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  1. Subtle pulmonary nodules: detection and identification with storage phosphor radiographs and conventional chest films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Scheck, R.J.; Schaetzl, M.; Kandziora, C.; Panzer, M.; Rienmueller, R.

    1994-01-01

    To determine the value of digital storagephosphor radiography (SR) on the detection and identification of subtle lung nodules, postero-anterior (PA) and lateral (LAT) film-screen (FR) chest radiographs were compared with isodose SR images of 45 patients with metastatic malignancies. The SR postprocessing was done with a particular mode previously optimized for routine chest radiography. Pulmonary metastases were found in 34 patients and were proved or excluded by CT (n=28) or longterm follow-up FR (n=17). Chest images were divided into four regions for evaluation of image quality, number of lung nodules per region and marked pulmonary structures by receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) analysis (45 patients; 125 nodules; 2810 observations; five readers). Of the nodules selected for an ROC study 82% were 0.5-1.0 cm in diameter. Overall image quality was rated better for FR concerning lung fields (PA) and mediastinum/hilum (LAT). More lung-field nodules were detected on FR than on SR chest images. Use of FR was superior to SR in the general identification of nodules (PA chest), especially concerning intermediate and subtle abnormalities, whereas there was no significant difference for LAT chest images. Our results show, that currently FR still has advantages over SR in the detection and identification of subtle lung nodules in routine clinical radiography. (orig.)

  2. The impact of radiology expertise upon the localization of subtle pulmonary lesions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robinson, John W.; Brennan, Patrick C.; Mello-Thoms, Claudia; Lewis, Sarah J.

    2016-03-01

    Rationale and objectives: This study investigates the influence of radiology expertise in the correct localization of lesions when radiologists are requested to complete an observer task. Specifically, the ability to detect pulmonary lesions of different subtleties is explored in relation to radiologists' reported specialty. Materials and Methods: Institutional ethics was granted. Ten radiologists (5 thoracic, 5 non-thoracic) interpreted 40 posterior-anterior (PA) chest x-rays (CXRs) consisting of 21 normal and 19 abnormal cases (solitary pulmonary nodule). The abnormal cases contained a solitary nodule with an established subtlety (subtlety 5 = obvious to subtlety 1 = extremely subtle). Radiologists read the test set and identified any pulmonary nodule using a 1-5 confidence scale (1=no pulmonary nodule to 5=highest confidence case contains a pulmonary lesion). The radiologists interpreted the image bank twice and the cases were randomized for each reader between reads. Results: The Kruskal-Wallis test identified that subtlety of nodules significantly influenced the sensitivity of nonthoracic radiologists (P=test demonstrated a significant difference in sensitivity for radiologist specialisation (P=0.013), with thoracic radiologists better compared to non-thoracic radiologists (mean sensitivity 0.479 and 0.389 respectively). The sensitivity of nodule detection decreased when comparing subtlety 4 to 3, 3 to 2 and 2 to 1 for non-thoracic and thoracic radiologists'with the subtlety 3 to subtlety 2 being significant (P=0.014) for non thoracic radiologists while thoracic radiologists' demonstrated a decrease but no transitions between subtlety were significant. The most noticeable, and interesting, effect was with the thoracic radiologists' with the average means of subtlety 2 and 1 being almost the same and closely comparable to level 3. Conclusion: Results from this study indicate that expertise in chest radiology does significantly impact upon the sensitivity of

  3. Detecting subtle plasma membrane perturbation in living cells using second harmonic generation imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moen, Erick K; Ibey, Bennett L; Beier, Hope T

    2014-05-20

    The requirement of center asymmetry for the creation of second harmonic generation (SHG) signals makes it an attractive technique for visualizing changes in interfacial layers such as the plasma membrane of biological cells. In this article, we explore the use of lipophilic SHG probes to detect minute perturbations in the plasma membrane. Three candidate probes, Di-4-ANEPPDHQ (Di-4), FM4-64, and all-trans-retinol, were evaluated for SHG effectiveness in Jurkat cells. Di-4 proved superior with both strong SHG signal and limited bleaching artifacts. To test whether rapid changes in membrane symmetry could be detected using SHG, we exposed cells to nanosecond-pulsed electric fields, which are believed to cause formation of nanopores in the plasma membrane. Upon nanosecond-pulsed electric fields exposure, we observed an instantaneous drop of ~50% in SHG signal from the anodic pole of the cell. When compared to the simultaneously acquired fluorescence signals, it appears that the signal change was not due to the probe diffusing out of the membrane or changes in membrane potential or fluidity. We hypothesize that this loss in SHG signal is due to disruption in the interfacial nature of the membrane. The results show that SHG imaging has great potential as a tool for measuring rapid and subtle plasma membrane disturbance in living cells. Copyright © 2014 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Can subtle changes in gene expression be consistently detected with different microarray platforms?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kuiper Rowan

    2008-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The comparability of gene expression data generated with different microarray platforms is still a matter of concern. Here we address the performance and the overlap in the detection of differentially expressed genes for five different microarray platforms in a challenging biological context where differences in gene expression are few and subtle. Results Gene expression profiles in the hippocampus of five wild-type and five transgenic δC-doublecortin-like kinase mice were evaluated with five microarray platforms: Applied Biosystems, Affymetrix, Agilent, Illumina, LGTC home-spotted arrays. Using a fixed false discovery rate of 10% we detected surprising differences between the number of differentially expressed genes per platform. Four genes were selected by ABI, 130 by Affymetrix, 3,051 by Agilent, 54 by Illumina, and 13 by LGTC. Two genes were found significantly differentially expressed by all platforms and the four genes identified by the ABI platform were found by at least three other platforms. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis confirmed 20 out of 28 of the genes detected by two or more platforms and 8 out of 15 of the genes detected by Agilent only. We observed improved correlations between platforms when ranking the genes based on the significance level than with a fixed statistical cut-off. We demonstrate significant overlap in the affected gene sets identified by the different platforms, although biological processes were represented by only partially overlapping sets of genes. Aberrances in GABA-ergic signalling in the transgenic mice were consistently found by all platforms. Conclusion The different microarray platforms give partially complementary views on biological processes affected. Our data indicate that when analyzing samples with only subtle differences in gene expression the use of two different platforms might be more attractive than increasing the number of replicates. Commercial two-color platforms seem to

  5. Self-adapted and tunable graphene strain sensors for detecting both subtle and large human motions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tao, Lu-Qi; Wang, Dan-Yang; Tian, He; Ju, Zhen-Yi; Liu, Ying; Pang, Yu; Chen, Yuan-Quan; Yang, Yi; Ren, Tian-Ling

    2017-06-22

    Conventional strain sensors rarely have both a high gauge factor and a large strain range simultaneously, so they can only be used in specific situations where only a high sensitivity or a large strain range is required. However, for detecting human motions that include both subtle and large motions, these strain sensors can't meet the diverse demands simultaneously. Here, we come up with laser patterned graphene strain sensors with self-adapted and tunable performance for the first time. A series of strain sensors with either an ultrahigh gauge factor or a preferable strain range can be fabricated simultaneously via one-step laser patterning, and are suitable for detecting all human motions. The strain sensors have a GF of up to 457 with a strain range of 35%, or have a strain range of up to 100% with a GF of 268. Most importantly, the performance of the strain sensors can be easily tuned by adjusting the patterns of the graphene, so that the sensors can meet diverse demands in both subtle and large motion situations. The graphene strain sensors show significant potential in applications such as wearable electronics, health monitoring and intelligent robots. Furthermore, the facile, fast and low-cost fabrication method will make them possible and practical to be used for commercial applications in the future.

