comercialmente no Brasil Evaluation of the quality of the antimicrobial agents disks used in disk-diffusion tests comercially available in Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lilian M. Sejas

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Introdução: O teste de suscetibilidade a antimicrobianos representa um dos testes de maior importância clínica realizados pelo laboratório de microbiologia. Devido ao grande número de antimicrobianos e à complexidade dos mecanismos de resistência desenvolvidos pelas bactérias, fica muito difícil hoje a detecção de problemas nos testes de suscetibilidade pela simples avaliação dos resultados obtidos. Sendo assim, é extremamente importante que haja uma avaliação constante da qualidade destes testes. Objetivo: O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar a qualidade dos discos de antimicrobianos comercializados no Brasil. Material e métodos: Foram avaliados discos de 18 antimicrobianos obtidos de cinco diferentes fontes comerciais, os quais foram testados frente a quatro cepas bacterianas oriundas da ATCC, pelo método de difusão em ágar, seguindo as recomendações do National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS. Cada teste foi repetido 20 vezes. Resultados: Nenhuma das marcas apresentou desempenho satisfatório para o uso na rotina de um laboratório de microbiologia. O melhor desempenho foi apresentado pela marca Cecon®, com 89,6% de concordância. A marca Sensifar® apresentou taxa de concordância geral semelhante (90,8%. A marca com o pior desempenho foi a Pimenta Abreu®, com apenas 58,6% de concordância. Conclusão: Os resultados do presente estudo indicam que os discos de antimicrobianos comercializados no Brasil são de baixa qualidade, possivelmente refletindo a falta de controle de qualidade na produção e/ou estocagem dos produtos antes da sua distribuição. Esses dados chamam a atenção para a necessidade de implantação de sistemas efetivos de fiscalização da comercialização desses produtos e de programas criteriosos de controle de qualidade por parte dos laboratórios que os utilizam.Background: The antimicrobial susceptibility test is one of the most important clinical test carried out in

Uncertainty Analysis of Spectral Irradiance Reference Standards Used for NREL Calibrations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Habte, A.; Andreas, A.; Reda, I.; Campanelli, M.; Stoffel, T.

2013-05-01

Spectral irradiance produced by lamp standards such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) FEL-type tungsten halogen lamps are used to calibrate spectroradiometers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Spectroradiometers are often used to characterize spectral irradiance of solar simulators, which in turn are used to characterize photovoltaic device performance, e.g., power output and spectral response. Therefore, quantifying the calibration uncertainty of spectroradiometers is critical to understanding photovoltaic system performance. In this study, we attempted to reproduce the NIST-reported input variables, including the calibration uncertainty in spectral irradiance for a standard NIST lamp, and quantify uncertainty for measurement setup at the Optical Metrology Laboratory at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

The current status of forensic science laboratory accreditation in Europe.

Science.gov (United States)

Malkoc, Ekrem; Neuteboom, Wim

2007-04-11

Forensic science is gaining some solid ground in the area of effective crime prevention, especially in the areas where more sophisticated use of available technology is prevalent. All it takes is high-level cooperation among nations that can help them deal with criminality that adopts a cross-border nature more and more. It is apparent that cooperation will not be enough on its own and this development will require a network of qualified forensic laboratories spread over Europe. It is argued in this paper that forensic science laboratories play an important role in the fight against crime. Another, complimentary argument is that forensic science laboratories need to be better involved in the fight against crime. For this to be achieved, a good level of cooperation should be established and maintained. It is also noted that harmonization is required for such cooperation and seeking accreditation according to an internationally acceptable standard, such as ISO/IEC 17025, will eventually bring harmonization as an end result. Because, ISO/IEC 17025 as an international standard, has been a tool that helps forensic science laboratories in the current trend towards accreditation that can be observed not only in Europe, but also in the rest of the world of forensic science. In the introduction part, ISO/IEC 17025 states that "the acceptance of testing and calibration results between countries should be facilitated if laboratories comply with this international standard and if they obtain accreditation from bodies which have entered into mutual recognition agreements with equivalent bodies in other countries using this international standard." Furthermore, it is emphasized that the use of this international standard will assist in the harmonization of standards and procedures. The background of forensic science cooperation in Europe will be explained by using an existing European forensic science network, i.e. ENFSI, in order to understand the current status of forensic

SALE: Safeguards Analytical Laboratory Evaluation computer code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carroll, D.J.; Bush, W.J.; Dolan, C.A.

1976-09-01

The Safeguards Analytical Laboratory Evaluation (SALE) program implements an industry-wide quality control and evaluation system aimed at identifying and reducing analytical chemical measurement errors. Samples of well-characterized materials are distributed to laboratory participants at periodic intervals for determination of uranium or plutonium concentration and isotopic distributions. The results of these determinations are statistically-evaluated, and each participant is informed of the accuracy and precision of his results in a timely manner. The SALE computer code which produces the report is designed to facilitate rapid transmission of this information in order that meaningful quality control will be provided. Various statistical techniques comprise the output of the SALE computer code. Assuming an unbalanced nested design, an analysis of variance is performed in subroutine NEST resulting in a test of significance for time and analyst effects. A trend test is performed in subroutine TREND. Microfilm plots are obtained from subroutine CUMPLT. Within-laboratory standard deviations are calculated in the main program or subroutine VAREST, and between-laboratory standard deviations are calculated in SBLV. Other statistical tests are also performed. Up to 1,500 pieces of data for each nuclear material sampled by 75 (or fewer) laboratories may be analyzed with this code. The input deck necessary to run the program is shown, and input parameters are discussed in detail. Printed output and microfilm plot output are described. Output from a typical SALE run is included as a sample problem

Quality management and accreditation in a mixed research and clinical hair testing analytical laboratory setting-a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Fulga, Netta

2013-06-01

Quality management and accreditation in the analytical laboratory setting are developing rapidly and becoming the standard worldwide. Quality management refers to all the activities used by organizations to ensure product or service consistency. Accreditation is a formal recognition by an authoritative regulatory body that a laboratory is competent to perform examinations and report results. The Motherisk Drug Testing Laboratory is licensed to operate at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Ontario. The laboratory performs toxicology tests of hair and meconium samples for research and clinical purposes. Most of the samples are involved in a chain of custody cases. Establishing a quality management system and achieving accreditation became mandatory by legislation for all Ontario clinical laboratories since 2003. The Ontario Laboratory Accreditation program is based on International Organization for Standardization 15189-Medical laboratories-Particular requirements for quality and competence, an international standard that has been adopted as a national standard in Canada. The implementation of a quality management system involves management commitment, planning and staff education, documentation of the system, validation of processes, and assessment against the requirements. The maintenance of a quality management system requires control and monitoring of the entire laboratory path of workflow. The process of transformation of a research/clinical laboratory into an accredited laboratory, and the benefits of maintaining an effective quality management system, are presented in this article.

Cellular Cultivation: Growing HeLa Cells Using Standard High School Laboratory Equipment.

