[Histonet] RE: Histonet Digest, Vol 16, Issue 14

hymclab hymclab <@t> hyhc.com
Tue Mar 8 10:31:40 CST 2005


If you mean for H. pylori, we run them on all stomach biopsies that come
through.  Most of them have the order for H. pylori written on the
requisition with the stomach biposy.

Dawn


-----Original Message-----
From: Trudgeon, Debbie [mailto:TrudgeonD <@t> rvh.on.ca] 
Sent: Tuesday, March 08, 2005 7:42 AM
To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: [Histonet] RE: Histonet Digest, Vol 16, Issue 14


Hi,
About 3 weeks ago, I subscribed to Histonet and I submitted a question.  I
have not heard back or seen anything about it.  Does this mean the moderator
turned it down?  The question was - What specimen sites are other labs
running a Giemsa stain on?  We currently run them daily on esophagus,
stomach, and duodenum. Thanks, Debbie

Debbie Trudgeon
Charge Technologist Histology
Royal Victoria Hospital
201 Georgian Drive
Barrie, ON   L4M 6M2
(705) 728-9090 x6446
trudgeond <@t> rvh.on.ca


-----Original Message-----
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Sent: Tuesday, March 08, 2005 8:39
To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: Histonet Digest, Vol 16, Issue 14

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Today's Topics:

   1. Re: mouse heart morphology (Gayle Callis)
   2. mouse heart morphology (David McClister)
   3. PDGFR antibody (Katri Tuomala)
   4. RE: tried posting this once already...  didn't work.
      (Kristen Broomall)
   5. PKA antibody (Caroline Bass)
   6. mouse heart morphology (Instrumedics)
   7. mouse heart morphology (Stephen Peters M.D.)
   8. RE: How people get into histology, and what education
      (Morken, Tim - Labvision)
   9. Re: PDGFR antibody (Kelly D Mcqueeney)
  10. Excellent suggestions on filling heart for better (Re:
      [Histonet]) mouse heart morphology (Gayle Callis)
  11. Re: Excellent suggestions on filling heart for better (Re:
      [Histonet])	mouse heart morphology (Kelly D Mcqueeney)
  12. RE: Excellent suggestions on filling heart for better	(Re:
      [Histo net]) mouse heart morphology (Koelling, Ray)
  13. RE: workshops & society meeting attendees (awdaf asdfadf)
  14. immunofluorescence staining in frozen tissue (Kelly Yang)
  15. Job Openings at UConn (alyssa piche)
  16. Mast cells staining with TOL (Amira Fitieh)
  17. How do I Unsubscribe? (SURGPATH19 <@t> aol.com)
  18. Re: JACHO Compliance (lpwenk <@t> sbcglobal.net)
  19. (no subject) (luckard <@t> verizon.net)
  20. RE: IHC humidity chamber? (JOHN PHILLIPS)
  21. HT pass rates (lpwenk <@t> sbcglobal.net)
  22. PA (lpwenk <@t> sbcglobal.net)
  23. hardness of HT exam (lpwenk <@t> sbcglobal.net)
  24. Veterinary Pathologist needed (Lesley S. Bechtold)


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Mon, 07 Mar 2005 11:25:04 -0700
From: Gayle Callis <gcallis <@t> montana.edu>
Subject: Re: [Histonet] mouse heart morphology
To: "Stephen Peters M.D." <petepath <@t> yahoo.com>,
	Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Message-ID:
	<6.0.0.22.1.20050307105927.01b45ab8 <@t> gemini.msu.montana.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

Stephen,

Sorry buy -40C is NOT cold enough for freezing our murine tissues.  I 
believe that others have experienced this problem also, the one of getting 
freezing artifact/damaged morphology with inside cryostat temperature 
freezing.

Nothing scary about liquid nitrogen usage, although Isopentane is more of a 
worry for storage.  I was thinking more of precooling the metal device 
containing wells i.e surround the device with liquid nitrogen, then you 
have the wells at the extremely cold temperatures.  Liquid nitrogen in the 
wells would not be ideal, to be sure.

  We do this with a metal block sitting in liquid nitrogen so the metal 
block is at liquid nitrogen temperatures, then place an OCT embedded murine 
tissue (inside a Tissue Tek plastic mold) on top of the very cold metal 
block.  This permits murine tissue to freeze at a much colder temperature 
and without artifact.

I have seen your device and like its design, but if mouse tissue cannot be 
snap frozen at colder temperature than -40C, then we can't use it due to 
terrible morphology.  Cryostat freezing temperatures for murine 
cryomicrotomy simply do not do the job well enough.  It is the water ice 
crystal formation inside the tissue that presents the big problem and the 
colder the freezing temperature, the smaller the ice crystal formation - 
hence snap freezing in the true sense of the words. Precooling OCT and a 
tissue is not  feasible when you have 10 mice lined up and collecting 15 
tissues out of each mouse as fast as you can dissect and snap freeze plus 
the actual snap freezing takes only seconds or so - extremely fast.

  I would love to try your device in the way we use our metal block 
surround by liquid nitrogen as your device has a very efficient 
design.   There is no doubt it works very well for clinical  laboratories 
for rapid diagnostic work, but for our fussy murine tissues, colder 
temperatures must prevail.

There is an excellent discussion by Charles Scouten on snap freezing 
biological samples can be found at  www.myneurolab.com with details on ice 
crystal formation, etc. - what we experience with murine tissue.

Gayle Callis

   At 10:52 AM 3/7/2005, you wrote:
>HI Gail,
>
>I have not experimented with liquid nitrogen in my wells. Sounds scary! 
>In order to reduce freeze artifact using my system I have a few 
>suggestions.
>1) Cool the tissue and OCT to refriderator temp. I think this is a smart 
>idea for any
>  snap freezing technique. Why should we add the calories to go from room 
> temp to
>0 degrees C, when it takes a lot less calories to go from 1 degree to O 
>degrees C.
>2) My bars can be cooled down as low as about - 40 C and still maintain 
>the adhesive quality of the cold metal which is what allows us to be most 
>precise. Chucks can be put in
>liquid nitrogen to get them super cooled.
>
>I would love to see someone try this and tell me how their result came
>out. I think it would freeze pretty quickly.
>
>Any takers? Got to run for a frozen.
>
>
>Stephen
>