  6. How social myths about childhood, motherhood and medicine affect the detection of subtle developmental problems in young children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, Jane

    Focus by child health professionals on the well-being of young Australian children and their families has intensified in the past decade, with particular attention drawn to the importance of the early detection and intervention of developmental problems. While many children with developmental difficulties are detected in the preschool years, those with more subtle forms of developmental problems are often only noticed by their mothers, passing unnoticed by professionals until the children begin school and fail socially or academically. This study aimed to ascertain ways in which child health professionals may utilise the experience of mothers to improve early recognition and diagnosis of subtle developmental and behavioural problems in children. French philosopher, Roland Barthes (1973) proposed that myths play an important social role in defining underlying social values that affect how people interpret what others say or do. This paper explores how the social myths of childhood, motherhood and medicine impact upon the early detection of children with subtle developmental problems. In particular, it examines how social myths affect when and how mothers become concerned about their children's development, from whom they seek advice, and the responses which mothers receive in regard to their concerns. Mythical notions of the 'blameless child', 'boys will be boys' and 'children who look OK are OK', and the constituted myth of motherhood, are all shown to affect when mothers become concerned about their children's development. What mothers do about their concerns and the responses they receive from child health professionals are also influenced by these myths. The myth of medicine is also examined to determine how it affects communication between mothers and doctors, the roles and responsibilities of doctors, and the value placed on a mother's concerns by doctors.

  7. Technical Note: Display window setting: An important factor for detecting subtle but clinically relevant artifacts in daily CT quality control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Long, Zaiyang; Bruesewitz, Michael R; Sheedy, Emily N; Powell, Michele A; Kramer, Jacqualynn C; Supalla, Randall R; Colvin, Chance M; Bechel, Jessica R; Favazza, Christopher P; Kofler, James M; Leng, Shuai; McCollough, Cynthia H; Yu, Lifeng

    2016-12-01

    This study aimed to investigate the influence of display window setting on technologist performance detecting subtle but clinically relevant artifacts in daily computed tomography (CT) quality control (dQC) images. Fifty three sets of dQC images were retrospectively selected, including 30 sets without artifacts, and 23 with subtle but clinically relevant artifacts. They were randomized and shown to six CT technologists (two new and four experienced). Each technologist reviewed all images in each of two sessions, one with a display window width (WW) of 100 HU, which is currently recommended by the American College of Radiology, and the other with a narrow WW of 40 HU, both at a window level of 0 HU. For each case, technologists rated the presence of image artifacts based on a five point scale. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the artifact detection performance. At a WW of 100 HU, the AUC (95% confidence interval) was 0.658 (0.576, 0.740), 0.532 (0.429, 0.635), and 0.616 (0.543, 0.619) for the experienced, new, and all technologists, respectively. At a WW of 40 HU, the AUC was 0.768 (0.687, 0.850), 0.546 (0.433, 0.658), and 0.694 (0.619, 0.769), respectively. The performance significantly improved at WW of 40 HU for experienced technologists (p = 0.009) and for all technologists (p = 0.040). Use of a narrow display WW significantly improved technologists' performance in dQC for detecting subtle but clinically relevant artifacts as compared to that using a 100 HU display WW.

  8. Novel Application of a Multiscale Entropy Index as a Sensitive Tool for Detecting Subtle Vascular Abnormalities in the Aged and Diabetic

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hsien-Tsai Wu

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Although previous studies have shown the successful use of pressure-induced reactive hyperemia as a tool for the assessment of endothelial function, its sensitivity remains questionable. This study aims to investigate the feasibility and sensitivity of a novel multiscale entropy index (MEI in detecting subtle vascular abnormalities in healthy and diabetic subjects. Basic anthropometric and hemodynamic parameters, serum lipid profiles, and glycosylated hemoglobin levels were recorded. Arterial pulse wave signals were acquired from the wrist with an air pressure sensing system (APSS, followed by MEI and dilatation index (DI analyses. MEI succeeded in detecting significant differences among the four groups of subjects: healthy young individuals, healthy middle-aged or elderly individuals, well-controlled diabetic individuals, and poorly controlled diabetic individuals. A reduction in multiscale entropy reflected age- and diabetes-related vascular changes and may serve as a more sensitive indicator of subtle vascular abnormalities compared with DI in the setting of diabetes.

  9. Screening for subtle chromosomal rearrangements in an Egyptian ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    A descriptive study was carried out to screen for subtle chromosomal rearrangements in a group of Egyptian children with idiopathic mental retardation (IMR) to estimate its frequency if detected. The study enrolled 30 patients with IMR, with the perquisite criteria of being <18 years at referral, their IQ <70, and manifesting at ...

  10. Radiographically Occult and Subtle Fractures: A Pictorial Review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jarraya, M.; Hayashi, D.; Roemer, F.W.; Crema, M.D.; Conlin, J.; Marra, M.D.; Guermazi, A.; Roemer, F.W.; Crema, M.D.; Diaz, L.; Conlin, J.; Jomaah, N.

    2013-01-01

    Radiographically occult and subtle fractures are a diagnostic challenge. They may be divided into (1) high energy trauma fracture, (2) fatigue fracture from cyclical and sustained mechanical stress, and (3) insufficiency fracture occurring in weakened bone (e.g., in osteoporosis and post radiotherapy). Independently of the cause, the initial radiographic examination can be negative either because the findings seem normal or are too subtle. Early detection of these fractures is crucial to explain the patients symptoms and prevent further complications. Advanced imaging tools such as computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and scintigraphy are highly valuable in this context. Our aim is to raise the awareness of radiologists and clinicians in these cases by presenting illustrative cases and a discussion of the relevant literature.

  11. Subtle alterations in brain anatomy may change an individual's personality in chronic pain.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sylvia M Gustin

    Full Text Available It is well established that gross prefrontal cortex damage can affect an individual's personality. It is also possible that subtle prefrontal cortex changes associated with conditions such as chronic pain, and not detectable until recent advances in human brain imaging, may also result in subtle changes in an individual's personality. In an animal model of chronic neuropathic pain, subtle prefrontal cortex changes including altered basal dendritic length, resulted in altered decision making ability. Using multiple magnetic resonance imaging techniques, we found in humans, although gray matter volume and on-going activity were unaltered, chronic neuropathic pain was associated with reduced free and bound proton movement, indicators of subtle anatomical changes, in the medial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex and mediodorsal thalamus. Furthermore, proton spectroscopy revealed an increase in neural integrity in the medial prefrontal cortex in neuropathic pain patients, the degree of which was significantly correlated to the personality temperament of novelty seeking. These data reveal that even subtle changes in prefrontal cortex anatomy may result in a significant change in an individual's personality.