Science.gov (United States)

Woloschak, Gayle; And Others

1995-01-01

Describes experiments to culture cells in a laboratory that provide students with hands-on experience in manipulating cells and a chance to observe cell growth characteristics first hand. Exposes students to sterile technique, cell culture, cell growth concepts, and eukaryotic cell structure. (JRH)

Work of the IAEA laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1962-01-01

Most of the IAEA laboratory facilities a r e now in full operation, and work has begun on a number of problems that can best be dealt with by an international centre. The laboratory at Seibersdorf, about 30 km from the Agency's headquarters in Vienna, started functioning in October last year, and a certain amount of work is also being done with a few facilities installed in the headquarters building. During the past year laboratory work has steadily increased and several programmes are now fully established. The Agency's laboratory is not intended to be a centre of independent research; in the main, its scope is governed by the scientific requirements of the Agency's programmes of assistance to its Member States and its role in connection with safety and security in atomic energy work. The functions of the laboratory are thus limited to (a) measurement of radionuclides and preparation of radioactive standards, (b) calibration and adaptation of measuring equipment, (c) quality control of special materials for nuclear technology, (d) measurement and analyses in connection with the Agency's safeguards and health and safety programme, and (e) services to Member States that can be provided with the facilities established for these tasks

[Construction and operation status of management system of laboratories of schistosomiasis control institutions in Hubei Province].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao-Hui, Zheng; Jun, Qin; Li, Chen; Hong, Zhu; Li, Tang; Zu-Wu, Tu; Ming-Xing, Zeng; Qian, Sun; Shun-Xiang, Cai

2016-10-09

To analyze the construction and operation status of management system of laboratories of schistosomiasis control institutions in Hubei Province, so as to provide the reference for the standardized detection and management of schistosomiasis laboratories. According to the laboratory standard of schistosomiasis at provincial, municipal and county levels, the management system construction and operation status of 60 schistosomiasis control institutions was assessed by the acceptance examination method from 2013 to 2015. The management system was already occupied over all the laboratories of schistosomiasis control institutions and was officially running. There were 588 non-conformities and the inconsistency rate was 19.60%. The non-conformity rate of the management system of laboratory quality control was 38.10% (224 cases) and the non-conformity rate of requirements of instrument and equipment was 23.81% (140 cases). The management system has played an important role in the standardized management of schistosomiasis laboratories.

The irradiation as alternative treatment for laboratory wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borrely, Sueli Ivone; Romanelli, Maria Fernanda; Silva, Giovana Pasqualini da; Castro, Daniela Marques

2005-01-01

The irradiation of effluents may be done by electron accelerator or gamma radiation source (cobalt-60). This technology has been developed as an alternative for several contaminants from different processes and sources. This paper shows the results of electron beam applied to liquid laboratories residues (effluents and standard solutions). Radiation doses were determined for the improvement of laboratories residues measured by detoxification of them. New technologies for residues treatment as well as decreasing contaminants generation is essential part of laboratories activities for environmental management for industry, universities and research institutions. (author)

Internal laboratory control in residue analysis of chlorinated hydrocarbons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1980-01-01

The thesis contains a chapter on gaschromatographic system in which gas current, temperatures, separation system, detector system, recorder, dosing system and integrator are described. The chapter on reagents deals with standards and solvents, absorbents and other reagents. The chapter on laboratory equipment deals with general recommendations for apparatus, purification and total numerical result of blank test. The chapter ''Methods'' contains general references, aptitude for a special problem, common investigations and control by standard reference materials. The chapter on the work up of samples treats extraction, purification, concentrating the solution, internal standard, multiple determination and control samples. The chapter on measurement presents calibration, internal standard, multiple determination, securing the result and control samples. The chapter on evaluation consists of qualitative and quantitave evaluation, decision criteria and communication of the result. The chapter of documentation described routine investigations, tests and controls of internal laboratory control, preliminary works, maintenance and service works.

Cryogenic Insulation Standard Data and Methodologies

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Extending some recent developments in the area of technical consensus standards for cryogenic thermal insulation systems, a preliminary Inter-Laboratory Study of...

42 CFR 493.1267 - Standard: Routine chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Standard: Routine chemistry. 493.1267 Section 493.1267 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... Systems § 493.1267 Standard: Routine chemistry. For blood gas analyses, the laboratory must perform the...

Raising Virtual Laboratories in Australia onto global platforms

Science.gov (United States)

Wyborn, L. A.; Barker, M.; Fraser, R.; Evans, B. J. K.; Moloney, G.; Proctor, R.; Moise, A. F.; Hamish, H.

2016-12-01

Across the globe, Virtual Laboratories (VLs), Science Gateways (SGs), and Virtual Research Environments (VREs) are being developed that enable users who are not co-located to actively work together at various scales to share data, models, tools, software, workflows, best practices, etc. Outcomes range from enabling `long tail' researchers to more easily access specific data collections, to facilitating complex workflows on powerful supercomputers. In Australia, government funding has facilitated the development of a range of VLs through the National eResearch Collaborative Tools and Resources (NeCTAR) program. The VLs provide highly collaborative, research-domain oriented, integrated software infrastructures that meet user community needs. Twelve VLs have been funded since 2012, including the Virtual Geophysics Laboratory (VGL); Virtual Hazards, Impact and Risk Laboratory (VHIRL); Climate and Weather Science Laboratory (CWSLab); Marine Virtual Laboratory (MarVL); and Biodiversity and Climate Change Virtual Laboratory (BCCVL). These VLs share similar technical challenges, with common issues emerging on integration of tools, applications and access data collections via both cloud-based environments and other distributed resources. While each VL began with a focus on a specific research domain, communities of practice have now formed across the VLs around common issues, and facilitate identification of best practice case studies, and new standards. As a result, tools are now being shared where the VLs access data via data services using international standards such as ISO, OGC, W3C. The sharing of these approaches is starting to facilitate re-usability of infrastructure and is a step towards supporting interdisciplinary research. Whilst the focus of the VLs are Australia-centric, by using standards, these environments are able to be extended to analysis on other international datasets. Many VL datasets are subsets of global datasets and so extension to global is a

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Institutional Plan FY 2001-2005

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fisher, Darrell R.; Pearson, Erik W.

2000-12-29

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Institutional Plan for FY 2001-2005 sets forth the laboratory's mission, roles, technical capabilities, and laboratory strategic plan. In the plan, major initiatives also are proposed and the transitioning initiatives are discussed. The Programmatic Strategy section details our strategic intent, roles, and research thrusts in each of the U.S. Department of Energy's mission areas. The Operations/Infrastructure Strategic Plan section includes information on the laboratory's human resources; environment, safety, and health management; safeguards and security; site and facilities management; information resources management; managaement procatices and standards; and communications and trust.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Institutional Plan FY 2000-2004

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pearson, Erik W.

2000-03-01

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Institutional Plan for FY 2000-2004 sets forth the laboratory's mission, roles, technical capabilities, and laboratory strategic plan. In the plan, major initiatives also are proposed and the transitioning initiatives are discussed. The Programmatic Strategy section details our strategic intent, roles, and research thrusts in each of the U.S. Department of Energy's mission areas. The Operations/Infrastructure Strategic Plan section includes information on the laboratory's human resources; environment, safety, and health management; safeguards and security; site and facilities management; information resources management; management practices and standards; and communications and trust.

A brief review of nuclear electronics standards . . . Past, present and future

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larsen, R.S.

2000-01-01

Modular Nuclear Instrument Standards have played a key role in U. S. Department of Energy National Laboratories and similar scientific laboratories worldwide for more than three decades. The scientific and engineering efficiency and economic benefits have been well documented. Standards are constantly evolving with the introduction of new technologies and the present is a time of rapid change. This report is based on an invited talk presented at the Joint Meeting of the U.S. Nuclear Instrument Module (NIM) and European Standards for Norms in Electronics (ESONE) Standards Committees, Lyon, France, October 20, 2000. It provides a brief overview of past developments and attempts to identify areas of possible opportunities for renewed standardization efforts to meet future challenges

Laboratory diagnostic methods, system of quality and validation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ašanin Ružica

