The anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) autoantibody is specifically associated with dermatomyositis (DM). Nevertheless, anti-MDA5(+)-patients experience characteristic symptoms ...distinct from classic DM, including severe signs of extramuscular involvement; however, the clinical signs of myopathy are mild or even absent. The morphological and immunological features are not yet described in adulthood. Data concerning the pathophysiology of anti-MDA5 DM are sparse; however, the importance of the interferon (IFN) type I pathway involved in DM has been shown. Our aim was to define morphological alterations of the skeletal muscle and the intrinsic immune response of anti-MDA5-positive DM patients. Immunohistological and RT-PCR analysis of muscle biopsy specimens from anti-MDA5 and classic DM were compared. Those with anti-MDA5 DM did not present the classic features of perifascicular fiber atrophy and major histocompatibility complex class I expression. They did not show significant signs of capillary loss; tubuloreticular formations were observed less frequently. Inflammation was focal, clustering around single vessels but significantly less intense. Expression of IFN-stimulated genes was up-regulated in anti-MDA5 DM; however, the IFN score was significantly lower. Characteristic features were observed in anti-MDA5 DM and not in classic DM patients. Only anti-MDA5 DM showed numerous nitric oxide synthase 2-positive muscle fibers with sarcoplasmic colocalization of markers of regeneration and cell stress. Anti-MDA5-positive patients demonstrate a morphological pattern distinct from classic DM.
Artificial intelligence (AI) apps hold great potential to make pathological diagnoses more accurate and time efficient. Widespread use of AI in pathology is hampered by interface incompatibilities ...between pathology software. We studied the existing interfaces in order to develop the EMPAIA App Interface, an open standard for the integration of pathology AI apps.
The EMPAIA App Interface relies on widely-used web communication protocols and containerization. It consists of three parts: A standardized format to describe the semantics of an app, a mechanism to deploy and execute apps in computing environments, and a web API through which apps can exchange data with a host application.
Five commercial AI app manufacturers successfully adapted their products to the EMPAIA App Interface and helped improve it with their feedback. Open source tools facilitate the adoption of the interface by providing reusable data access and scheduling functionality and enabling automatic validation of app compliance.
Existing AI apps and pathology software can be adapted to the EMPAIA App Interface with little effort. It is a viable alternative to the proprietary interfaces of current software. If enough vendors join in, the EMPAIA App Interface can help to advance the use of AI in pathology.
Background Pathology is defined as the science of disease-induced tissue alterations that range from macroscopic via microscopic to molecular levels of view. Herein we report the implementation of ...portable electronic devices that offer a holistic education and visualize disease related tissue information of formalin fixed organs (macroscopic appearance) together with microscopic images. Aims Continuous content updates, high performance, data-caching and the use apps in offline mode without network connection as well as the large amount of smartphone and tablet computers that run under Android operating system got us to create an appropriate system. The inclusion of virtual slides and virtual microscopy was assigned, however not yet possible at the date of system compilation. Methods We combined our virtual microscope „AndroScope“ with a new developed user-interface of the „Berliner Medizinhistorisches Museum“ (Berlin Historic Medical Museum, BMM) for android based mobile devices such as smartphone and tablet computer. We used images of the exhibition samples, information of the corresponding organs and diseases, as well as epidemiology data and whole slide images for visualization of histological changes. Linkage of digital content and samples is realized using QR-codes to assure valid and user-friendly recognition. We have also evaluated other technologies such as NFC, Bluetooth, WiFi or GPS to ensure that the QR-Code solution is the best opinion. The application offers an online mode with full functionality and an offline mode with limited access to images as well as to the virtual microscope.
Introduction/ Background Pathology is the science of diseases that ranges from macroscopic to histologic, and of course molecular changes. To offer a holistic education we wanted to involve portable ...electronic devices to combine information on diseases with microscopic changes and formalin fixed organs (macroscopic preparation). Aims At the time of compilation of this application there was no alternative, useful solution that offers the possibility of extensions towards virtual microscopy. Moreover, other solutions always use fixed databases or do not provide tools for content updates. Hence, it was required to create an appropriate system. Additional aimed feature are high performance, data-caching and the opinion to use the app in offline mode without a network connection. By the reason of the large amount of smartphone and tablet computer that runs the Android operating system and cheaper devices this platform was used. Methods We combined our virtual microscope „AndroScope“ 1 with a new developed user-interface of the „Berliner Medizinhistorisches Museum“(BMM) for android based mobile devices such as smartphone and tablet computer. As content we used images of the exhibition samples, information on the corresponding organ and disease, as well as the epidemiology data and whole slide images for visualization of histological changes. Linkage of digital content and samples is realized using QR-codes to assure valid and user-friendly recognition. We have also evaluated other technologies such as NFC, Bluetooth, WiFi or GPS to ensure that the QR-Code solution is the best opinion 2. The application offers an online mode with full functionality and an offline mode with limited access to images as well as to the virtual microscope. The application main database is stored local on the android device and online update capabilities were added. Results The “BMM Guide” is available for all visitors of the museum on lendable devices or for students (professional audience) using their personal devices and installing the application manually via the web-access eduroam. The guide is connected to the internet. It is designed to easily expand, update or transfer the content catalogue data. At the moment there is a connection between the exhibit and text-, image-, video- or virtual microscope content via QR-Code. The offline mode is limited to the connection between text content and the exhibit. We also implemented a multi-language support for English and German. The application has information like room plans, opening times and latest news of the museum. The museum guide is an easy handable, selfexplaining blended learning tool that can be embedded in the general education. .This guide for the exhibitions of the Berliner Medizinhistorisches Museum opens a new branch for self-study of students. Nevertheless he still has a potential to be integrated in curricular lectures in the future.
Cross-institutional biobank networks hold the promise of supporting medicine by enabling the exchange of associated samples for research purposes. Various initiatives, such as BBMRI-ERIC and German ...Biobank Node (GBN), aim to interconnect biobanks for enabling the compilation of joint biomaterial collections. However, building software platforms to facilitate such collaboration is challenging due to the heterogeneity of existing biobank IT infrastructures and the necessary efforts for installing and maintaining additional software components. As a remedy, this paper presents the concept of a hybrid network for interconnecting already existing software components commonly found in biobanks and a proof-of-concept implementation of two prototypes involving four biobanks of the German Biobank Node. Here we demonstrate the successful bridging of two IT systems found in many German biobanks - Samply and i2b2.
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