  12. Intraoperative detection of subtle endometriosis: a novel paradigm for detection and treatment of pelvic pain associated with the loss of peritoneal integrity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lessey, Bruce A; Higdon, H Lee; Miller, Sara E; Price, Thomas A

    2012-12-21

    Endometriosis is a common disease affecting 40 to 70% of reproductive-aged women with chronic pelvic pain (CPP) and/or infertility. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the use of a blue dye (methylene blue) to stain peritoneal surfaces during laparoscopy (L/S) to detect the loss of peritoneal integrity in patients with pelvic pain and suspected endometriosis. Forty women with CPP and 5 women without pain were evaluated in this pilot study. During L/S, concentrated dye was sprayed onto peritoneal surfaces, then aspirated and rinsed with Lactated Ringers solution. Areas of localized dye uptake were evaluated for the presence of visible endometriotic lesions. Areas of intense peritoneal staining were resected and some fixed in 2.5% buffered gluteraldehyde and examined by scanning (SEM) electron microscopy. Blue dye uptake was more common in women with endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain than controls (85% vs. 40%). Resection of the blue stained areas revealed endometriosis by SEM and loss of peritoneal cell-cell contact compared to normal, non-staining peritoneum. Affected peritoneum was associated with visible endometriotic implants in most but not all patients. Subjective pain relief was reported in 80% of subjects. Based on scanning electron microscopy, we conclude that endometrial cells extend well beyond visible implants of endometriosis and appear to disrupt the underlying mesothelium. Subtle lesions of endometriosis could therefore cause pelvic pain by disruption of peritoneal integrity, allowing menstrual or ovulatory blood and associated pain factors access to underlying sensory nerves. Complete resection of affected peritoneum may provide a better long-term treatment for endometriosis and CPP. This simple technique appears to improve detection of subtle or near invisible endometriosis in women with CPP and minimal visual findings at L/S and may serve to elevate diagnostic accuracy for endometriosis at laparoscopy.

  13. The Application of MRI for Depiction of Subtle Blood Brain Barrier Disruption in Stroke

    OpenAIRE

    David Israeli, David Tanne, Dianne Daniels, David Last, Ran Shneor, David Guez, Efrat Landau, Yiftach Roth, Aharon Ocherashvilli, Mati Bakon, Chen Hoffman, Amit Weinberg, Talila Volk, Yael Mardor

    2011-01-01

    The development of imaging methodologies for detecting blood-brain-barrier (BBB) disruption may help predict stroke patient's propensity to develop hemorrhagic complications following reperfusion. We have developed a delayed contrast extravasation MRI-based methodology enabling real-time depiction of subtle BBB abnormalities in humans with high sensitivity to BBB disruption and high spatial resolution. The increased sensitivity to subtle BBB disruption is obtained by acquiring T1-weighted MRI...

  14. The Application of MRI for Depiction of Subtle Blood Brain Barrier Disruption in Stroke

    OpenAIRE

    Israeli, David; Tanne, David; Daniels, Dianne; Last, David; Shneor, Ran; Guez, David; Landau, Efrat; Roth, Yiftach; Ocherashvilli, Aharon; Bakon, Mati; Hoffman, Chen; Weinberg, Amit; Volk, Talila; Mardor, Yael

    2010-01-01

    The development of imaging methodologies for detecting blood-brain-barrier (BBB) disruption may help predict stroke patient's propensity to develop hemorrhagic complications following reperfusion. We have developed a delayed contrast extravasation MRI-based methodology enabling real-time depiction of subtle BBB abnormalities in humans with high sensitivity to BBB disruption and high spatial resolution. The increased sensitivity to subtle BBB disruption is obtained by acquiring T1-weighted MRI...

  15. Subtle Messages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tamplin de Poinsot, Nan

    1999-01-01

    Describes a self-portrait assignment inspired by the work of Frida Kahlo. Discusses Frida Kahlo's artwork and use of surrealist and symbolist views. States that each student had to incorporate personal symbolism in the portrait to convey a message about him or herself in a subtle manner. (CMK)

  16. Subtle Alterations in Brain Anatomy May Change an Individual’s Personality in Chronic Pain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gustin, Sylvia M.; McKay, Jamie G.; Petersen, Esben T.; Peck, Chris C.; Murray, Greg M.; Henderson, Luke A.

    2014-01-01

    It is well established that gross prefrontal cortex damage can affect an individual’s personality. It is also possible that subtle prefrontal cortex changes associated with conditions such as chronic pain, and not detectable until recent advances in human brain imaging, may also result in subtle changes in an individual’s personality. In an animal model of chronic neuropathic pain, subtle prefrontal cortex changes including altered basal dendritic length, resulted in altered decision making ability. Using multiple magnetic resonance imaging techniques, we found in humans, although gray matter volume and on-going activity were unaltered, chronic neuropathic pain was associated with reduced free and bound proton movement, indicators of subtle anatomical changes, in the medial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex and mediodorsal thalamus. Furthermore, proton spectroscopy revealed an increase in neural integrity in the medial prefrontal cortex in neuropathic pain patients, the degree of which was significantly correlated to the personality temperament of novelty seeking. These data reveal that even subtle changes in prefrontal cortex anatomy may result in a significant change in an individual’s personality. PMID:25291361

  17. Detecting the Subtle Shape Differences in Hemodynamic Responses at the Group Level

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gang eChen

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available The nature of the hemodynamic response (HDR is still not fully understood due to the multifaceted processes involved. Aside from the overall amplitude, the response may vary across cognitive states, tasks, brain regions, and subjects with respect to characteristics such as rise and fall speed, peak duration, undershoot shape, and overall duration. Here we demonstrate that the fixed-shape or adjusted-shape methods may fail to detect some shape subtleties. In contrast, the estimated-shape method (ESM through multiple basis functions can provide the opportunity to identify some subtle shape differences and achieve higher statistical power at both individual and group levels. Previously, some dimension reduction approaches focused on the peak magnitude, or made inferences based on the area under the curve or interaction, which can lead to potential misidentifications. By adopting a generic framework of multivariate modeling (MVM, we showcase a hybrid approach that is validated by simulations and real data. Unlike the few analyses that were limited to main effect, two- or three-way interactions, we extend the approach to an inclusive platform that is more adaptable than the conventional GLM, achieving a practical equipoise among representation, false positive control, statistical power, and modeling flexibility.

  18. Individual, population and community level effects of subtle anthropogenic contamination in estuarine meiobenthos

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rubal, Marcos; Guilhermino, Lucia M.; Medina, Matias H.

    2009-01-01

    The study presented here searched for the level of taxonomic resolution required to detect the effects of low-level chronic pollution on estuarine meiobenthic communities. Meiofauna from two sites, with special attention to harpacticoid copepods, was analysed at different taxonomic levels of aggregation using uni- and multivariate methods. Adaptation processes that could buffer biodiversity disruptions were also considered through the analysis of fitness-related and tolerance traits in the harpacticoid copepod Paronychocamptus nanus. Results showed that uni- and multivariate analyses could be inadequate when assessing subtle anthropogenic contamination. Instead, the assessment of inter-population differences in tolerance to the main source of stress rises as a required procedure if potential effects of this type of contamination are being investigated. Specifically, a 96 h acute toxicity test performed with populations from the affected site appears as a faster and reliable general tool to assess impacts of low-level chronic pollution in estuaries. - Tolerance of local populations as a reliable tool to assess impacts of subtle anthropogenic contamination in estuaries.