2005-01-01

Full Text Available It is known that laboratory investigations secure safe and reliable results that provide a final confirmation of the quality of work. Ideas, planning, knowledge, skills, experience, and environment, along with good laboratory practice, quality control and reliability of quality, make the area of biological investigations very complex. In recent years, quality control, including the control of work in the laboratory, is based on international standards and is used at that level. The implementation of widely recognized international standards, such as the International Standard ISO/IEC 17025 (1 and the implementing of the quality system series ISO/IEC 9000 (2 have become the imperative on the grounds of which laboratories have a formal, visible and corresponding system of quality. The diagnostic methods that are used must constantly yield results which identify the animal as positive or negative, and the precise status of the animal is determined with a predefined degree of statistical significance. Methods applied on a selected population reduce the risk of obtaining falsely positive or falsely negative results. A condition for this are well conceived and documented methods, with the application of the corresponding reagents, and work with professional and skilled staff. This process requires also a consistent implementation of the most rigorous experimental plans, epidemiological and statistical data and estimations, with constant monitoring of the validity of the applied methods. Such an approach is necessary in order to cut down the number of misconceptions and accidental mistakes, for a referent population of animals on which the validity of a method is tested. Once a valid method is included in daily routine investigations, it is necessary to apply constant monitoring for the purpose of internal quality control, in order adequately to evaluate its reproducibility and reliability. Consequently, it is necessary at least twice yearly to conduct

Development of nano-roughness calibration standards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baršić, Gorana; Mahović, Sanjin; Zorc, Hrvoje

2012-01-01

At the Laboratory for Precise Measurements of Length, currently the Croatian National Laboratory for Length, unique nano-roughness calibration standards were developed, which have been physically implemented in cooperation with the company MikroMasch Trading OU and the Ruđer Bošković Institute. In this paper, a new design for a calibration standard with two measuring surfaces is presented. One of the surfaces is for the reproduction of roughness parameters, while the other is for the traceability of length units below 50 nm. The nominal values of the groove depths on these measuring surfaces are the same. Thus, a link between the measuring surfaces has been ensured, which makes these standards unique. Furthermore, the calibration standards available on the market are generally designed specifically for individual groups of measuring instrumentation, such as interferometric microscopes, stylus instruments, scanning electron microscopes (SEM) or scanning probe microscopes. In this paper, a new design for nano-roughness standards has been proposed for use in the calibration of optical instruments, as well as for stylus instruments, SEM, atomic force microscopes and scanning tunneling microscopes. Therefore, the development of these new nano-roughness calibration standards greatly contributes to the reproducibility of the results of groove depth measurement as well as the 2D and 3D roughness parameters obtained by various measuring methods. (paper)

Management plan for the Nuclear Standards Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1979-11-01

This Management Plan was prepared to describe the manner in which Oak Ridge National Laboratory will provide technical management of the Nuclear Standards Program. The organizational structure that has been established within ORNL for this function is the Nuclear Standards Management Center, which includes the Nuclear Standards Office (NSO) already in existence at ORNL. This plan is intended to support the policies and practices for the development and application of technical standards in ETN projects, programs, and technology developments as set forth in a standards policy memorandum from the DOE Program Director for Nuclear Energy

Laboratory Course on Drift Chambers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia-Ferreira, Ix-B.; Garcia-Herrera, J.; Villasenor, L.

2006-01-01

Drift chambers play an important role in particle physics experiments as tracking detectors. We started this laboratory course with a brief review of the theoretical background and then moved on to the the experimental setup which consisted of a single-sided, single-cell drift chamber. We also used a plastic scintillator paddle, standard P-10 gas mixture (90% Ar, 10% CH4) and a collimated 90Sr source. During the laboratory session the students performend measurements of the following quantities: a) drift velocities and their variations as function of the drift field; b) gas gains and c) diffusion of electrons as they drifted in the gas

Guidelines for establishing quality systems in veterinary diagnostic testing laboratories. Report of a Joint FAO/IAEA consultants meeting/workshop. Draft

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

The purpose of this report is to assist veterinary testing laboratories to develop and implement a quality system based on the OIE Standard 'Management and Technical Requirements for Laboratories Conducting Tests for Infectious Animal Diseases'. The introduction to the OIE Standard states: This document describes the OIE Standard for management and technical competence that serves as the basis for accreditation of laboratories that conduct tests for infectious animal diseases, especially those laboratories involved in testing for international trade. It contains the specific requirements unique to laboratories conducting tests for infectious animal diseases. These specific requirements represent an interpretation of the generally stated requirements of ISO/IEC 17025:1999, General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories (as outlined in Annex B of ISO/IEC 17025). Accreditation bodies that recognize the competence of such testing laboratories may use this Standard as the basis for their accreditation. This report gives an example-oriented overview of the structure and contents of critical documents and procedures such as Quality Manual (QM), Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), etc. inherent to a quality system and describes the different stages in the implementation of the OIE Standard. For that reason it can be used as a practical guide for the production of necessary documents but also as a help to determine the status of a laboratory during its journey towards establishing a QS

Assessment of the use of two commercially available environmental enrichments by laboratory mice by preference testing.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Loo, P.L. van; Blom, H.J.; Meijer, M.K.; Baumans, V.

2005-01-01

In the field of biomedical research, the demand for standardization of environmental enrichment for laboratory animals is growing. For laboratory mice, a wide variety of environmental enrichment items are commercially available. Most of these comply with the demands for standardization, hygiene and

Establishment of qualities mammography according to the standard IEC-61267 in the laboratory of metrology of ionizing radiation of the National Center of Dosimetry and enlargement of the accreditation by ENAC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roig Petit, F.; Mestre de Juan, V.; Alabau Albors, J.; Palma Copete, J.; Ruiz Rodriguez, J. C.; Pons Mocholi, S.

2013-01-01

The extension of the accreditation of the laboratory of the National Center Dosimetry (No. 58/LC10.036) by the national accreditation entity (ENAC), according to the ISO 17025 standard [2], for the standard qualities of mammography by the IEC 61267 comes to meet part of the needs that demand our health care environment in terms of radiation measuring instruments calibration. This work intends to publicize this enlargement commenting on the different phases of the process to get the accreditation. (Author)

The effect of restructuring student writing in the general chemistry laboratory on student understanding of chemistry and on students' approach to the laboratory course

Science.gov (United States)

Rudd, James Andrew, II

Many students encounter difficulties engaging with laboratory-based instruction, and reviews of research have indicated that the value of such instruction is not clearly evident. Traditional forms of writing associated with laboratory activities are commonly in a style used by professional scientists to communicate developed explanations. Students probably lack the interpretative skills of a professional, and writing in this style may not support students in learning how to develop scientific explanations. The Science Writing Heuristic (SWH) is an inquiry-based approach to laboratory instruction designed in part to promote student ability in developing such explanations. However, there is not a convincing body of evidence for the superiority of inquiry-based laboratory instruction in chemistry. In a series of studies, the performance of students using the SWH student template in place of the standard laboratory report format was compared to the performance of students using the standard format. The standard reports had Title, Purpose, Procedure, Data & Observations, Calculations & Graphs, and Discussion sections. The SWH reports had Beginning Questions & Ideas, Tests & Procedures, Observations, Claims, Evidence, and Reflection sections. The pilot study produced evidence that using the SWH improved the quality of laboratory reports, improved student performance on a laboratory exam, and improved student approach to laboratory work. A main study found that SWH students statistically exhibited a better understanding of physical equilibrium when written explanations and equations were analyzed on a lecture exam and performed descriptively better on a physical equilibrium practical exam task. In another main study, the activities covering the general equilibrium concept were restructured as an additional change, and it was found that SWH students exhibited a better understanding of chemical equilibrium as shown by statistically greater success in overcoming the common

Building and Benefiting from Member State Laboratory Capacities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2014-01-01

The Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications implement a number of activities that are designed to enhance and capitalize upon the capacities of Member States’ laboratories worldwide. The Nuclear Sciences and Applications (NA) laboratories strengthen Member States’ analytical capacities through activities such as proficiency tests and inter-laboratory comparisons, and share the capacities of Member States’ laboratories with other Member States through the coordination of relevant networks and participation in the IAEA Collaborating Centre scheme. An example of these activities is the collaborative work carried out by the Terrestrial Environment Laboratory (TEL). The TEL cooperates with the IAEA Environment Laboratories in Monaco to distribute 92 types of reference materials for characterizing radionuclides, stable isotopes, trace elements or organic contaminants. These materials serve as international standards for establishing and evaluating the reliability and accuracy of analytical measurements. This collaborative work between NA laboratories, Member States and laboratories around the globe contribute to the IAEA’s mandate of fostering scientific and technical exchanges for the peaceful use of nuclear science and technology throughout the world

76 FR 11502 - Notice of Vitamin D Standardization Program

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-02

... that can be used for calibration and trueness control by laboratories measuring 25(OH)D. These... done in national health surveys, it also allows for participation of clinical, public health, research and commercial laboratories and commercial trade organizations in the standardization effort. FOR...