Gayle Callis
MT,HT,HTL(ASCP)
Research Histopathology Supervisor
Veterinary Molecular Biology
Montana State University - Bozeman
PO Box 173610
Bozeman MT 59717-3610
406 994-6367 (lab with voice mail)
406 994-4303 (FAX)





------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Mon, 07 Mar 2005 13:29:42 -0500
From: "David McClister" <mcclistd <@t> musc.edu>
Subject: [Histonet] mouse heart morphology
To: <histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
Message-ID: <s22c58db.093 <@t> cl.musc.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

Here is some more info about my situation with these mice hearts.  Once the
heart is extracted, it is put in saline 5 min, blotted dry, longitudinally
cut and frozen in a mixture of ethanol and dry ice then stored in -80.  The
temperature of the crystat is -20.  When the heart is cut, I cannot see the
RV and LV chambers just one big heart.  I'm doing a H&E and taking a 1x
image to see the heart.  Dentamold has been used in the past to keep the
chambers separate but I could not get quality sections cutting through it.
Does anyone have any suggestions how I can make the morphology 
of frozen tissue comparable to paraffin embedded tissue?

Thanks again,
Dave McClister




------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Mon, 7 Mar 2005 13:41:41 -0500
From: "Katri Tuomala" <katri <@t> cogeco.ca>
Subject: [Histonet] PDGFR antibody
To: <histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
Message-ID: <009e01c52345$4dbf1090$6a9a9618 <@t> Katri>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
	reply-type=original

Hi Histonetters,
Has anyone used an antibody against  PDGFR (platelet derived growth factor 
receptor) successfully on FFPE (formalin fixed paraffin embedded) human 
tissue? Could you let me know, which copany's antibody you used. Thank you!
Katri

Katri Tuomala
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada 




------------------------------

Message: 4
Date: Mon, 7 Mar 2005 14:08:03 -0500 
From: Kristen Broomall <kbroomal <@t> NEMOURS.ORG>
Subject: RE: [Histonet] tried posting this once already...  didn't
	work.
To: "'TheBestTime23 <@t> aol.com'" <TheBestTime23 <@t> aol.com>,
	histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Message-ID:
	<9BCAC308B27CAD4196D8AC9ADF037AAA110A794E <@t> wlmmsx01.nemours.org>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="iso-8859-1"

Ok now....

"As far  as I know (and this is mostly a guess) there aren't any 2 year
programs at tech  schools or anything like that. 
 Histology is kind of an anomaly that  way.  Taught in hospitals and
clinics, but not schools."

I'm sure someone else has already jumped on this one but, even though the
numbers are diminishing, there are still colleges that offer 
degrees in Histotechnology. I just graduated from one last year and in fact
am helping to teach this year's students. 

Here's a link: http://www.nsh.org/education/schools.html

I have a Bachelor of Science and decided to return to school several years
later to get an Associate of Science in Histotechnology. I think that my
previous schooling only strengthens what I've learned in Histology. I don't
know if I would retain half as much knowledge if I didn't already have a
science background. I know that getting a 2 year degree after a 4 year
degree is a bit backwards, but I'm pleased to tell you that I made a huge
career leap forward by becoming a histotech. I've been a histotech for
almost a year now & I can tell you that I'm still learning new things
everyday and it is really rewarding to do stuff like finally get a ISH
protocol right and be able to work out an immuno that just won't work right.
I love what I do now and honestly, my 4 year degree helped me to get the
histotech position that I have now. Just please don't put down the benefits
of a 4 year degree. Knowledge is power.

Kristen Broomall, HT (ASCP) 



-----Original Message-----
From: TheBestTime23 <@t> aol.com [mailto:TheBestTime23 <@t> aol.com]
Sent: Friday, March 04, 2005 6:28 PM
To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: [Histonet] tried posting this once already... didn't work.


OK.  I really wasn't expecting much of a response from my post, and  was 
really surprised by what I got.  I want to start by apologizing to all  that
I 
have offended.  It surely wasn't my intent.  And while I have  thought of a
lot 
of things to say in response to your many e-mails, I will try  to keep this 
within reason.  
First:  I like my job.  I feel very fortunate to have gotten into  a field 
that pays me well, keeps me interested and has a lot of potential for
growth.  
I take pride in the work that I do and I love learning new things  every
day.  
I have recently gotten the opportunity to train on immunos and  I couldn't
be 
more thrilled.
Second, and probably more to the point:  I was really trying to make a  
comment about the requirements for being a histotech, not a statement about
the  
job itself.  The e-mail I was responding to had mentioned 4 years of college
as 
a pre-req, and I thought that was an excessive amount.  I  probably have a 
skewed point of view, having dropped out of college after only  one
semester, 
but I think that there are many bright and talented people that  haven't
gone to 
college that could still do wonderfully as histotechs.  If  you had 4 years 
of college as a requirement and add another 2 to learn the histo  stuff,
you're 
looking at 6 years.  You could become a pathology assistant  in that amount 
of time and be earning a whole lot more when you were done and  still be 
working in a similar field.  That was my only real point.  I  understand
that they 
want people to have more education and that's fine.  I  like the way that
the 
ASCP also takes credit hours into consideration and is not  just looking for
a 
degree.  But 4 years, in my opinion, is too much.   WAY too much.  I would 
hate to think how many very talented histotechs we  would not have now had
the 
requirements been that stiff 20 years ago.
I guess my third point is more of a question.  I know how I got to be  a 
histotech.  I basically fell into it.  I knew someone who worked in  a lab
and I 
started as a lab aid, heard about on the job training and went from  there.
I 
know a lot of people who started that way, or as phlebotomists or  something

similar.  How many people got started in a similar way?  I  also know that
most 
people get a totally blank look on their face when you tell  them that you 
work in histology.  I had certainly never heard of it  before.  How many of
you 
had?  I can't see many people looking through  a course list and saying to 
themselves, "oh, histology, that would be perfect  for me", because most of
them 
wouldn't know what the heck it was.  As far  as I know (and this is mostly a

guess) there aren't any 2 year programs at tech  schools or anything like
that. 
 Histology is kind of an anomaly that  way.  Taught in hospitals and
clinics, 
but not schools.  Maybe the on  the job training wasn't such a bad thing. At

least it would get those  remaining empty spots full, until some more 
concrete method of teaching our  craft is set up.  Just another thought. One
that I 
hope won't get me  into any more trouble  : )
 
My apologies,
 
Megan
Grateful new histotech

_______________________________________________
Histonet mailing list
Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet



------------------------------

Message: 5
Date: Mon, 7 Mar 2005 14:27:28 -0500
From: Caroline Bass <cbass <@t> bidmc.harvard.edu>
Subject: [Histonet] PKA antibody
To: "<histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
	<histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>"
	<histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
Message-ID: <e24ad46ae869fd03b8611f4bf09fef9e <@t> bidmc.harvard.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed

Hello,

Could anyone recommend a good PKA antibody?  I am looking for something 
that recognizes the C-alpha subunit and that is useful in mouse brain 
IHC or tissue culture.

Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated.  I would particularly 
like any hands on knowledge of the antibody in mouse tissue or western 
blot.

Thanks,

Caroline Bass
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center




------------------------------

Message: 6
Date: Mon, 7 Mar 2005 14:48:01 -0500
From: "Instrumedics" <info <@t> instrumedics.com>
Subject: [Histonet] mouse heart morphology
To: <histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
Message-ID: <00fc01c5234e$973d10b0$6401a8c0 <@t> INSTRUMEDICS22>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="iso-8859-1"

David,
If you freeze the heart on the Gentle Jane device and if you use the 
CryoJane Tape-Transfer process to prepare your frozen sections you can 
produce paraffin-quality frozen sections.

Please visit our web site www.instrumedics.com to see the details. Click on 
the "gallery" to see many photomicrographs of CryoJane prepared frozen 
sections.

You can request a CD which has a full demonstration of the tape-transfer 
process from snap-freezing the tissue on the Gentle Jane to fixation of the 
section
We welcome any questions you may have.

Bernice
Instrumedics
800-237-2772

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David McClister" <mcclistd <@t> musc.edu>
To: <histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
Sent: Monday, March 07, 2005 11:29 AM
Subject: [Histonet] mouse heart morphology


Hello,

I am embedding longitudinal sectioned mice heart in OTC and need to have 
better morphology to be able to clearly see both left and right ventricles. 
This lab has tried dentamold but I found it very difficult to section.  Does

anyone have any suggestions how I can make the morphology of frozen tissue 
comparable to paraffin embedded tissue?
Thanks
David McClister, HTL (ASCP)
Medical University of South Carolina
Dept of Cardiothoracic Research
117 Doughty St
Charleston, SC 29425




------------------------------

Message: 7
Date: Mon, 7 Mar 2005 12:06:30 -0800 (PST)
From: "Stephen Peters M.D." <petepath <@t> yahoo.com>
Subject: [Histonet] mouse heart morphology
To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Message-ID: <20050307200630.14956.qmail <@t> web30403.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

David,
 
Here is a idea based on no experience:
 
Inject the fresh heart with OCT.  Place a landmark with ink or suture to
maintain orientation. Freeze it whole. Do either A or B
 
A) Embed the entire heart in the desired orientation and simply trim down
until you reach the desired plane of section.
 
B) Let the frozen heart warm to about -15 C. Now with a scalpel, cut it in
the desired plane and embed the halves to achieve the desired plane of
section.
 
As far as getting high quality frozens section slides that is quite possible
with good technique.
 
Stephen


Stephen Peters M.D. 
Pathology Innovations, LLC 
410 Old Mill Lane, 
Wyckoff, NJ 07481 
201 847 7600 
www.pathologyinnovations.com 

Senior Attending Pathologist 
Hackensack University Medical Center 
201 996 4836



------------------------------

Message: 8
Date: Mon, 7 Mar 2005 15:08:32 -0500 
From: "Morken, Tim - Labvision" <tpmorken <@t> labvision.com>
Subject: [Histonet] RE: How people get into histology, and what
	education
To: "histonet (E-mail)" <histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
Message-ID:
	
<0556BE8AC5551E4E8AF6BB9E42509BA20328CA83 <@t> usca0082k08.labvision.apogent.com>
	
Content-Type: text/plain

Megan, Probably on the order of  99 percent of histotechs "fall" into the
field. I travel around a lot and it is very, very rare to meet someone from
the US who went through a formal program (and there are 4-year as well as
2-year programs). This is both a benefit and curse for histotechnology. A
benefit because it means literally anyone with very basic biology and
chemistry background can get into it, and it draws in a very diverse group
of people. A curse because it means that few of those histotechs have the
background to become well-versed in the field (as evidenced by the quantity
of very basic questions on Histonet). In the past most histotechs did not
become certifed by ASCP. I think that is changingnow , but most still only
learn what they need for the job at hand. And most people in school never
hear about the profession because of the lack of programs. Because of that
the field does not draw well from the pool of people that are available for,
and would be interested in this kind of work. Of course the current shortage
is great for those in the field now - higher pay, pick your job, etc.

You're right that for most hisotechnology work a AA degree is fine. In fact,
it may be better because there are more openings for bench workers than for
supervisory level people. It just depends on your goals. Even the vaunted
Genentech biotech company has found that hiring AA-degree people is better
for their business because they stay longer. They used to have a policy of
only hiring BA/BS at a minimum, but found turnover was way too high for
those people (average of two years). AA-degree people, for whatever reason,
are more interested in staying in one job longer. 

It seems there is an annual Histonet discussion of the merits of on-the-job
training (OJT) verses academic training. Of course, both are necessary and
both contribute to success. We can find examples of both doing better or
worse than others in the field. I've seen both groups do very well, and can
tell horror stores of labs with the worst of each. The point is that the
vast majority of  histotechs fall into the position and  learn on the job.
But, from my own experience in working with may people, in general, those
with more academic training are going to have the background to learn new
things faster and maybe do better in more advanced technologies. For certain
jobs that will be a key advantage. My advice to anyone in the field is to
take your job description as a suggestion only and don't be tied down to it.
Learn everything there is to do in the lab and take the opportunities as
they come. It will be a much more interesting job and can take you to some
interesting places!



Tim Morken






-----Original Message-----
From: TheBestTime23 <@t> aol.com [mailto:TheBestTime23 <@t> aol.com]
Sent: Friday, March 04, 2005 6:28 PM
To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: [Histonet] tried posting this once already... didn't work.