  19. Individual, population and community level effects of subtle anthropogenic contamination in estuarine meiobenthos

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rubal, Marcos [CIIMAR/CIMAR-LA - Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigacao Marinha e Ambiental, Universidade do Porto, Laboratorio de Ecotoxicologia, Rua dos Bragas 289, 4050-123 Porto (Portugal); Guilhermino, Lucia M. [CIIMAR/CIMAR-LA - Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigacao Marinha e Ambiental, Universidade do Porto, Laboratorio de Ecotoxicologia, Rua dos Bragas 289, 4050-123 Porto (Portugal); ICBAS - Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas de Abel Salazar, Departamento de Estudos de Populacoes, Laboratorio de Ecotoxicologia, Universidade do Porto, Lg. Prof. Abel Salazar 2, 4099-003 Porto (Portugal); Medina, Matias H., E-mail: matias.medina@avs-chile.c [AVS Chile SA, Imperial 0655, Off. 3A, Puerto Varas (Chile); Centro i-mar, Universidad de Los Lagos, Camino Chinquihue km 6, Puerto Montt (Chile)

    2009-10-15

    The study presented here searched for the level of taxonomic resolution required to detect the effects of low-level chronic pollution on estuarine meiobenthic communities. Meiofauna from two sites, with special attention to harpacticoid copepods, was analysed at different taxonomic levels of aggregation using uni- and multivariate methods. Adaptation processes that could buffer biodiversity disruptions were also considered through the analysis of fitness-related and tolerance traits in the harpacticoid copepod Paronychocamptus nanus. Results showed that uni- and multivariate analyses could be inadequate when assessing subtle anthropogenic contamination. Instead, the assessment of inter-population differences in tolerance to the main source of stress rises as a required procedure if potential effects of this type of contamination are being investigated. Specifically, a 96 h acute toxicity test performed with populations from the affected site appears as a faster and reliable general tool to assess impacts of low-level chronic pollution in estuaries. - Tolerance of local populations as a reliable tool to assess impacts of subtle anthropogenic contamination in estuaries.

  20. Comparing intergroup contact effects on blatant and subtle prejudice in adolescents: a multivariate multilevel model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herrero Olaizola, Juan; Rodríguez Díaz, Francisco Javier; Musitu Ochoa, Gonzalo

    2014-01-01

    The literature has rarely paid attention to the differential influence of intergroup contact on subtle and blatant prejudice. In this study, we hypothesized that the influence of intergroup contact on subtle prejudice will be smaller than its influence on blatant prejudice. This hypothesis was tested with data from a cross-sectional design on 1,655 school-aged native Spanish adolescents. Prejudice was measured with a shortened version of the Meertens and Pettigrew scale of blatant and subtle prejudice adapted to Spanish adolescent population. Results from multivariate multilevel analyses for correlated outcome variables supported the hypothesis. Students tended to score higher on the subtle prejudice scale; contact with the outgroup was statistically related both to levels of blatant and subtle prejudice; and, the negative relationship of contact with the outgroup and prejudice is greater for blatant prejudice as compared to subtle prejudice. Overall, results provide statistical evidence supporting the greater resistance to change of subtle forms of prejudice.

  1. Subtle Motion Analysis and Spotting using the Riesz Pyramid

    OpenAIRE

    Arango , Carlos ,; Alata , Olivier; Emonet , Rémi; Legrand , Anne-Claire; Konik , Hubert

    2018-01-01

    International audience; Analyzing and temporally spotting motions which are almost invisible to the human eye might reveal interesting information about the world. However, detecting these events is difficult due to their short duration and low intensities. Taking inspiration from video magnification techniques, we design a workflow for analyzing and temporally spotting subtle motions based on the Riesz pyramid. In addition, we propose a filtering and masking scheme that segments motions of i...

  2. Testing the tests--an empirical evaluation of screening tests for the detection of cognitive impairment in aviators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stokes, A F; Banich, M T; Elledge, V C

    1991-08-01

    The FAA has expressed concern that flight safety could be compromised by undetected cognitive impairment in pilots due to conditions such as substance abuse, mental illness, and neuropsychological problems. Interest has been shown in the possibility of adding a brief "mini-mental exam," or a simple automated test-battery to the standard flight medical to screen for such conditions. The research reported here involved the empirical evaluation of two "mini-mental exams," two paper-and-pencil test batteries, and a prototype version of an automated screening battery. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value were calculated for each sub-task in a discriminant study of 54 pilots and 62 individuals from a heterogeneous clinical population. Results suggest that the "mini-mental exams" are poor candidates for a screening test. The automated battery showed the best discrimination performance, in part because of the incorporation of dual-task tests of divided attention performance. These tests appear to be particularly sensitive to otherwise difficult-to-detect cognitive impairments of a mild or subtle nature. The use of an automated battery of tests as a screening instrument does appear to be feasible in principle, but the practical success of a screening program is heavily dependent upon the actual prevalence of cognitive impairment in the medical applicant population.

  3. Gently does it: Humans outperform a software classifier in recognizing subtle, nonstereotypical facial expressions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yitzhak, Neta; Giladi, Nir; Gurevich, Tanya; Messinger, Daniel S; Prince, Emily B; Martin, Katherine; Aviezer, Hillel

    2017-12-01

    According to dominant theories of affect, humans innately and universally express a set of emotions using specific configurations of prototypical facial activity. Accordingly, thousands of studies have tested emotion recognition using sets of highly intense and stereotypical facial expressions, yet their incidence in real life is virtually unknown. In fact, a commonplace experience is that emotions are expressed in subtle and nonprototypical forms. Such facial expressions are at the focus of the current study. In Experiment 1, we present the development and validation of a novel stimulus set consisting of dynamic and subtle emotional facial displays conveyed without constraining expressers to using prototypical configurations. Although these subtle expressions were more challenging to recognize than prototypical dynamic expressions, they were still well recognized by human raters, and perhaps most importantly, they were rated as more ecological and naturalistic than the prototypical expressions. In Experiment 2, we examined the characteristics of subtle versus prototypical expressions by subjecting them to a software classifier, which used prototypical basic emotion criteria. Although the software was highly successful at classifying prototypical expressions, it performed very poorly at classifying the subtle expressions. Further validation was obtained from human expert face coders: Subtle stimuli did not contain many of the key facial movements present in prototypical expressions. Together, these findings suggest that emotions may be successfully conveyed to human viewers using subtle nonprototypical expressions. Although classic prototypical facial expressions are well recognized, they appear less naturalistic and may not capture the richness of everyday emotional communication. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  4. Digital gastrointestinal imaging: Effect of pixel size of subtle mucosal abnormalities on observer performance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kastan, D.J.; Ackerman, L.V.; Feczko, P.J.

    1986-01-01

    Radiographs from double-contrast colon examinations demonstrating subtle mucosal changes of inflammatory bowel disease and radiographs showing normal colon were digitized (0.1-mm, 0.2-mm, 0.4-mm and 0.8-mm pixel sizes). Ten radiologists interpreted the laser-printed images. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed. The results indicated that (1) the sensitivity of radiography in detecting subtle mucosal abnormalities improved as resolution improved; (2) more experience readers performed remarkably well even at the poorer levels of resolution; (3) the resolution necessary for evaluating the colonic mucosa was less than expected; and (4) at low noise levels, conventional television fluoroscopy may have sufficient resolution for mucosal evaluation

  5. Stratified Mucin-Producing Intraepithelial Lesion of the Cervix: Subtle Features Not to Be Missed.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwock, Joerg; Ko, Hyang Mi; Dubé, Valérie; Rouzbahman, Marjan; Cesari, Matthew; Ghorab, Zeina; Geddie, William R