Clinical and laboratory findings in 220 children with recurrent abdominal pain

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gijsbers, C. F. M.; Benninga, M. A.; Büller, H. A.

2011-01-01

Aim: To investigate the clinical and laboratory findings in children with recurrent abdominal pain (RAP). Methods: Consecutive patients with RAP (Apley criteria), age 4-16 years, referred to a secondary medical centre were evaluated by a standardized history, physical examination and laboratory

Report of the third meeting of the SSDL Scientific Committee (SSC). Vienna, 19-23 September 1988[Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratories

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1988-12-01

The SSDL Scientific Committee (SSC) was appointed in 1985 by the Director General of the IAEA, in consultation with and the concurrence of the Director General of the WHO. As indicated in its Terms of Reference, the main objective of the SSC is to advise the Directors General of the IAEA and WHO regarding the programme of work of the IAEA/WHO Network of Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratories (SSDLs). The first meeting of the SSC was held in May 1986 and the recommendations were reported in IAEA SSDL Newsletter No. 25, October 1986. The second meeting of the SSC was held in June 1987 and the recommendations were reported in the SSDL Newsletter No. 26, October 1987. Discussions and recommendations of this meeting are covered in this report.

Practical biosafety in the tuberculosis laboratory: containment at the source is what truly counts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Soolingen, D.; Wisselink, H.J.; Lumb, R.; Anthony, R.; Zanden, van der A.; Gilpin, C.

2014-01-01

In industrialised countries, sufficient resources for establishing and maintaining fully equipped biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) laboratories according to international standards are generally available. BSL-3 laboratories are designed to provide several layers of containment to protect the laboratory

A survey of methods used for antimicrobial susceptibility testing in veterinary diagnostic laboratories in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Dargatz, David A; Erdman, Matthew M; Harris, Beth

2017-09-01

Antimicrobial resistance is a serious threat to animal and human health worldwide, requiring a collaborative, holistic approach. The U.S. Government has developed a national strategy to address antimicrobial resistance, with one component being to monitor antimicrobial resistance in agricultural settings. We developed a survey to collect information about antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) from the veterinary diagnostic laboratory community in the United States, assessing current practices and technologies and determining how AST information is shared. Of the 132 surveys administered, 52 (39%) were returned. Overall, responding laboratories conducted susceptibility tests on 98,788 bacterial isolates in 2014, with Escherichia coli being the most common pathogen tested across all animal species. The 2 most common AST methods employed were the disk diffusion method (71%) and the Sensititre platform broth microdilution system (59%). Laboratories primarily used the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) VET-01 standard (69%) and the automatically calculated interpretations provided by the commercial AST systems (61%) for interpreting their AST data. Only 22% of laboratories published AST data on a periodic basis, usually via annual reports published on the laboratory's website or through peer-reviewed journals for specific pathogens. Our results confirm that disk diffusion and broth microdilution remain the standard AST methods employed by U.S. veterinary diagnostic laboratories, and that CLSI standards are commonly used for interpreting AST results. This information will help determine the most efficient standardized methodology for future surveillance. Furthermore, the current infrastructure within laboratories, once harmonized, will help provide a mechanism for conducting national surveillance programs.

Twenty years of an international nuclear laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suschny, O.

1982-01-01

The laboratories of the International Atomic Energy Agency were started in 1959 with a physics laboratory, a chemistry laboratory and an electronics workshop. Early work centred on absolute radionuclide calibrations and on assessments of the consequences of radioactive fallout from atomic weapons testing on the health of the people in Member States. Subsequently, work was started on the use of radioactive and stable isotopes in agriculture, in hydrology, in medical applications, in pest and insect control and with the entry into force of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty a Safeguard Analytical Laboratory was established to provide support for the Agency's safeguards inspection responsibilities. Together with WHO a network of 43 Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratories were set up in Member States to improve dosimetric accuracy in medicine and radiation protection worldwide. Throughout their history, the laboratories of the IAEA have lent great importance on their training programmes that have enabled many workers in nuclear or nuclear related research to gain experience. This emphasis on training has been stressed particularly to benefit research workers from developing countries

Evaluating laboratory key performance using quality indicators in Alexandria University Hospital Clinical Chemistry Laboratories.

Science.gov (United States)

Rizk, Mostafa M; Zaki, Adel; Hossam, Nermine; Aboul-Ela, Yasmin

2014-12-01

The performance of clinical laboratories plays a fundamental role in the quality and effectiveness of healthcare. To evaluate the laboratory performance in Alexandria University Hospital Clinical Laboratories using key quality indicators and to compare the performance before and after an improvement plan based on ISO 15189 standards. The study was carried out on inpatient samples for a period of 7 months that was divided into three phases: phase I included data collection for evaluation of the existing process before improvement (March-May 2012); an intermediate phase, which included corrective, preventive action, quality initiative and steps for improvement (June 2012); and phase II, which included data collection for evaluation of the process after improvement (July 2012-September 2012). In terms of the preanalytical indicators, incomplete request forms in phase I showed that the total number of received requests were 31 944, with a percentage of defected request of 33.66%; whereas in phase II, there was a significant reduction in all defected request items (Plaboratories.

Field and laboratory tests on acute toxicity of cadmium to freshwater crayfish

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1986-09-01

Environmental regulatory standards for cadmium (EPA 1980), like those for most pollutants, are based on acute, laboratory toxicity tests of single species. Such tests can be conducted rapidly and inexpensively in comparison to acute or chronic field studies, but their validity has often been questioned. Laboratory-based criteria are subject to two criticisms: (1) chemical and physical conditions differ greatly in degree and variability from laboratory to field, and (2) species are not isolated, but live in an ecosystem of interacting taxa and biofeedback. To investigate the validity of basing field toxicity standards on laboratory data, the authors subjected the freshwater crayfish Orconectes immunis for 96 h to various levels of cadmium in laboratory aquaria and experimental ponds. The study was designed to evaluate in part the first criticism of lab-based criteria. The studies were conducted concurrently with similar short-term experiments on the fathead minnow, Pimephales promelas, and coincided with studies of chronic cadmium stress on fathead minnows in experimental ponds.

Radiological control of a microPET/CT laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarmento, Daniele M.; Sanches, Matias P.; Carneiro, Janete C.G.G.

