2005 Scientific Session Abstracts
Adding style to the API Tissue Micro-array Data Exchange Specification
http://www.acsr.mid-region.org/
David G. Nohle, MS (nohle-1@medctr.osu.edu); Leona W. Ayers, MD. The Mid-Region AIDS and Cancer Specimen Resource (ACSR), Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH USA
Adding style to the API Tissue Micro-array Data Exchange Specification The AIDS and Cancer Specimen Resource (ACSR) sponsored by the National Cancer Institute Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis provides HIV/AIDS infected biologic samples, tissue controls, both in tissue micro-array (TMA) format, and de-identified clinical data to approved researchers. Researchers need efficient ways to view the available TMA tissue core sections with clinical data. The Association for Pathology Informatics (API) Extensible Mark-up Language (XML) TMA Data Exchange Specification (DES) provides a common format for development. Using our public BrowseTMA tool, we created a web site that cross references TMA lists, virtual slides, exports, linked legends and clinical details.
Technology : Internet Explorer, Hypertext Markup Language, XML, Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformation stylesheets, document type definitions (DTD), java scripts and Windows host scripts.
Design : We used TMA DES and developed data elements that allowed us to specify the layout or style of TMA blocks and slides. We propose that the API incorporate these style data elements into the specification as optional common data elements (CDE). This would allow others to export the style of their TMAs (along with the data in previously defined CDEs and site specific data elements) in a standard way. Such CDEs encourage development of software that uses this information to the benefit of importers.
Results : The style data elements and their placement into the TMA DES hierarchy have been defined. An arrangement to allow sharing of styles among multiple blocks and TMA export files has been devised. Eight styles used by 27 blocks from four institutions were processed with BrowseTMA. Researchers can encode the block layout and associate clinical data in the TMA DES format.
Conclusions : Style CDEs were added to the TMA DES DTD. Independent validators can be used to check exports and associated style information against the DTD. These style CDEs should be adopted by the API for optional use.