OK.  I really wasn't expecting much of a response from my post, and  was 
really surprised by what I got.  I want to start by apologizing to all  that
I 
have offended.  It surely wasn't my intent.  And while I have  thought of a
lot 
of things to say in response to your many e-mails, I will try  to keep this 
within reason.  
First:  I like my job.  I feel very fortunate to have gotten into  a field 
that pays me well, keeps me interested and has a lot of potential for
growth.  
I take pride in the work that I do and I love learning new things  every
day.  
I have recently gotten the opportunity to train on immunos and  I couldn't
be 
more thrilled.
Second, and probably more to the point:  I was really trying to make a  
comment about the requirements for being a histotech, not a statement about
the  
job itself.  The e-mail I was responding to had mentioned 4 years of college
as 
a pre-req, and I thought that was an excessive amount.  I  probably have a 
skewed point of view, having dropped out of college after only  one
semester, 
but I think that there are many bright and talented people that  haven't
gone to 
college that could still do wonderfully as histotechs.  If  you had 4 years 
of college as a requirement and add another 2 to learn the histo  stuff,
you're 
looking at 6 years.  You could become a pathology assistant  in that amount 
of time and be earning a whole lot more when you were done and  still be 
working in a similar field.  That was my only real point.  I  understand
that they 
want people to have more education and that's fine.  I  like the way that
the 
ASCP also takes credit hours into consideration and is not  just looking for
a 
degree.  But 4 years, in my opinion, is too much.   WAY too much.  I would 
hate to think how many very talented histotechs we  would not have now had
the 
requirements been that stiff 20 years ago.
I guess my third point is more of a question.  I know how I got to be  a 
histotech.  I basically fell into it.  I knew someone who worked in  a lab
and I 
started as a lab aid, heard about on the job training and went from  there.
I 
know a lot of people who started that way, or as phlebotomists or  something

similar.  How many people got started in a similar way?  I  also know that
most 
people get a totally blank look on their face when you tell  them that you 
work in histology.  I had certainly never heard of it  before.  How many of
you 
had?  I can't see many people looking through  a course list and saying to 
themselves, "oh, histology, that would be perfect  for me", because most of
them 
wouldn't know what the heck it was.  As far  as I know (and this is mostly a

guess) there aren't any 2 year programs at tech  schools or anything like
that. 
 Histology is kind of an anomaly that  way.  Taught in hospitals and
clinics, 
but not schools.  Maybe the on  the job training wasn't such a bad thing. At

least it would get those  remaining empty spots full, until some more 
concrete method of teaching our  craft is set up.  Just another thought. One
that I 
hope won't get me  into any more trouble  : )
 
My apologies,
 
Megan
Grateful new histotech

_______________________________________________
Histonet mailing list
Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet

_______________________________________________
Histonet mailing list
Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet



------------------------------

Message: 9
Date: Mon, 07 Mar 2005 15:08:36 -0500
From: Kelly D Mcqueeney <kelly.mcqueeney <@t> bms.com>
Subject: Re: [Histonet] PDGFR antibody
To: Katri Tuomala <katri <@t> cogeco.ca>
Cc: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Message-ID: <422CB4C4.2060604 <@t> bms.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=ISO-8859-1

Hi Katria,
I have used phospho-PDGFR antibody from Abcam (ab5511) on formalin-fixed 
paraffin sections of human kidney. You have to incubate O/N at 1:100 
dilution and use TBS-tween as a wash buffer.

Kelly

Katri Tuomala wrote:

> Hi Histonetters,
> Has anyone used an antibody against  PDGFR (platelet derived growth
> factor receptor) successfully on FFPE (formalin fixed paraffin 
> embedded) human tissue? Could you let me know, which copany's antibody 
> you used. Thank you!
> Katri
>
> Katri Tuomala
> Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
>
> _______________________________________________
> Histonet mailing list
> Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu 
> http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet




------------------------------

Message: 10
Date: Mon, 07 Mar 2005 13:45:27 -0700
From: Gayle Callis <gcallis <@t> montana.edu>
Subject: Excellent suggestions on filling heart for better (Re:
	[Histonet]) mouse heart morphology
To: "Stephen Peters M.D." <petepath <@t> yahoo.com>,
	Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Message-ID:
	<6.0.0.22.1.20050307133842.01b51640 <@t> gemini.msu.montana.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

Filling the heart with OCT and then snap freezing is an excellent 
suggestion, and basically the same as filling mouse lungs with OCT to get 
stable, gently distended alveoli and excellent sectioning quality.

When you bisect the heart after OCT fill and snap freeze,  a room 
temperature teflon coated razor blade (EBS of Ted Pella or a teflon coated 
disposable microtome blade slices through frozen tissue/OCT smoothly, 
evenly plus the blades are very thin.   We slice frozen tissue blocks 
frequently this way, without tissue damage.

Gayle Callis

At 01:06 PM 3/7/2005, you wrote:
>David,
>
>Here is a idea based on no experience:
>
>Inject the fresh heart with OCT.  Place a landmark with ink or suture 
>to
>maintain orientation.
>Freeze it whole. Do either A or B
>
>A) Embed the entire heart in the desired orientation and simply trim 
>down
>until you reach the desired plane of section.
>
>B) Let the frozen heart warm to about -15 C. Now with a scalpel, cut it 
>in
>the desired plane and embed the halves to achieve the desired plane of
section.
>
>As far as getting high quality frozens section slides that is quite
>possible with good technique.
>
>Stephen
>
>
>Stephen Peters M.D.
>Pathology Innovations, LLC
>410 Old Mill Lane,
>Wyckoff, NJ 07481
>201 847 7600
>www.pathologyinnovations.com
>
>Senior Attending Pathologist
>Hackensack University Medical Center
>201 996 4836
>
>_______________________________________________
>Histonet mailing list
>Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
>http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet




------------------------------

Message: 11
Date: Mon, 07 Mar 2005 17:08:51 -0500
From: Kelly D Mcqueeney <kelly.mcqueeney <@t> bms.com>
Subject: Re: Excellent suggestions on filling heart for better (Re:
	[Histonet])	mouse heart morphology
To: Gayle Callis <gcallis <@t> montana.edu>
Cc: Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu,	"Stephen Peters M.D."
	<petepath <@t> yahoo.com>
Message-ID: <422CD0F3.5010207 <@t> bms.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=ISO-8859-1

This may sound weird, but has anyone ever perfused a rodent with OCT (or 
a dilution of OCT) for better quality fresh brain tissue (we want to 
avoid fixation)?