2015-01-01

This paper presents the radiological control of a research laboratory in order to satisfy national standards and international recommendations. The microPET/CT laboratory in IPEN uses an Albira system for research purposes in small animals. This study focuses mainly to carry out an initial radiological evaluation and the exposure situation related with the task. The assessment of workplace conditions and individual exposures constitutes as integral part of the operational monitoring programme. Initially, the radiometric survey in laboratory has been carried out using an ionization chamber Radcal 9010 (10 x 5 - 1800). In addition, nine monitoring points with potential exposure were selected, where thermoluminescent dosimeters, TLDs, of CaSO 4 :Dy, were positioned. The occupationally exposed workers were monthly evaluated for external exposures using TL dosimeters, worn on the surface of the body. For internal exposure, the evaluated period was approximately one year starting on April 2014. The average effective dose of the occupationally exposed workers did not exceed 2.4 mSv in the year of 2014, which is equal to the recording level. The workplace, microPET/CT laboratory, is classified as supervised area and the monitoring results in the evaluated period, are within the dose limits established by national standard, as well as the values obtained in individual control. (author)

Radiological control of a microPET/CT laboratory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sarmento, Daniele M.; Sanches, Matias P.; Carneiro, Janete C.G.G., E-mail: dms.danica@gmail.com.br, E-mail: msanches@ipen.br, E-mail: janetgc@ipen.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2015-07-01

This paper presents the radiological control of a research laboratory in order to satisfy national standards and international recommendations. The microPET/CT laboratory in IPEN uses an Albira system for research purposes in small animals. This study focuses mainly to carry out an initial radiological evaluation and the exposure situation related with the task. The assessment of workplace conditions and individual exposures constitutes as integral part of the operational monitoring programme. Initially, the radiometric survey in laboratory has been carried out using an ionization chamber Radcal 9010 (10 x 5 - 1800). In addition, nine monitoring points with potential exposure were selected, where thermoluminescent dosimeters, TLDs, of CaSO{sub 4}:Dy, were positioned. The occupationally exposed workers were monthly evaluated for external exposures using TL dosimeters, worn on the surface of the body. For internal exposure, the evaluated period was approximately one year starting on April 2014. The average effective dose of the occupationally exposed workers did not exceed 2.4 mSv in the year of 2014, which is equal to the recording level. The workplace, microPET/CT laboratory, is classified as supervised area and the monitoring results in the evaluated period, are within the dose limits established by national standard, as well as the values obtained in individual control. (author)

Developing Laboratory Skills by Incorporating Peer-Review and Digital Badges

Science.gov (United States)

Seery, Michael K.; Agustian, Hendra Y.; Doidge, Euan D.; Kucharski, Maciej M.; O'Connor, Helen M.; Price, Amy

2017-01-01

Laboratory work is at the core of any chemistry curriculum but literature on the assessment of laboratory skills is scant. In this study we report the use of a peer-observation protocol underpinned by exemplar videos. Students are required to watch exemplar videos for three techniques (titrations, distillations, preparation of standard solutions)…

Excellence in clinical laboratories: the standard ISO 15189:2007

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonio Scipioni

2010-06-01

Full Text Available I laboratori clinici operano in stretto contatto con i pazienti e collaborano direttamente alla loro cura, in modo corresponsabile con i medici e i reparti ospedalieri. L’importanza della loro attività per la salute pubblica rende obbligatoria l’esplicitazione di alcuni punti finora spesso considerati ovvii. Ai pazienti dev’essere infatti garantito che: - i metodi di analisi utilizzati siano stati preliminarmente valutati, per confermare la loro rispondenza agli obiettivi dell’analisi stessa, verificati, per controllarne l’effettiva efficacia e, se necessario, validati per garantire che siano appropriati allo scopo; - il personale che esegue le analisi sia stato adeguatamente formato e quindi tecnicamente competente; - il laboratorio assicuri un’adeguata consulenza allo staff clinico che richiede le analisi, allo scopo di ottenere una sinergia tra il laboratorio e il clinico che ha in cura il paziente, sia nella fase di prelievo di materiale biologico, sia nella fase di interpretazione dei risultati. Tutto ciò è necessario per dimostrare ai pazienti

Implementation of ISO 28218 quality system in the laboratory of body radioactivity counter CIEMAT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Navarro Amaro, J. F.; Perez Lopez, B.; Lopez Ponte, M. A.; Perez Jimenez, C.

2011-01-01

The laboratory of body radioactivity counter has implemented IS0 28218 standard Performance Criteria for Radio bioassay in all measured in vivo techniques of internal contamination in the human organism in monitoring programs defined by the Personal Dosimetry Service Internal CIEMAT. The application of this rule in the laboratory's quality system is essential to meet the technical requirements of the standard IS0/IEC 17025 with the purpose of obtaining ENAC accreditation as a testing laboratory and calibration within the framework of the accreditation of Service CIEMAT Radiation Dosimetry. (Author)

ASVCP quality assurance guidelines: control of general analytical factors in veterinary laboratories.

Science.gov (United States)

Flatland, Bente; Freeman, Kathy P; Friedrichs, Kristen R; Vap, Linda M; Getzy, Karen M; Evans, Ellen W; Harr, Kendal E

2010-09-01

Owing to lack of governmental regulation of veterinary laboratory performance, veterinarians ideally should demonstrate a commitment to self-monitoring and regulation of laboratory performance from within the profession. In response to member concerns about quality management in veterinary laboratories, the American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology (ASVCP) formed a Quality Assurance and Laboratory Standards (QAS) committee in 1996. This committee recently published updated and peer-reviewed Quality Assurance Guidelines on the ASVCP website. The Quality Assurance Guidelines are intended for use by veterinary diagnostic laboratories and veterinary research laboratories that are not covered by the US Food and Drug Administration Good Laboratory Practice standards (Code of Federal Regulations Title 21, Chapter 58). The guidelines have been divided into 3 reports on 1) general analytic factors for veterinary laboratory performance and comparisons, 2) hematology and hemostasis, and 3) clinical chemistry, endocrine assessment, and urinalysis. This report documents recommendations for control of general analytical factors within veterinary clinical laboratories and is based on section 2.1 (Analytical Factors Important In Veterinary Clinical Pathology, General) of the newly revised ASVCP QAS Guidelines. These guidelines are not intended to be all-inclusive; rather, they provide minimum guidelines for quality assurance and quality control for veterinary laboratory testing. It is hoped that these guidelines will provide a basis for laboratories to assess their current practices, determine areas for improvement, and guide continuing professional development and education efforts. ©2010 American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology.

[Evaluation of clinical laboratories--assurance of their quality and competence].

Science.gov (United States)

Kawai, Tadashi

2007-01-01

Since ISO 15189:2003 was published, the accreditation program of clinical laboratories based on ISO 15189 has been introduced in many countries, except for those in USA where all clinical laboratories must be required to follow the federal law, CLIA'88. It will certainly help the accredited clinical laboratories improve their quality and competence. In relation to the activity of JCTLM, reference measurement laboratories will be accredited, based on ISO 15195 which is now under its review and amendment by ISO/TC212/WG2. In Japan, JCCLS (Japanese Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards) and JAB (Japan Accreditation Board for Conformity Assessment) cojointly started the accreditation program for clinical laboratories, based on ISO 15189:2003, and a total of 15 laboratories including university hospitals, community hospitals and independent clinical laboratories have been accredited up until the end of 2006.

Calibration of photon and beta ray sources used in brachytherapy. Guidelines on standardized procedures at Secondary Standards Dosimetry Laboratories (SSDLs) and hospitals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-03-01

It has generally been recognized that international harmonization in radiotherapy dosimetry is essential. Consequently, the IAEA has given much effort to this, for example by publishing a number of reports in the Technical Reports Series (TRS) for external beam dosimetry, most notably TRS-277 and more recently TRS-398. Both of these reports describe in detail the steps to be taken for absorbed dose determination in water and they are often referred to as 'dosimetry protocols'. Similar to TRS-277, it is expected that TRS-398 will be adopted or used as a model by a large number of countries as their national protocol. In 1996, the IAEA established a calibration service for low dose rate (LDR) 137 Cs brachytherapy sources, which is the most widely used source for treatment of gynecological cancer. To further enhance harmonization in brachytherapy dosimetry, the IAEA published in 1999 IAEA-TECDOC-1079 entitled 'Calibration of Brachytherapy Sources. Guidelines on Standardized Procedures for the Calibration of Brachytherapy Sources at Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratories (SSDLs) and Hospitals'. The report was well received and was distributed in a large number of copies to the members of the IAEA/WHO network of SSDLs and to medical physicists working with brachytherapy. The present report is an update of the aforementioned TECDOC. Whereas TECDOC-1079 described methods for calibrating brachytherapy sources with photon energies at or above those of 192 Ir, the current report has a wider scope in that it deals with standardization of calibration of all the most commonly used brachytherapy sources, including both photon and beta emitting sources. The latter sources have been in use for a few decades already, but their calibration methods have been unclear. Methods are also described for calibrating sources used in the rapidly growing field of cardiovascular angioplasty. In this application, irradiation of the vessel wall is done in an attempt to prevent restenosis after

Cost-effectiveness of ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2010 Compared to ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2007

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thornton, Brian A.; Halverson, Mark A.; Myer, Michael; Cho, Hee Jin; Loper, Susan A.; Richman, Eric E.; Elliott, Douglas B.; Mendon, Vrushali V.; Rosenberg, Michael I.