    2016-01-01

    Stratified mucin-producing intraepithelial lesion (SMILE) is an uncommon premalignant lesion of the uterine cervix. A detailed examination of preinvasive SMILE cases including a comparison of the cytologic features with usual-type adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) and human papillomavirus (HPV) genotyping was performed. Excisions and preceding Papanicolaou (Pap) tests were retrieved from the files of 2 tertiary care centers. Histologic review estimated the lesional SMILE proportion. Pap tests were reviewed and assessed for architectural, cellular and background features. Cobas® HPV test was performed. 13 cases were identified. Mean/median patient age was 35/33 years (range 23-51 years). Concurrent high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion was found in 10/13 (77%) and AIS in 8/13 (62%) cases. In 6 cases, SMILE was dominant (≥50%) and represented in 5/6 corresponding Pap tests. Cytology interpretations differed more often in the SMILE-dominant group (p < 0.05). SMILE and AIS had overlapping features. Feathering and prominent nucleoli were absent in SMILE. HPV DNA was detected in all 12 cases tested. HPV 18 was most common (7/12). Excisions with positive/suspicious margins were reported in 5/6 SMILE-dominant versus 3/7 nondominant cases. SMILE is best considered as an AIS variant for cytologic, etiologic and management purposes. Cytologic features overlap with AIS, but are more subtle and easily missed. HPV testing may play a role in facilitating SMILE detection. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  6. CANTAB object recognition and language tests to detect aging cognitive decline: an exploratory comparative study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cabral Soares F

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Fernanda Cabral Soares,1 Thaís Cristina Galdino de Oliveira,1 Liliane Dias e Dias de Macedo,1 Alessandra Mendonça Tomás,1 Domingos Luiz Wanderley Picanço-Diniz,2 João Bento-Torres,1,3 Natáli Valim Oliver Bento-Torres,1,3 Cristovam Wanderley Picanço-Diniz1 1Universidade Federal do Pará, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção Belém, Pará, Brazil; 2Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará, Núcleo Universitário de Oriximiná, Oriximiná, Pará, Brazil; 3Faculdade de Fisioterapia e Terapia Ocupacional, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, BrazilObjective: The recognition of the limits between normal and pathological aging is essential to start preventive actions. The aim of this paper is to compare the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB and language tests to distinguish subtle differences in cognitive performances in two different age groups, namely young adults and elderly cognitively normal subjects.Method: We selected 29 young adults (29.9±1.06 years and 31 older adults (74.1±1.15 years matched by educational level (years of schooling. All subjects underwent a general assessment and a battery of neuropsychological tests, including the Mini Mental State Examination, visuospatial learning, and memory tasks from CANTAB and language tests. Cluster and discriminant analysis were applied to all neuropsychological test results to distinguish possible subgroups inside each age group.Results: Significant differences in the performance of aged and young adults were detected in both language and visuospatial memory tests. Intragroup cluster and discriminant analysis revealed that CANTAB, as compared to language tests, was able to detect subtle but significant differences between the subjects.Conclusion: Based on these findings, we concluded that, as compared to language tests, large-scale application

  7. Visualization of subtle temporal bone structures. Comparison of cone beam CT and MDCT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pein, M.K.; Plontke, S.K.; Brandt, S.; Koesling, S.

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to compare the visualization of subtle, non-pathological temporal bone structures on cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) in vivo. Temporal bone studies of images from 38 patients archived in the picture archiving and communication system (PACS) were analyzed (slice thickness MDCT 0.6 mm and CBCT 0.125 mm) of which 23 were imaged by MDCT and 15 by CBCT using optimized standard protocols. Inclusion criteria were normal radiological findings, absence of previous surgery and anatomical variants. Images were evaluated blind by three trained observers. Using a five-point scale the visualization of ten subtle structures of the temporal bone was analyzed. Subtle middle ear structures showed a tendency to be more easily distinguishable by CBCT with significantly better visualization of the tendon of the stapedius muscle and the crura of the stapes on CBCT (p = 0.003 and p = 0.033, respectively). In contrast, inner ear components, such as the osseus spiral lamina and the modiolus tended to be better detectable on MDCT, showing significant differences for the osseous spiral lamina (p = 0.001). The interrater reliability was 0.73 (Cohen's kappa coefficient) and intraobserver reliability was 0.89. The use of CBCT and MDCT allows equivalent and excellent imaging results if optimized protocols are chosen. With both imaging techniques subtle temporal bone structures could be visualized with a similar degree of definition. In vivo differences do not seem to be as large as suggested in several previous studies. (orig.) [de

  8. Bioelectromagnetic and subtle energy medicine

    CERN Document Server

    Rosch, Paul J

    2014-01-01

    PREFACEPreface: Why and How This Book Was Assembled; Paul J. RoschA Tribute to W. Ross Adey: A Man for All Seasons; Paul J. RoschCHAPTERS REPRODUCED FROM THE FIRST EDITIONPreface from the First Edition; Paul J. RoschPotential Therapeutic Applications of Nonthermal Electromagnetic Fields: Ensemble Organization of Cells in Tissue as a Factor in Biological Field Sensing; W. Ross AdeyA Fundamental Basis for the Effects of EMFs in Biology and Medicine: The Interface between Matter and Function; Jacques BenvenisteSubtle Energies and Their Roles in Bioelectromagnetic Phenomena; William A. TillerElectromagnetism versus Bioelectromagnetism; William A. TillerMagneto-Metabolic Therapy for Advanced Malignancy and Cardiomyopathy; Demetrio Sodi Pallares and Paul J. RoschIs There an Electrical Circulatory System That Communicates Internally and Externally?; Paul J. Rosch and Björn E.W. NordenströmSUBTLE ENERGIES: THEORIES AND THERAPIESLife is Water Electric; Mae-Wan HoWhy Biological Water Differs from H2O and Acts Like a ...

  9. Subtle alterations in memory systems and normal visual attention in the GAERS model of absence epilepsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marques-Carneiro, J E; Faure, J-B; Barbelivien, A; Nehlig, A; Cassel, J-C

    2016-03-01

    Even if considered benign, absence epilepsy may alter memory and attention, sometimes subtly. Very little is known on behavior and cognitive functions in the Genetic Absence Epilepsy Rats from Strasbourg (GAERS) model of absence epilepsy. We focused on different memory systems and sustained visual attention, using Non Epileptic Controls (NECs) and Wistars as controls. A battery of cognitive/behavioral tests was used. The functionality of reference, working, and procedural memory was assessed in the Morris water maze (MWM), 8-arm radial maze, T-maze and/or double-H maze. Sustained visual attention was evaluated in the 5-choice serial reaction time task. In the MWM, GAERS showed delayed learning and less efficient working memory. In the 8-arm radial maze and T-maze tests, working memory performance was normal in GAERS, although most GAERS preferred an egocentric strategy (based on proprioceptive/kinesthetic information) to solve the task, but could efficiently shift to an allocentric strategy (based on spatial cues) after protocol alteration. Procedural memory and visual attention were mostly unimpaired. Absence epilepsy has been associated with some learning problems in children. In GAERS, the differences in water maze performance (slower learning of the reference memory task and weak impairment of working memory) and in radial arm maze strategies suggest that cognitive alterations may be subtle, task-specific, and that normal performance can be a matter of strategy adaptation. Altogether, these results strengthen the "face validity" of the GAERS model: in humans with absence epilepsy, cognitive alterations are not easily detectable, which is compatible with subtle deficits. Copyright © 2016 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Evaluation Of Digital Unsharp-Mask Filtering For The Detection Of Subtle Mammographic Microcalcifications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chan, Heang-Ping; Vyborny, Carl J.; MacMahon, Heber; Metz, Charles E.; Doi, Kunio; Sickles, Edward A.