Thanks,
Kelly

Gayle Callis wrote:

> Filling the heart with OCT and then snap freezing is an excellent
> suggestion, and basically the same as filling mouse lungs with OCT to 
> get stable, gently distended alveoli and excellent sectioning quality.
>
> When you bisect the heart after OCT fill and snap freeze,  a room
> temperature teflon coated razor blade (EBS of Ted Pella or a teflon 
> coated disposable microtome blade slices through frozen tissue/OCT 
> smoothly, evenly plus the blades are very thin.   We slice frozen 
> tissue blocks frequently this way, without tissue damage.
>
> Gayle Callis
>
> At 01:06 PM 3/7/2005, you wrote:
>
>> David,
>>
>> Here is a idea based on no experience:
>>
>> Inject the fresh heart with OCT.  Place a landmark with ink or suture
>> to maintain orientation.
>> Freeze it whole. Do either A or B
>>
>> A) Embed the entire heart in the desired orientation and simply trim
>> down until you reach the desired plane of section.
>>
>> B) Let the frozen heart warm to about -15 C. Now with a scalpel, cut
>> it in the desired plane and embed the halves to achieve the desired 
>> plane of section.
>>
>> As far as getting high quality frozens section slides that is quite
>> possible with good technique.
>>
>> Stephen
>>
>>
>> Stephen Peters M.D.
>> Pathology Innovations, LLC
>> 410 Old Mill Lane,
>> Wyckoff, NJ 07481
>> 201 847 7600
>> www.pathologyinnovations.com
>>
>> Senior Attending Pathologist
>> Hackensack University Medical Center
>> 201 996 4836
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Histonet mailing list
>> Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu 
>> http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Histonet mailing list
> Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu 
> http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet




------------------------------

Message: 12
Date: Mon, 7 Mar 2005 14:17:32 -0800 
From: "Koelling, Ray" <koellinr <@t> amgen.com>
Subject: [Histonet] RE: Excellent suggestions on filling heart for
	better	(Re: [Histo net]) mouse heart morphology
To: "'Gayle Callis'" <gcallis <@t> montana.edu>, "Stephen Peters M.D."
	<petepath <@t> yahoo.com>, Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Message-ID:
	<16834C6DFFA6004C88DE4507FB8AE544018CC504 <@t> wa-mb4-sea.amgen.com>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="iso-8859-1"



-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
[mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu]On Behalf Of Gayle Callis
Sent: Monday, March 07, 2005 12:45 PM
To: Stephen Peters M.D.; Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: Excellent suggestions on filling heart for better (Re:
[Histonet]) mouse heart morphology


Filling the heart with OCT and then snap freezing is an excellent 
suggestion, and basically the same as filling mouse lungs with OCT to get 
stable, gently distended alveoli and excellent sectioning quality.

When you bisect the heart after OCT fill and snap freeze,  a room 
temperature teflon coated razor blade (EBS of Ted Pella or a teflon coated 
disposable microtome blade slices through frozen tissue/OCT smoothly, 
evenly plus the blades are very thin.   We slice frozen tissue blocks 
frequently this way, without tissue damage.

Gayle Callis

At 01:06 PM 3/7/2005, you wrote:
>David,
>
>Here is a idea based on no experience:
>
>Inject the fresh heart with OCT.  Place a landmark with ink or suture 
>to
>maintain orientation.
>Freeze it whole. Do either A or B
>
>A) Embed the entire heart in the desired orientation and simply trim 
>down
>until you reach the desired plane of section.
>
>B) Let the frozen heart warm to about -15 C. Now with a scalpel, cut it 
>in
>the desired plane and embed the halves to achieve the desired plane of
section.
>
>As far as getting high quality frozens section slides that is quite
>possible with good technique.
>
>Stephen
>
>
>Stephen Peters M.D.
>Pathology Innovations, LLC
>410 Old Mill Lane,
>Wyckoff, NJ 07481
>201 847 7600
>www.pathologyinnovations.com
>
>Senior Attending Pathologist
>Hackensack University Medical Center
>201 996 4836
>
>_______________________________________________
>Histonet mailing list
>Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
>http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet


_______________________________________________
Histonet mailing list
Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet



------------------------------

Message: 13
Date: Tue, 08 Mar 2005 00:51:13 +0000
From: "awdaf asdfadf" <aetechserv <@t> hotmail.com>
Subject: RE: [Histonet] workshops & society meeting attendees
To: la.sebree <@t> hosp.wisc.edu, a.schmidt <@t> fuse.net,
	Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Message-ID: <BAY24-F1754208067887678B68C87C3500 <@t> phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

I agree ! Ventana is excellent about  having knowledgeable speakers attend  
society meetings.
Other Companies like Dako are also OK.  Both have a high profile and  
professional presence.
I've not heard of Vision Biosystems speaking at too many  society meetings. 
They seem amateurish compared to the other 2.
Since  their house-cleaning last year, the prospects, from all accounts, are

not great.  The best sales people were let go to make room for a  party 
group that spends more time socializing than attending to business. How many

Companies can one person run into the ground ?

Hope to hear Ventana at a future meeting.

>From: "Sebree Linda A." <la.sebree <@t> hosp.wisc.edu>
>To: <a.schmidt <@t> fuse.net>,<Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
>Subject: RE: [Histonet] Ventana workshops
>Date: Fri, 4 Mar 2005 08:28:21 -0600
>
>Angela,
>
>We have found Ventana very receptive to such requests.  They are more 
>than
>happy to provide speakers/workshop leaders for state society meetings.  So 
>I  suggest you contact them before your next meeting to see if something 
>can be arranged.  I know Ethel Macrea is an excellent, experienced speaker 
>for just these sort of situations.
>
>Linda A. Sebree
>University of Wisconsin Hospital & Clinics
>IHC/ISH Clinical & Research Laboratory
>DM223-VA
>600 Highland Ave.
>Madison, WI 53792
>(608)265-6596
>FAX:  (608)262-7174
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
>[mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu]On Behalf Of Angela 
>M. Schmidt
>Sent: Thursday, March 03, 2005 5:18 PM
>To: Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
>Subject: [Histonet] Ventana workshops
>
>
>Julie,
>    I think that it would be great if Ventana could put on a basic IHC 
>and
>ISH workshop. We have their technology but understanding the basics in this

>growing part of our field would be greatly appreciated!!  
>Ventana---Southwest OHIO needs you!!!
>
>
>
>Angela M. Schmidt HT(ASCP)
>Lead Histology Technician
>TriHealth Laboratories
>Good Samaritan-Bethesda Hospitals
>Cincinnati, Ohio
>513-872-1508
>a.schmidt <@t> fuse.net
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>Histonet mailing list
>Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
>http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
>
>_______________________________________________
>Histonet mailing list
>Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
>http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet

_________________________________________________________________
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------------------------------

Message: 14
Date: Mon, 7 Mar 2005 17:01:14 -0800 (PST)
From: Kelly Yang <yang5yc <@t> yahoo.com>
Subject: [Histonet] immunofluorescence staining in frozen tissue
To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Message-ID: <20050308010114.63578.qmail <@t> web52907.mail.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii


Dear histonetters,

 

We are working on immunofluorescence staining with two markers, ki67 and
DNMT1, in human bladder tissue. I had tried ki67 from Dako and DNMT1 from
Imgenex, but none of them give us the good result. 