2013-06-18

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) completed this project for the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Building Energy Codes Program (BECP). DOE’s BECP supports upgrading building energy codes and standards, and the states’ adoption, implementation, and enforcement of upgraded codes and standards. Building energy codes and standards set minimum requirements for energy-efficient design and construction for new and renovated buildings, and impact energy use and greenhouse gas emissions for the life of buildings. Continuous improvement of building energy efficiency is achieved by periodically upgrading energy codes and standards. Ensuring that changes in the code that may alter costs (for building components, initial purchase and installation, replacement, maintenance and energy) are cost-effective encourages their acceptance and implementation. ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1 is the energy standard for commercial and multi-family residential buildings over three floors.

An inter- laboratory proficiency testing exercise for rabies diagnosis in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alfonso Clavijo

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The direct fluorescent antibody test (DFA, is performed in all rabies reference laboratories across Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC. Despite DFA being a critical capacity in the control of rabies, there is not a standardized protocol in the region. We describe the results of the first inter-laboratory proficiency exercise of national rabies laboratories in LAC countries as part of the regional efforts towards dog-maintained rabies elimination in the American region. Twenty three laboratories affiliated to the Ministries of Health and Ministries of Agriculture participated in this exercise. In addition, the laboratories completed an online questionnaire to assess laboratory practices. Answers to the online questionnaire indicated large variability in the laboratories throughput, equipment used, protocols availability, quality control standards and biosafety requirements. Our results will inform actions to improve and harmonize laboratory rabies capacities across LAC in support for the regional efforts towards elimination of dog-maintained rabies.

Challenge - converting to ANSI/ASME NQA Standard 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nansen, J.N.

1983-03-01

Prior to August, 1980, Westinghouse Hanford Company operated the Hanford Engineering Development Laboratory Quality Program in accordance with the requirements of RDT F 2-2T and RDT F 2-4T and for a short while to ANSI N45.2. Following the issuance of the national consensus standard ANSI/ ASME NQA Standard 1 in August 1979, and its acceptance by DOE, the Laboratory began making changes to meet these requirements in its internal quality program in August 1980. This was followed with the invoking of these requirements on supplier's programs and all procurement activities in March of 1981. This conversion was completed in approximately six months and provided an opportunity for several improvements. The keynote of this standard is flexibility. A major improvement noted was in the flexibility of application. The program can be tailored to meet specific needs. Vendor surveys under NQA-1 have shown positive results in that the organization and structure of the standard is much easier to follow and understand

Preliminary results of testing bioassay analytical performance standards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fisher, D.R.; Robinson, A.V.; Hadley, R.T.

1983-08-01

The analytical performance of both in vivo and in vitro bioassay laboratories is being studied to determine the capability of these laboratories to meet the minimum criteria for accuracy and precision specified in the draft ANSI Standard N13.30, Performance Criteria for Radiobioassay. This paper presents preliminary results of the first round of testing

Low Impact Development Standards

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Loftin, Samuel R. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2017-10-02

The goal of the LID Standards is to provide guidance on the planning, design, construction and maintenance of green infrastructure (GI) features at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The success of LID at LANL is dependent on maintaining a consistent approach to achieve effective application, operation, and maintenance of these storm water control features.

Inter-laboratory project q calibration of SANS instruments using silver behenate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ikram, Abarrul; Gunawan; Edy Giri, Putra; Suzuki, Jun-ichi; Knott, Robert

2000-01-01

The inter-laboratory project for q-calibration of SANS (small angle neutron scattering) using silver behenate was carried out among Indonesia National Nuclear Energy Agency (BATAN), Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) and Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization (ANSTO). The standard sample of silver behenate, [CH 3 (CH 2 ) 20 COOAg](AgBE), has been assessed as an international standard for the calibration of both x-ray and neutron scattering instruments. The results indicate excellent agreement for q calibration obtained among the three laboratories, BATAN, JAERI and ANSTO. (Y. Kazumata)

Open- and Closed-Formula Laboratory Animal Diets and Their Importance to Research

OpenAIRE

Barnard, Dennis E; Lewis, Sherry M; Teter, Beverly B; Thigpen, Julius E

2009-01-01

Almost 40 y ago the scientific community was taking actions to control environmental factors that contribute to variation in the responses of laboratory animals to scientific manipulation. Laboratory animal diet was recognized as an important variable. During the 1970s, the American Institute of Nutrition, National Academy of Science, Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources, and Laboratory Animals Centre Diets Advisory Committee supported the use of ‘standard reference diets’ in biomedical r...

Six-year clinical performance of etch-and-rinse and self-etch adhesives.

Science.gov (United States)

Boushell, Lee W; Heymann, Harald O; Ritter, Andre V; Sturdevant, John R; Swift, Edward J; Wilder, Aldridge D; Chung, Yunro; Lambert, Cynthia A; Walter, Ricardo

2016-09-01

To evaluate the 6-year clinical performance of Xeno IV, Xeno III, and XP Bond adhesives in the restoration of non-carious cervical lesions (NCCLs). This was a randomized controlled clinical trial where 39 participants met the inclusion/exclusion criteria and were enrolled. Lesions restored were notch-shaped NCCLs. Prior to adhesive procedures, NCCLs were roughened. No enamel bevel was placed and no mechanical retention was created. Adhesive systems were applied following manufacturer's instructions and the NCCLs were restored with composite resin (TPH(3)). Restorations were finished immediately after placement and scored with regard to retention, marginal discoloration, marginal adaptation, sensitivity, and secondary caries using modified USPHS criteria. Descriptive statistics were performed. Logistic regression models were performed for each outcome separately with compound symmetry correlation structure where teeth were clustered by participants. All analyses were conducted using SAS 9.2. The 6-year recall rate was 77.5% of the restorations (76.9% of the participants). No statistical differences were found between adhesives for retention, marginal discoloration, and marginal adaptation. Restorations failed by loss of retention (16.7%, 27.6%, and 11.8% of Xeno IV, Xeno III, and XP Bond restorations, respectively) and marginal discoloration (7.4% of Xeno IV restorations). For every unit increase in restoration volume it was 1.31 (95%C.I. 1.05, 1.63, P=0.01) times more likely that the restoration retention would be maintained. The tested adhesive systems presented similar clinical performance after six years of service, with annual failure rates of 2.8%, 4.6%, and 2.0% for Xeno IV, Xeno III, and XP Bond, respectively. Copyright © 2016 The Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Susceptibility to heat and antifungal agents of Cryptococcus neoformans var. neoformans (serotype D isolated from Eucalyptus spp in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil Susceptibilidade de Cryptococcus neoformans var. neoformans (sorotipo D isolados de Eucalyptus spp., no Rio Grande do Sul (Brasil, frente ao calor e a agentes antifúngicos

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jorge A Horta

2005-03-01

Full Text Available In this work we studied the susceptibility to heat and antifungal agents of the first strains of environmental Cryptococcus neoformans var neoformans (serotype D isolated in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. In order to achieve a rigorous analysis, we employed the methodology recommended by NCCLS, Yeast Nitrogen Base (YNB proposed by Ghannoum et al (YNB-1, Antibiotic medium 3 (AM3 indicated by others, YNB adjusted to the NCCLS methodology (YNB-2 and Etest. Our results indicate that all strains were susceptible to amphotericin B (0.0625-0.5 µg/mL, fluconazole (0.125-8.0 µg/mL, itraconazole (0.031-0.25 µg/mL and flucytosine (0.125-4.0 µg/mL. The C. neoformans serotype D strains were more susceptible to heat (47ºC/30 min than C. neoformans serotype A.Este estudo foi realizado com os primeiros isolados ambientais de C. neoformans sorotipo D, obtidos no Rio Grande do Sul. Objetivando-se avaliar a susceptibilidade a agentes antifúngicos de forma mais rigorosa, utilizou-se a técnica de referência proposta pelo NCCLS, Caldo Yeast Nitrogen Base (YNB proposto por Ghannoum et al., Antibiotic medium 3, caldo YNB adequado à metodologia do NCCLS e o E-test. Os resultados indicaram que todos os isolados foram sensíveis à anfotericina B (0,0625-0,5 µg/mL, fluconazol (0,125-4,0 µg/mL, itraconazol (0,031-0,25 µg/ml e fluorocitosina (0,125-4,0 µg/mL através das técnicas empregadas. Nos testes de termotolerância (47ºC/30 min, observou-se que as culturas de C. neoformans sorotipo D são mais sensíveis do que as de C. neoformans sorotipo A.