    1986-06-01

    We have conducted a study to assess the effects of digitization and unsharp-mask filtering on the ability of observers to detect subtle microcalcifications in mammograms. Thirty-two conventional screen-film mammograms were selected from patient files by two experienced mammographers. Twelve of the mammograms contained a suspicious cluster of microcalcifications in patients who subsequently underwent biopsy. Twenty of the mammograms were normal cases which were initially interpreted as being free of clustered microcalcifications and did not demonstrate such on careful review. The mammograms were digitized with a high-quality Fuji image processing/simulation system. The system consists of two drum scanners with which an original radiograph can be digitized, processed by a minicomputer, and reconstituted on film. In this study, we employed a sampling aperture of 0.1 mm X 0.1 mm and a sampling distance of 0.1 mm. The density range from 0.2 to 2.75 was digitized to 1024 grey levels per pixel. The digitized images were printed on a single emulsion film with a display aperture having the same size as the sampling aperture. The system was carefully calibrated so that the density and contrast of a digitized image were closely matched to those of the original radiograph. Initially, we evaluated the effects of the weighting factor and the mask size of a unsharp-mask filter on the appearance of mammograms for various types of breasts. Subjective visual comparisons suggested that a mask size of 91 X 91 pixels (9.1 mm X 9.1 mm) enhances the visibility of microcalcifications without excessively increasing the high-frequency noise. Further, a density-dependent weighting factor that increases linearly from 1.5 to 3.0 in the density range of 0.2 to 2.5 enhances the contrast of microcalcifications without introducing many potentially confusing artifacts in the low-density areas. An unsharp-mask filter with these parameters was used to process the digitized mammograms. We conducted

  11. Spectral mineral mapping for characterization of subtle geothermal prospects using ASTER data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abubakar, A J; Hashim, M; Pour, A B

    2017-01-01

    In this study, the performance of ASTER data is evaluated for mapping subtle geothermal prospects in an unexplored tropical region having a number of thermal springs. The study employed a simple Decorrelation stretch with specific absorptions to highlight possible alteration zones of interest related to Geothermal (GT) systems. Hydrothermal alteration minerals are subsequently mapped using Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM) and Linear Spectral Unmixing (LSU) algorithms to target representative minerals such as clays, carbonates and AL-OH minerals as indicators of GT activity. The results were validated through field GPS survey, rock sampling and laboratory analysis using latest smart lab X-Ray Diffractometer technology. The study indicates that ASTER broadband satellite data could be used to map subtle GT prospects with the aid of an in-situ verification. However, it also shows that ASTER could not discriminate within specie minerals especially for clays using SWIR bands. Subsequent studies are aimed at looking at both ASTER and Hyperion hyperspectral data in the same area as this could have significant implications for GT resource detection in unmapped aseismic and inaccessible tropical regions using available spaceborne data. (paper)

  12. Identifying the Subtle Presentation of Decompression Sickness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alea, Kenneth

    2015-12-01

    Decompression sickness is an inherent occupational hazard that has the possibility to leave its victims with significant long-lasting effects that can potentially impact an aircrew's flight status. The relative infrequency of this hazard within the military flying community along with the potentially subtle presentation of decompression sickness (DCS) has the potential to result in delayed diagnosis and treatment, leading to residual deficits that can impact a patient's daily life or even lead to death. The patient presented in this work was diagnosed with a Type II DCS 21 h after a cabin decompression at 35,000 ft (10,668 m). The patient had been asymptomatic with a completely normal physical/neurological exam following his flight. The following day, he presented with excessive fatigue and on re-evaluation was recommended for hyperbaric therapy, during which his symptoms completely resolved. He was re-evaluated 14 d later and cleared to resume flight duties without further incident. The manifestation of this patient's decompression sickness was subtle and followed an evaluation that failed to identify any focal findings. A high index of suspicion with strict follow-up contributed to the identification of DCS in this case, resulting in definitive treatment and resolution of the patient's symptoms. Determination of the need for hyperbaric therapy following oxygen supplementation and a thorough history and physical is imperative. If the diagnosis is in question, consider preemptive hyperbaric therapy as the benefits of treatment in DCS outweigh the risks of treatment. Finally, this work introduces the future potential of neuropsychological testing for both the diagnosis of DCS as well as assessing the effectiveness of hyperbaric therapy in Type II DCS.

  13. Computerized detection of lung nodules by means of "virtual dual-energy" radiography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Sheng; Suzuki, Kenji

    2013-02-01

    Major challenges in current computer-aided detection (CADe) schemes for nodule detection in chest radiographs (CXRs) are to detect nodules that overlap with ribs and/or clavicles and to reduce the frequent false positives (FPs) caused by ribs. Detection of such nodules by a CADe scheme is very important, because radiologists are likely to miss such subtle nodules. Our purpose in this study was to develop a CADe scheme with improved sensitivity and specificity by use of "virtual dual-energy" (VDE) CXRs where ribs and clavicles are suppressed with massive-training artificial neural networks (MTANNs). To reduce rib-induced FPs and detect nodules overlapping with ribs, we incorporated the VDE technology in our CADe scheme. The VDE technology suppressed rib and clavicle opacities in CXRs while maintaining soft-tissue opacity by use of the MTANN technique that had been trained with real dual-energy imaging. Our scheme detected nodule candidates on VDE images by use of a morphologic filtering technique. Sixty morphologic and gray-level-based features were extracted from each candidate from both original and VDE CXRs. A nonlinear support vector classifier was employed for classification of the nodule candidates. A publicly available database containing 140 nodules in 140 CXRs and 93 normal CXRs was used for testing our CADe scheme. All nodules were confirmed by computed tomography examinations, and the average size of the nodules was 17.8 mm. Thirty percent (42/140) of the nodules were rated "extremely subtle" or "very subtle" by a radiologist. The original scheme without VDE technology achieved a sensitivity of 78.6% (110/140) with 5 (1165/233) FPs per image. By use of the VDE technology, more nodules overlapping with ribs or clavicles were detected and the sensitivity was improved substantially to 85.0% (119/140) at the same FP rate in a leave-one-out cross-validation test, whereas the FP rate was reduced to 2.5 (583/233) per image at the same sensitivity level as the

  14. The application of MRI for depiction of subtle blood brain barrier disruption in stroke.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Israeli, David; Tanne, David; Daniels, Dianne; Last, David; Shneor, Ran; Guez, David; Landau, Efrat; Roth, Yiftach; Ocherashvilli, Aharon; Bakon, Mati; Hoffman, Chen; Weinberg, Amit; Volk, Talila; Mardor, Yael

    2010-12-26

    The development of imaging methodologies for detecting blood-brain-barrier (BBB) disruption may help predict stroke patient's propensity to develop hemorrhagic complications following reperfusion. We have developed a delayed contrast extravasation MRI-based methodology enabling real-time depiction of subtle BBB abnormalities in humans with high sensitivity to BBB disruption and high spatial resolution. The increased sensitivity to subtle BBB disruption is obtained by acquiring T1-weighted MRI at relatively long delays (~15 minutes) after contrast injection and subtracting from them images acquired immediately after contrast administration. In addition, the relatively long delays allow for acquisition of high resolution images resulting in high resolution BBB disruption maps. The sensitivity is further increased by image preprocessing with corrections for intensity variations and with whole body (rigid+elastic) registration. Since only two separate time points are required, the time between the two acquisitions can be used for acquiring routine clinical data, keeping the total imaging time to a minimum. A proof of concept study was performed in 34 patients with ischemic stroke and 2 patients with brain metastases undergoing high resolution T1-weighted MRI acquired at 3 time points after contrast injection. The MR images were pre-processed and subtracted to produce BBB disruption maps. BBB maps of patients with brain metastases and ischemic stroke presented different patterns of BBB opening. The significant advantage of the long extravasation time was demonstrated by a dynamic-contrast-enhancement study performed continuously for 18 min. The high sensitivity of our methodology enabled depiction of clear BBB disruption in 27% of the stroke patients who did not have abnormalities on conventional contrast-enhanced MRI. In 36% of the patients, who had abnormalities detectable by conventional MRI, the BBB disruption volumes were significantly larger in the maps than in

  15. A Psychophysical Test for Retinitis Pigmentosa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corwin, Thomas R; Mancini, Michael

    A new test designed to detect an hereditary eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is described. This condition is revealed by pigmentation in the retina, but early diagnosis is difficult because the symptoms are subtle, and since it is genetically recessive it frequently occurs in families with no history of early blindness. In many cases…

  16. Modeling of subtle kinetic processes in plasma simulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sydora, R.D.; Decyk, V.K.; Dawson, J.M.