 

Does anyone have a protocol for staining frozen tissue with Ki67 or DNMT1?
Also which antibody are you recommending? 

Thank you for your help in advance. 

 




Kelly Yang
Graduate student 
Department of Epidemiology
School of Public Heath
University of California, Los Angeles
310-409-9179
ext. 57795
yangyc <@t> ucla.edu __________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com 

------------------------------

Message: 15
Date: Mon, 07 Mar 2005 20:24:08 -0500
From: "alyssa piche" <pigletbmw <@t> hotmail.com>
Subject: [Histonet] Job Openings at UConn
To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Message-ID: <BAY18-F389D072CC3EE89F554AA00B4500 <@t> phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

Hi Everyone,

Just wanted to let everyone know that there are two part-time histotech 
positions at UConn Health Center. Check out their website at www.uchc.edu.

Tina

_________________________________________________________________
FREE pop-up blocking with the new MSN Toolbar - get it now! 
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------------------------------

Message: 16
Date: Tue, 8 Mar 2005 03:31:27 +0100
From: "Amira Fitieh" <Amira.Fitieh <@t> neuro.gu.se>
Subject: [Histonet] Mast cells staining with TOL
To: <histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
Message-ID: <C2833CED2ECF46479D2D6241DF00C8D692E524 <@t> mail>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="iso-8859-1"

 
Hi all,

 

We are looking for the Mast cells in rat brain. I have free floating tissue
sections. The whole brain is fixed in formalin, sucrose and finally
cryo-preserved in glycerol, ethylene glycol and PBS. I would like to know
what would be the most suitable protocol for staining the Mast cells with
Toludine blue. I would also like to know if I could use positively charged
glass slides instead of gelatin coated. Finally, I would like to know the
most stable concentration for Toludine blue stock solution.

Best regards,

Amira

****************************************************************************
******************************************************
Amira Fitieh
Research student
Arvid Carlsson Institute for Neuroscience
Göteborg University
Medicinaregata 11
Box 432
405 30 Göteborg
****************************************************************************
*******************************************************


------------------------------

Message: 17
Date: Mon, 7 Mar 2005 22:51:36 EST
From: SURGPATH19 <@t> aol.com
Subject: [Histonet] How do I Unsubscribe?
To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Message-ID: <1d9.3806d79a.2f5e7b48 <@t> aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"




------------------------------

Message: 18
Date: Tue, 8 Mar 2005 04:50:15 -0500
From: <lpwenk <@t> sbcglobal.net>
Subject: Re: [Histonet] JACHO Compliance
To: "Scholz, Stephen J." <Stephen.J.Scholz <@t> osfhealthcare.org>,
	<Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
Message-ID: <007801c523c4$3c48e6e0$1e2ad445 <@t> domainnotset.invalid>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="iso-8859-1"

The quote from 2005 JCAHO regulations for laboratories is as follows:
http://www.jcaho.org/accredited+organizations/laboratory+services/npsg/05_np
sg_lab.htm

"Use at least two patient identifiers (neither to be the patient's location)
whenever collecting laboratory samples or administering medications or blood
products, and use two identifiers to label sample collection containers in
the presence of the patient. Processes are established to maintain samples'
identity throughout the pre-analytical, analytical and post-analytical
processes."

Note that this is "whenever COLLECTING laboratory samples".

In two different JCAHO laboratory FAQ:
http://www.jcaho.org/accredited+organizations/laboratory+services/npsg/npsq_
faqs_2005.htm

"Does the requirement to label all specimens with two identifiers in the
presence of the patient apply to specimens collected by outside sources,
such as physician offices? Yes. It is the intent of this goal to apply to
all laboratory specimens. Laboratories may have limited ability to oversee
this portion of the pre-analytical process, however, it is expected that all
specimens arrive in the laboratory with a minimum of two identifiers on
them. (New 1/18/05)"

"Do the two sample identifiers have to be placed on every sample cup,
container or aliquot used during the analytical process? No. When possible,
laboratories are encouraged to label all aliquots with the two sample
identifiers. However, it is impractical to expect this for all test systems
due to space limitations on smaller sample cups and containers. As long as
the samples' identity is maintained throughout the analytical process, this
is acceptable. For example, identity is often maintained through use of an
accession number or assigned position numbers on an analyzer. (New 1/18/05)"

My interpretation is that this ruling applies to the COLLECTION of specimens
in the OR, patients' rooms, doctors' offices. This ruling of needing two
identifiers does not apply to the specimen once it is in the lab.

However, there has to be a policy about accepting or rejecting specimens if
they do not have two identifiers (from same FAQ 2005 page):

"Does the Joint Commission require laboratories to reject specimens that
arrive in the laboratory without two identifiers? No. While this may be an
appropriate response for some situations, rejection and recollection may not
always be an acceptable option for samples that are irretrievable,
problematic or expensive to recollect (Pap smears), or when rejection will
produce a significant treatment delay.  The standards have previously
required laboratories to establish written guidelines for specimen
rejection. Such a policy may include a process for completing the specimen
identification when recollection is not a reasonable option. It would be
appropriate to include a cautionary statement on the laboratory report
indicating the specimen was received in the laboratory without complete
identification. (New 1/18/05)"

Hope this helps.

Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS
William Beaumont Hospital
Royal Oak, MI 48073


----- Original Message -----
From: "Scholz, Stephen J." <Stephen.J.Scholz <@t> osfhealthcare.org>
To: <Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
Sent: Friday, February 25, 2005 12:01 PM
Subject: [Histonet] JACHO Compliance


Hello all;

We are about to have a JACHO inspection and a problem was brought to my
attention.  It involves using two identifiers on all laboratory specimens.

The below paragraph is from JCAHO FAQ web site for laboratory compliance
with the National Patient Safety Goals.  This particular statement seems to
answer the question about use of only one identifying number on a pathology
or any lab specimen.  Please let me know your interpretation and how your
laboratories comply to it.  Currently we have only the case number (hand
written) on the blocks and only the case number (hand written) on the slides
until after staining at which point there are printed labels put on them.

Take note that this FAQ was updated in January, 2005.


FAQ-We use a label for the initial patient sample that contains only one
unique identifier, a number, to identify laboratory specimens.  This unique
identifier can be traced to multiple patient identifiers. Does this meet the
intent of the goal? ANS-No. The intent is to use two separate identifiers on
the specimen label. Confidence in an accurate identification improves as the
number of identifiers increases, depending upon their uniqueness.  A single
identifier can be more easily misread, resulting in avoidable errors. Bar
coding that includes two or more person-specific identifiers (not room
number) will comply with this requirement. (New 1/18/05)



What are suggestions to my problem.


Stephen J. Scholz HT(ASCP)
Histology Coordinator
OSF St. Anthony Medical Center
Rockford IL

Phone: 815-395-5410
Fax: 815-395-5364 _______________________________________________
Histonet mailing list
Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet




------------------------------

Message: 19
Date: Tue, 08 Mar 2005 09:46:49 +0000
From: <luckard <@t> verizon.net>
Subject: [Histonet] (no subject)
To: <Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
Message-ID: <0ID100D7K1U1HD62 <@t> vms048.mailsrvcs.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1






------------------------------

Message: 20
Date: Tue, 8 Mar 2005 10:00:52 -0000
From: "JOHN PHILLIPS" <JOHN.PHILLIPS <@t> new-tr.wales.nhs.uk>
Subject: RE: [Histonet] IHC humidity chamber?
To: "J m" <kosmicdog <@t> hotmail.com>,	<Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
Message-ID:
	<166A1E642B5B644DA694C08FD29D0ADC3E1384 <@t> ztroy.new-tr.wales.nhs.uk>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="iso-8859-1"

Thermo Shandon supply this type of chamber, holds about 8 to 10 slides,if my
memory serves me well - THISTIME!!!

John, Wrexham, Wales, UK.

-----Original Message-----
From: J m [mailto:kosmicdog <@t> hotmail.com]
Sent: 07 March 2005 16:27
To: Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: [Histonet] IHC humidity chamber?


salut,

Does anyone know of a supplier in Canada for the IHC humidity chambers. I 
used to have a black plastic one with a clear lid but I don't know where it 
came from or where i can get another one. I am tired of having slides dry 
out during overnight incubation in the make-shift chambers I have tried to 
construct. Regular tissue sections seem to "hold" the solution on the slide 
better than tissue arrays which are more apt to losing there solutions. I 
don't like using water repelent pens to circle the arrays but any 
suggestions would be appreciated.



_______________________________________________
Histonet mailing list
Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet

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------------------------------

Message: 21
Date: Tue, 8 Mar 2005 05:21:20 -0500
From: <lpwenk <@t> sbcglobal.net>
Subject: [Histonet] HT pass rates
To: "Histonet" <histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
Message-ID: <009901c523c8$930d9760$1e2ad445 <@t> domainnotset.invalid>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="iso-8859-1"

Hi - My email server has been down, so I'm wading into this discussion late.
Hope you all don't mind me putting in some statistics into some of the
questions/comments.

As for the pass rates of the HT exam:

1. July-Dec. 2004 - not yet published, so I don't know where the 75% failure
rate figure is coming from for the "last exam". For Jan-June 2004, the HT
pass rate was 49%. (that's those people who passed both the written and
practical)

2. Typical pass rates: Usually in the range of 45-55%, from my looking back
at the last several years of stats. So the first half of 2004 was in the
same range.

3. Look back - in the years that followed the advent of DRG's (1984) and
CLIA '88 (with the 1994 deadlines), many people who had been working in the
field for many years, were scared that they might need to be certified. So
they  took the exam "at the last minute", without studying, and the pass
rates did dip.

If I were a betting person, I would be willing to gamble that, when we get
the July-Dec 2004 stats, the pass rate is lower than usual, just based on my
past experience with phone calls I received after " DRG and CLIA", and the
ones I'm receiving now. People not passing the exam, wanting to know:
- what books to buy (didn't look at the booklist they received, nor did they
study from a book),
- what topics to study (didn't look at the outline they received),
- do they really HAVE to know all the chemicals in all the stains, or even,
- do they have to know all the histology stains if they only do 6?

They just figured, since they had been working in the field of "X" years,
they knew it all. Sigh.

Yes, some that didn't pass say they did study and tell me the books they
studied from. But many didn't study, or didn't study enough, or didn't study
the right material. So I try to help them over the phone, in my "free time",
whatever that is.

Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS
William Beaumont Hospital
Royal Oak, MI 48073




------------------------------

Message: 22
Date: Tue, 8 Mar 2005 05:32:47 -0500
From: <lpwenk <@t> sbcglobal.net>
Subject: [Histonet] PA
To: "Histonet" <histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
Message-ID: <00a701c523ca$2c1ea920$1e2ad445 <@t> domainnotset.invalid>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="iso-8859-1"

Questions arose about the exam content and cost for the ASCP PA
certification.

There is a committee working on this (with members from ASCP, AAPA, other
organizations). They expect to publish in the Spring of 2005.

I'll keep an eye on the ASCP BOR webpage, and let the histonet community
know when this information is available.

As for the cost of the PA exam - that has not been established either. But
from the cost of the other tests:
http://www.ascp.org/bor/application/fees.asp
- phlebotomists - $90
- technicians - $125
- technologists - $145
- specialists - $185
- diplomate (manager/supervisor) - $250

Notice, it relates to the salary - those who make more money, pay a higher
application fee.

I don't know where the $450 figure, mentioned in one email,  is coming from.
There is nothing on the ASCP BOR webpage about the PA application fee. And
that mentioned figure just seems way out of line from the other fees already
established. So let's just wait until the fee is published, OK?

Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS
William Beaumont Hospital
Royal Oak, MI 48073





------------------------------

Message: 23
Date: Tue, 8 Mar 2005 06:07:37 -0500
From: <lpwenk <@t> sbcglobal.net>
Subject: [Histonet] hardness of HT exam
To: "Histonet" <histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
Message-ID: <00b501c523cf$0a53e580$1e2ad445 <@t> domainnotset.invalid>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="iso-8859-1"

The question was raised - Has the HT (and HTL) exam has gotten harder over
the years?. Yes and No, from my point of view.

Yes - because there are always new topics. Things that were NOT on my
certification exam (many years ago) but that I have to teach now:
- AIDS, various hepatitis, PCP, Legionella
- recycling
- lot more IHC
- automated equipment (coverslippers, H&E stainers, special stainers)
- new stains
- safety
- regulations (CLIA, CAP, JCAHO)

Every year, I add 1 or 2 new lectures, just to keep up with the changes in
our field.

But that's the natural progression of any medical field.

No - because many of the questions are the same. If it was a good question
about GMS/fungus 10 years ago, it is still a good question, and is still
being used. Many of the questions in the exam pools have been around for
years (decades even). My students talk to me after the exam, and they
mention the same questions.

No - because all the questions are benchmarked. That means - the ASCP
histology exam committee knows the pass rate of the "established" questions.
These questions have consistently had the same percent of people pass each
time these questions are used. When a new question is used, it's pass rate
is measured against "established" questions used on the same exam. If a
question is out of it's "normal" range, that question is not counted on that
exam, and the exam committee reviews the question, to see why it's pass rate
changed. (old technology, typing error, whatever)

No - because some of the questions on the exams are "test" questions - in
other words, the committee is trying a couple out for the first time, to get
statistics as to pass rate. These questions are NOT used in the applicants'
pass rate. Some of these questions may be very tough on purpose, on new
technology, or poorly written (not intentionally, but realized after
re-evaluation based on the pass rate for that question), etc. But there have
always been questions being tested for the first time. So this is nothing
new.

So why the perceptions that the exam is harder in the past year?

My opinion - a lot of people are taking the exam to meet the 2005 associate
degree deadline. In the years past (not including the 2003/2004 rush to take
the exam because of the associate degree deadline), about 600 people per
year were attempting the exam with about a 50% pass rate. So about 300 would
not pass.

In 2004, there were 480 that took the exam the first half of the year, and
the numbers for the second have were reported via histonet to be around
1000. That means almost 1500 people took the HT exam last year, or more than
double the usual number.

And, the usual pass rate for the HT exam  over the years is about 50%. So,
based on past years, we can expect more numbers of people failing in 2004
(700+) than usually even attempt to take the exam in any other year.
(Remember, this is my opinion at this time, and not based on any statistics
that have been published.)

Plus, Histonet is letting a larger community of people hear from people who
have failed, or who work with someone who fails. So many histonetters are
hearing the failure stories for the first time. As a program director, I've
been hearing from people for years (and years). My opinion is that the
failure rate has been constant for the past years. I'd love to hear from
other program directors about this.

I'll let everyone know the pass rate for July-Dec 2004, when they come out.

Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)SLS
William Beaumont Hospital
Royal Oak, MI 48073





------------------------------

Message: 24
Date: Tue, 08 Mar 2005 08:02:00 -0500
From: "Lesley S. Bechtold" <lsb <@t> jax.org>
Subject: [Histonet] Veterinary Pathologist needed
To: histonet <@t> Pathology.swmed.edu
Message-ID: <6.2.1.2.2.20050308075837.02c6b2a0 <@t> aretha.jax.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

Hi Everyone,

         We are looking for a veterinary pathologist.  We're located in Bar 
Harbor ME and work primarily with mice.  The official posting and contact 
information is below.  We're anxious to have our own pathologist on 
board.  Thank you!

Lesley


Board Certified Veterinary Pathologist


The Jackson Laboratory is seeking a board-certified veterinary pathologist 
with extensive experience in the pathology of laboratory mice to join its 
Laboratory Animal Health Services (LAHS) department.  LAHS provides a 
variety of veterinary, diagnostic, and quality management services 
supporting the Research, Resource, and Mouse Service divisions of The 
Jackson Laboratory facility in Bar Harbor, Maine.

The pathologist will provide anatomic pathology support for the internal 
sick mouse/health surveillance program, will mentor internal pathology 
trainees and otherwise participate in the educational mission of the 
Laboratory, and will interact with the Laboratory's scientific staff on a 
fee-for-service basis.  Staff interactions will include phenotyping mutant 
mice, interpreting experimental results and consulting with staff members 
for the design and implementation of experiments.  In addition, the 
pathologist will work with the Manager, Necropsy Service to develop and 
refine standard operating procedures for the Necropsy Service and to 
provide guidance in necropsy techniques and procedures for the pathology 
technicians.  Provided that grant funding is available to cover this 
effort, up to 20% of the pathologist's time may be devoted to personal 
and/or collaborative research.  The incumbent will also interact on a 
routine basis LAHS veterinarians specializing in microbiology, 
epidemiology, and laboratory animal medicine, and with The Jackson 
Laboratory's renowned mouse pathologists.

This position requires excellent interpersonal and communication skills, a 
strong work ethic, and the ability to work in a diverse and energetic 
scientific community.  Preference will be given to candidates who are 
eligible for licensure in the state of Maine.  For consideration please 
send a curriculum vitae, the names and addresses of three professional 
references and a letter describing your qualifications for the position, 
and interest in this program to Dr. Peggy Danneman, Sr. Director, LAHS, The 
Jackson Laboratory, 600 Main St, Bar Harbor, ME  04609.

For more than 70 years The Jackson Laboratory, an AAALAC-accredited, 
non-profit, independent research institution, has been dedicated to 
advancing human health through basic research in mammalian genetics. The 
Laboratory supplies resources and information to universities and research 
laboratories around the world and is a renowned education and training 
center. We are an equal opportunity employer situated in the small Maine 
coast town of Bar Harbor, adjacent to Acadia National Park. The surrounding 
area offers unlimited opportunities for outdoor activities, including 
hiking, biking, boating, kayaking and fishing.




Lesley S. Bechtold
Senior Manager, Histopathology & Microscopy Sciences
The Jackson Laboratory
600 Main St.
Bar Harbor, ME 04609
207-288-6322


------------------------------

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