Mozambique's journey toward accreditation of the National Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory.

Science.gov (United States)

Viegas, Sofia O; Azam, Khalide; Madeira, Carla; Aguiar, Carmen; Dolores, Carolina; Mandlaze, Ana P; Chongo, Patrina; Masamha, Jessina; Cirillo, Daniela M; Jani, Ilesh V; Gudo, Eduardo S

2017-01-01

Internationally-accredited laboratories are recognised for their superior test reliability, operational performance, quality management and competence. In a bid to meet international quality standards, the Mozambique National Institute of Health enrolled the National Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory (NTRL) in a continuous quality improvement process towards ISO 15189 accreditation. Here, we describe the road map taken by the NTRL to achieve international accreditation. The NTRL adopted the Strengthening Laboratory Management Toward Accreditation (SLMTA) programme as a strategy to implement a quality management system. After SLMTA, the Mozambique National Institute of Health committed to accelerate the NTRL's process toward accreditation. An action plan was designed to streamline the process. Quality indicators were defined to benchmark progress. Staff were trained to improve performance. Mentorship from an experienced assessor was provided. Fulfilment of accreditation standards was assessed by the Portuguese Accreditation Board. Of the eight laboratories participating in SLMTA, the NTRL was the best-performing laboratory, achieving a 53.6% improvement over the SLMTA baseline conducted in February 2011 to the Stepwise Laboratory Quality Improvement Process Towards Accreditation (SLIPTA) assessment in June 2013. During the accreditation assessment in September 2014, 25 minor nonconformities were identified and addressed. In March 2015, the NTRL received Portuguese Accreditation Board recognition of technical competency for fluorescence smear microscopy, and solid and liquid culture. The NTRL is the first laboratory in Mozambique to achieve ISO 15189 accreditation. From our experience, accreditation was made possible by institutional commitment, strong laboratory leadership, staff motivation, adequate infrastructure and a comprehensive action plan.

Comparisons of ANSI standards cited in the NRC standard review plan, NUREG-0800 and related documents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ankrum, A.R.; Bohlander, K.L.; Gilbert, E.R.; Pawlowski, R.A.; Spiesman, J.B.

1995-11-01

This report provides the results of comparisons of the cited and latest versions of ANSI standards cited in the NRC Standard Review Plan for the Review of Safety Analysis Reports for Nuclear Power Plants (NUREG 0800) and related documents. The comparisons were performed by Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratories in support of the NRC's Standard Review Plan Update and Development Program. Significant changes to the standards, from the cited version to the latest version, are described and discussed in a tabular format for each standard. Recommendations for updating each citation in the Standard Review Plan are presented. Technical considerations and suggested changes are included for related regulatory documents (i.e., Regulatory Guides and the Code of Federal Regulations) citing the standard. The results and recommendations presented in this document have not been subjected to NRC staff review

Comparisons of ASTM standards cited in the NRC standard review plan, NUREG-0800 and related documents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ankrum, A.R.; Bohlander, K.L.; Gilbert, E.R.; Pawlowski, R.A.; Spiesman, J.B.

1995-10-01

This report provides the results of comparisons of the cited and latest versions of ASTM standards cited in the NRC Standard Review Plan for the Review of Safety Analysis Reports for Nuclear Power Plants (NUREG 0800) and related documents. The comparisons were performed by Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratories in support of the NRC's Standard Review Plan Update and Development Program. Significant changes to the standards, from the cited version to the latest version, are described and discussed in a tabular format for each standard. Recommendations for updating each citation in the Standard Review Plan are presented. Technical considerations and suggested changes are included for related regulatory documents (i.e., Regulatory Guides and the Code of Federal Regulations) citing the standard. The results and recommendations presented in this document have not been subjected to NRC staff review

Qualification of testing laboratories of Comision Nacional de Energia Atomica - CNEA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Casa, Adriana; Palacios, Tulio; Peretti, Matilde; Pucci, Gladys; Resnizki, Sara

1996-01-01

Testing and calibration laboratories of the Argentine Atomic Energy Commission which made services for the nuclear and conventional industries must prove the reliability of their results. It is achieved implanting at the laboratories, a management quality system, to proof the capacity and technical aptitude, with the establish minimal requirements. When the requirement are fulfilled, the laboratory would be in conditions for a national level accreditation within the National System of Standards, Quality and Certification, recently created for our national government. The Laboratories Calibration Board of CNEA had made some assessments of a group of laboratories in order to determine their quality level. (author)

Laboratory Diagnosis and Characterization of Fungal Disease in Patients with Cystic Fibrosis (CF): A Survey of Current UK Practice in a Cohort of Clinical Microbiology Laboratories.

Science.gov (United States)

Boyle, Maeve; Moore, John E; Whitehouse, Joanna L; Bilton, Diana; Downey, Damian G

2018-03-02

There is much uncertainty as to how fungal disease is diagnosed and characterized in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). A 19-question anonymous electronic questionnaire was developed and distributed to ascertain current practice in clinical microbiology laboratories providing a fungal laboratory service to CF centres in the UK. Analyses of responses identified the following: (1) current UK laboratory practice, in general, follows the current guidelines, but the scope and diversity of what is currently being delivered by laboratories far exceeds what is detailed in the guidelines; (2) there is a lack of standardization of fungal tests amongst laboratories, outside of the current guidelines; (3) both the UK CF Trust Laboratory Standards for Processing Microbiological Samples from People with Cystic Fibrosis and the US Cumulative Techniques and Procedures in Clinical Microbiology (Cumitech) Guidelines 43 Cystic Fibrosis Microbiology need to be updated to reflect both new methodological innovations, as well as better knowledge of fungal disease pathophysiology in CF; (4) there is a need for clinical medicine to decide upon a stratification strategy for the provision of new fungal assays that will add value to the physician in the optimal management of CF patients; (5) there is also a need to rationale what assays should be performed at local laboratory level and those which are best served at National Mycology Reference Laboratory level; and (6) further research is required in developing laboratory assays, which will help ascertain the clinical importance of 'old' fungal pathogens, as well as 'emerging' fungal pathogens.