    1988-01-01

    A new diagnostic method for plasma simulation models is presented which enables one to probe the subtle dielectric properties of the plasma medium. The procedure involves the removal of the background plasma response in order to isolate the effects of small perturbing influences which are externally added. We have found the technique accurately describes fundamental kinetic plasma behavior such as the shielding of individual test charges and currents. Wave emission studies and drag of test particles has been carried out in explicit particle algorithms as well as large time step implicit and gyrokinetic models. Accurate plasma behavior is produced and it is possible to investigate in detail, processes which can be compared with plasma kinetic theory. The technique of subtraction is not only limited to particle simulation models but also can be used in MHD or fluid models where resolution is difficult due to the intensity of the background response relative to the phenomena one is interested in measuring, such as a weakly grouwing instability or nonlinear mode coupling effect. (author)

  17. Signatures of positive selection: from selective sweeps at individual loci to subtle allele frequency changes in polygenic adaptation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stephan, Wolfgang

    2016-01-01

    In the past 15 years, numerous methods have been developed to detect selective sweeps underlying adaptations. These methods are based on relatively simple population genetic models, including one or two loci at which positive directional selection occurs, and one or two marker loci at which the impact of selection on linked neutral variation is quantified. Information about the phenotype under selection is not included in these models (except for fitness). In contrast, in the quantitative genetic models of adaptation, selection acts on one or more phenotypic traits, such that a genotype-phenotype map is required to bridge the gap to population genetics theory. Here I describe the range of population genetic models from selective sweeps in a panmictic population of constant size to evolutionary traffic when simultaneous sweeps at multiple loci interfere, and I also consider the case of polygenic selection characterized by subtle allele frequency shifts at many loci. Furthermore, I present an overview of the statistical tests that have been proposed based on these population genetics models to detect evidence for positive selection in the genome. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  18. Testing human sperm chemotaxis: how to detect biased motion in population assays.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leah Armon

    Full Text Available Biased motion of motile cells in a concentration gradient of a chemoattractant is frequently studied on the population level. This approach has been particularly employed in human sperm chemotactic assays, where the fraction of responsive cells is low and detection of biased motion depends on subtle differences. In these assays, statistical measures such as population odds ratios of swimming directions can be employed to infer chemotactic performance. Here, we report on an improved method to assess statistical significance of experimentally determined odds ratios and discuss the strong impact of data correlations that arise from the directional persistence of sperm swimming.

  19. The Influence of the Expression of Subtle and Blatant Sexual Prejudice on Personal Prejudice and Identification With the Expresser.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krolikowski, Alex M; Rinella, Mark; Ratcliff, Jennifer J

    2016-01-01

    Although the negative consequences of subtle and blatant prejudice for the targets of prejudice are clear in the psychological literature, the impact of exposure to subtle and blatant prejudice on non-targets remains unclear. The current work examines how exposure to blatant and subtle sexual prejudice affects non-targets' personal endorsement of prejudice and their identification with the prejudice expresser. Results suggest that relative to exposure to blatant or neutral expressions of prejudice, exposure to subtle prejudice increased prejudice levels. Individuals were also more likely to distance from the prejudice expresser when exposed to blatant compared to subtle prejudice. The implications are discussed.

  20. Subtle metabolic alterations in adolescents with obesity and polycystic ovarian syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vital-Reyes, Víctor Saúl; Lopez-Alarcón, Mardia Guadalupe; Inda-Icaza, Patricia; Márquez-Maldonado, Concepción

    2017-01-01

    To evaluate the frequency of some subtle metabolic alterations in a group of adolescents with obesity and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). A cross-sectional, comparative study was conducted in a group of adolescents with obesity, and characterized as with or without PCOS according with the Rotterdam Consensus. Medical history, anthropometry, gynecologic pelvic ultrasound (to evaluate ovarian volumes, number of antral follicles and endometrial width), as well as serum glucose, insulin, lipoproteins, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha, total testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone, sexual hormones binding globulin, leptin, adiponectin and insulin-like growth factor 1, the free-androgen index, free and available testosterone, and homeostatic model assessment index were calculated. For statistics, mean and standard deviation, or median and ranges were used for description as appropriate. Likewise, Student t-test or Mann-Whitney test were used for comparisons. From a sample of 180 adolescents, 47 attached to selection criteria. Mean age was 13.5 year and Z-score 2.5. Eighty percent of adolescents presented central distribution of body fat and 95% hyperinsulinemia. The more frequent dyslipidemias were hypertriglyceridemia in 57% and hypercholesterolemia in 12.8%; 25.5% of adolescents presented two out of three criteria for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Body mass index and insulin were correlated with free testosterone, but the multivariate analysis demonstrated that the magnitude of the association was significantly higher in SOP patients. The metabolic alterations detected in obese adolescents with SOP suggest that the clinical manifestations that accompany the syndrome characterize the PCOS as a metabolic disease, which carry important health risks at short, medium and long term. Therefore, they merit intervening actions to prevent, diagnose and provide timing treatment in order to limit the damage in the course of the natural history of PCOS. Copyright:

  1. Manifest and Subtle Cyclic Behavior in Nonequilibrium Steady States

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zia, R K P; Weiss, Jeffrey B; Mandal, Dibyendu; Fox-Kemper, Baylor

    2016-01-01

    Many interesting phenomena in nature are described by stochastic processes with irreversible dynamics. To model these phenomena, we focus on a master equation or a Fokker-Planck equation with rates which violate detailed balance. When the system settles in a stationary state, it will be a nonequilibrium steady state (NESS), with time independent probability distribution as well as persistent probability current loops. The observable consequences of the latter are explored. In particular, cyclic behavior of some form must be present: some are prominent and manifest, while others are more obscure and subtle. We present a theoretical framework to analyze such properties, introducing the notion of “probability angular momentum” and its distribution. Using several examples, we illustrate the manifest and subtle categories and how best to distinguish between them. These techniques can be applied to reveal the NESS nature of a wide range of systems in a large variety of areas. We illustrate with one application: variability of ocean heat content in our climate system. (paper)

  2. Selection of tests for outlier detection

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bossers, H.C.M.; Hurink, Johann L.; Smit, Gerardus Johannes Maria

    Integrated circuits are tested thoroughly in order to meet the high demands on quality. As an additional step, outlier detection is used to detect potential unreliable chips such that quality can be improved further. However, it is often unclear to which tests outlier detection should be applied and

  3. In defense of the subtle prejudice concept: A retort.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pettigrew, T.F.; Meertens, R.W.