Standardization of a model to study revaccination against Marek's disease under laboratory conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Gimeno, Isabel M; Witter, Richard L; Cortes, Aneg L; Reddy, Sanjay M; Pandiri, Arun R

2012-01-01

Revaccination, the practice of administering Marek's disease (MD) vaccine a second time, has been used in commercial poultry flocks for many years. The rationale is largely anecdotal as the few published reports have failed to provide support for the value of the practice. In the present work, we have standardized a model to study MD revaccination under laboratory conditions. Nine bird experiments were conducted to evaluate homologous revaccination (same vaccine administered twice) and heterologous revaccination (administration of two different vaccines) with various challenge models. Our results demonstrated that heterologous revaccination (with a second vaccine more protective than the first vaccine) but not homologous revaccination provided a beneficial increase in protection. Administration of the first vaccine at 18 days of embryonation followed by a more protective second vaccine at hatch reproduced systematically the benefits of revaccination. In addition, our results show that revaccination protocols might aid in solving major drawbacks associated with various highly protective experimental MD vaccines; that is, lymphoid organ atrophy and residual virulence. Strain RM1 is one of the most protective vaccines against early challenge with highly virulent MD virus but it induces severe lymphoid atrophy in chickens lacking maternal antibodies against MD virus. In this study, strain RM1 did not induce lymphoid organ atrophy when administered as second vaccine in a revaccination protocol. Similarly, strain 648A100/BP5 maintains residual virulence in chickens lacking maternal antibodies against MD virus but did not induce any lesions when used as a second vaccine. Until now, arbitrary revaccination protocols have been occasionally proven useful to the poultry industry. The model developed in this study will allow for a better understanding of this phenomenon and its optimization. A more rational use of this practice will be of great help to control MD outbreaks

42 CFR 493.1469 - Standard: Cytology general supervisor qualifications.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Standard: Cytology general supervisor... Nonwaived Testing Laboratories Performing High Complexity Testing § 493.1469 Standard: Cytology general supervisor qualifications. The cytology general supervisor must be qualified to supervise cytology services...

The design of hot laboratories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1976-01-01

The need for specialized laboratories to handle radioactive substances of high activity has increased greatly due to the expansion of the nuclear power industry and the widespread use of radioisotopes in scientific research and technology. Such laboratories, which are called hot laboratories, are specially designed and equipped to handle radioactive materials of high activity, including plutonium and transplutonium elements. The handling of plutonium and transplutonium elements presents special radiation-protection and safety problems because of their high specific activity and high radiotoxicity. Therefore, the planning, design, construction and operation of hot laboratories must meet the stringent safety, containment, ventilation, shielding, criticality control and fire-protection requirements. The IAEA has published two manuals in its Safety Series, one on the safety aspects of design and equipment of hot laboratories (SS No.30) and the other on the safe handling of plutonium (SS No.39). The purpose of the symposium in Otaniemi was to collect information on recent developments in the safety features of hot laboratories and to review the present state of knowledge. A number of new developments have taken place as the result of growing sophistication in the philosophy of radiation protection as given in the ICRP recommendations (Report No.22) and in the Agency's basic safety standards (No.9). The topics discussed were safety features of planning and design, air cleaning, transfer and transport systems, criticality control, fire protection, radiological protection, waste management, administrative arrangements and operating experience

The central gamma-activation laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ermakov, K.S.; Yantsen, V.A.; Popov, V.S.

2004-01-01

Full text: In the report necessity of use of gamma - activation analysis (GAA) for express quantitative definition of the contents of gold in representative weights of powder samples is proved. The history of creation of a method and GAA laboratory on mine 'Muruntau' is stated. The description of work of installation of GAA and calculation of the contents of gold in analyzed samples is given. Now scheduled productivity of Central laboratory GAA (CL GAA) has reached 3000 analyses in day (500 thousand tests one year at five-day working week and work in two shifts). Since time of creation of laboratory it is executed about 9 million analyses of tests. The method allows to carry out the analysis of samples with the contents of gold from above 0,3 - 0,7 g/t (depending on presence of preventing elements) without restriction of the top limit under the contents of gold (at use of corresponding standards)

Packaging BCG: standardizing an anti-tuberculosis vaccine in interwar Europe.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonah, Christian

2008-06-01

Using the example of the anti-tuberculosis vaccine BCG during the 1920s and 1930s, this article asks how a labile laboratory-modified bacteria was transformed into a genuine standard vaccine packaged and commercialized as a pharmaceutical product. At the center of the analysis lies the notion of standardization inquiring why and how a local laboratory process with standard operating procedures (SOPs) reached its limits and was transformed when the product faced international distribution. Moving from Paul Ehrlich's initial technological notion of Wertbestimmung referring to a practice physiologically testing the effects of ill-defined antitoxins, the concept of standardization is extended to pharmaceutical and economical meanings implying quality control for biological therapeutic agents produced by a variety of industrial entrepreneurs. Following the request for product uniformity, two ways to maintain levels of compatibility and commonality are depicted opposing SOPs and end-product control. Furthermore, standardization is understood as a spiral, never ending process where progressive transformation of the vaccine in its production and medical uses periodically recreated the necessity of standardization. Developments analyzed are thus understood as a stabilization process aligning laboratory settings, products, and practices with medical theories and practices through technical, bureaucratic, and organizational systems. A paradox of the analysis is that standardization as a historical phenomenon and moment in the history of drug development was initially linked to a problem of under-determination of what was to be standardized and to a knowledge gap before it could become a central concept for quality control.

Survey of safety practices among hospital laboratories in Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia.

Science.gov (United States)

Sewunet, Tsegaye; Kebede, Wakjira; Wondafrash, Beyene; Workalemau, Bereket; Abebe, Gemeda

2014-10-01

Unsafe working practices, working environments, disposable waste products, and chemicals in clinical laboratories contribute to infectious and non-infectious hazards. Staffs, the community, and patients are less safe. Furthermore, such practices compromise the quality of laboratory services. We conducted a study to describe safety practices in public hospital laboratories of Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. Randomly selected ten public hospital laboratories in Oromia Regional State were studied from Oct 2011- Feb 2012. Self-administered structured questionnaire and observation checklists were used for data collection. The respondents were heads of the laboratories, senior technicians, and safety officers. The questionnaire addressed biosafety label, microbial hazards, chemical hazards, physical/mechanical hazards, personal protective equipment, first aid kits and waste disposal system. The data was analyzed using descriptive analysis with SPSS version16 statistical software. All of the respondents reported none of the hospital laboratories were labeled with the appropriate safety label and safety symbols. These respondents also reported they may contain organisms grouped under risk group IV in the absence of microbiological safety cabinets. Overall, the respondents reported that there were poor safety regulations or standards in their laboratories. There were higher risks of microbial, chemical and physical/mechanical hazards. Laboratory safety in public hospitals of Oromia Regional State is below the standard. The laboratory workers are at high risk of combined physical, chemical and microbial hazards. Prompt recognition of the problem and immediate action is mandatory to ensure safe working environment in health laboratories.

An international marine-atmospheric 222Rn measurement intercomparison in Bermuda. Part 2: Results for the participating laboratories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colle, R.; Unterweger, M.P.; Hutchinson, J.M.R.

1996-01-01

As part of an international measurement intercomparison of instruments used to measure atmospheric 222 Rn, four participating laboratories made nearly simultaneous measurements of 222 Rn activity concentration in commonly sampled, ambient air over approximately a 2 week period, and three of these four laboratories participated in the measurement comparison of 14 introduced samples with known, but undisclosed (blind) 222 Rn activity concentration. The exercise was conducted in Bermuda in October 1991. The 222 Rn activity concentrations in ambient Bermudian air over the course of the intercomparison ranged from a few hundredths of a Bq · m -3 to about 2 Bq · m -3 , while the standardized sample additions covered a range from approximately 2.5 Bq · m -3 to 35 Bq · m -3 . The overall uncertainty in the latter concentrations was in the general range of 10%, approximating a 3 standard deviation uncertainty interval. The results of the intercomparison indicated that two of the laboratories were within very good agreement with the standard additions, and almost within expected statistical variations. These same two laboratories, however, at lower ambient concentrations, exhibited a systematic difference with an averaged offset of roughly 0.3 Bq · m -3 . The third laboratory participating in the measurement of standardized sample additions was systematically low by about 65% to 70%, with respect to the standard addition which was also confirmed in their ambient air concentration measurements. The fourth laboratory, participating in only the ambient measurement part of the intercomparison, was also systematically low by at least 40% with respect to the first two laboratories