    2001-01-01

    Responds to Coenders et al (see record 2001-06995-005) experiment replication and comments on the article by T. F. Pettigrew and R. W. Meertens' (see record 1995-28884-001) which investigated blatant and subtle intergroup prejudice. Coenders et al produced a different analysis of prejudice from the

  4. Subtle Raman signals from nano-diamond and β-SiC thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuntumalla, Mohan Kumar; Ojha, Harish; Srikanth, Vadali Venkata Satya Siva

    2013-01-01

    Micro Raman scattering experiments are carried out in pursuit of subtle but discernable signals from nano-diamond and β-SiC thin films. The thin films are synthesized using microwave plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition technique. Raman scattering experiments in conjunction with scanning electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction were carried out to extract microstructure and phase information of the above mentioned thin films. Certain subtle Raman signals have been identified in this work. In the case of nanodiamond thin films, Raman bands at ∼ 485 and ∼ 1220 cm −1 are identified. These bands have been assigned to the nanodiamond present in nanodiamond thin films. In the case of nano β-SiC thin films, optical phonons are identified using surface enhanced Raman scattering. - Highlights: ► Subtle Raman signals from nano-diamond and β-silicon carbide related thin films. ► Raman bands at ∼ 485 and ∼ 1220 cm −1 from nanodiamond thin films are identified. ► Longitudinal optical phonon from nano β-silicon carbide thin films is identified

  5. Numerical evaluation of monofil and subtle-layered evapotranspiration (ET) landfill caps

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wilson, G.V.; Henley, M.; Valceschini, R.

    1998-01-01

    The US Department of Energy/Nevada Operations Office (DOE/NV) has identified the need to design a low-level waste (LLW) closure cap for the arid conditions at the Nevada Test Site (NTS). As a result of concerns for subsidence impacting the cover, DOE/NV redesigned the LLW cover from one containing a 'hard' infiltration barrier that would likely fail, to a 'soft' (ET) cover that is sufficiently deep to accommodate the hydrologic problems of subsidence. An ET cover is one that does not contain hydrologic barrier layers but relies on soil-water retention and sufficient thickness to store water until evapotranspiration (ET) can remove the moisture. Subtle layering within an ET cap using the native soil could be environmentally beneficial and cost effective

  6. Selective incivility: immigrant groups experience subtle workplace discrimination at different rates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krings, Franciska; Johnston, Claire; Binggeli, Steve; Maggiori, Christian

    2014-10-01

    Immigrants play an increasingly important role in local labor markets. Not only do they grow steadily in number but also in cultural, educational, and skill diversity, underlining the necessity to distinguish between immigrant groups when studying discrimination against immigrants. We examined immigrant employees' subtle discrimination experiences in a representative sample in Switzerland, controlling for dispositional influences. Results showed that mainly members of highly competitive immigrant groups, from immediate neighbor countries, experienced workplace incivility and that these incivility experiences were related to higher likelihoods of perceived discrimination at work. This research confirms recent accounts that successful but disliked groups are particularly likely to experience subtle interpersonal discrimination. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).

  7. Exploring the potential of acquisition curves of the anhysteretic remanent magnetization as a tool to detect subtle magnetic alteration induced by heating

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Groot, Lennart V.; Dekkers, Mark J.; Mullender, Tom A. T.

    2012-03-01

    Recently, many new methods and improved protocols to determine the absolute paleointensity of lavas reliably have been proposed. Here we study eight recent flows from three different volcanic edifices (Mt. Etna, La Palma and Hawaii) with the so-called multispecimen parallel differential pTRM (MSP) method including the recently proposed domain-state correction (MSP-DSC) (Fabian and Leonhardt, 2010). Surprisingly, apart from approximately correct paleointensity values, we observe major underestimates of the paleofield. These deviations are possibly related to alteration that is not revealed by rock-magnetic analysis. We explore the potential of high-resolution acquisition curves of the anhysteretic remanent magnetization (ARM) to detect subtle alteration in the samples. It appears that assessing changes in the ARM acquisition properties before and after heating to the desired MSP temperature discriminates between underestimates and approximately correct estimations of the paleofield in the outcomes of the MSP-DSC protocol. By combining observations from the domain-state corrected MSP protocol and ARM acquisition experiments before and after heating, an extended MSP protocol is suggested which makes it possible to assess the best set temperature for the MSP-DSC protocol and to label MSP results as being approximately correct, or an underestimate of the paleofield.

  8. An assessment of the iPad 2 as a CT teleradiology tool using brain CT with subtle intracranial hemorrhage under conventional illumination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Joon Bum; Choi, Hyuk Joong; Lee, Jeong Hun; Kang, Bo Seung

    2013-08-01

    We examined the potential of the iPad 2 as a teleradiologic tool for evaluating brain computed tomography (CT) with subtle hemorrhage in the conventional lighting conditions which are common situations in the remote CT reading. The comparison of the clinician's performance was undertaken through detecting hemorrhage by the iPad 2 and the clinical liquid crystal display (LCD) monitor. We selected 100 brain CT exams performed for head trauma or headache. Fifty had subtle radiological signs of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), while the other 50 showed no significant abnormality. Five emergency medicine physicians reviewed these brain CT scans using the iPad 2 and the LCD monitor, scoring the probability of ICH on each exam on a five-point scale. Result showed high sensitivities and specificities in both devices. We generated receiver operating characteristic curves and calculated the average area under the curve of the iPad 2 and the LCD (0.935 and 0.900). Using the iPad 2 and reliable internet connectivity, clinicians can provide remote evaluation of brain CT with subtle hemorrhage under suboptimal viewing condition. Considering the distinct advantages of the iPad 2, the popular out-of-hospital use of mobile CT teleradiology would be anticipated soon.

  9. Unusual and subtle scintigraphic findings in the evaluation of the battered child

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Howard, J.L.; Barron, B.J.; Smith, G.G.

    1988-01-01

    Nuclear medicine imaging plays a key role in the evaluation of skeletal trauma. Recent findings in our department show that diagnoses other than skeletal trauma are often identified by means of subtle and unusual scintigraphic findings. The subject material will place strong emphasis on the less mentioned but often more important visceral and intracranial injury. Specific scintigraphic abnormalities to be demonstrated, with appropriate correlative radiographs, include (1) visceral and soft tissue (eg, duodenal hematoma, splenic laceration, renal contusion, hepatic hematoma, rhabdomyolysis and soft-tissue hematoma); (2) cranial (eg, intracranial bleeding, edema, and infarct, cephalohematoma, skull fracture, and widening of sutures; and (3) skeletal (various subtle abnormalities)

  10. Detection of Subtle Context-Dependent Model Inaccuracies in High-Dimensional Robot Domains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mendoza, Juan Pablo; Simmons, Reid; Veloso, Manuela

    2016-12-01

    Autonomous robots often rely on models of their sensing and actions for intelligent decision making. However, when operating in unconstrained environments, the complexity of the world makes it infeasible to create models that are accurate in every situation. This article addresses the problem of using potentially large and high-dimensional sets of robot execution data to detect situations in which a robot model is inaccurate-that is, detecting context-dependent model inaccuracies in a high-dimensional context space. To find inaccuracies tractably, the robot conducts an informed search through low-dimensional projections of execution data to find parametric Regions of Inaccurate Modeling (RIMs). Empirical evidence from two robot domains shows that this approach significantly enhances the detection power of existing RIM-detection algorithms in high-dimensional spaces.

  11. Regional measurement of ventilation and perfusion to detect subtle lung abnormalities in coal miners

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Susskind, H.; Liu, J.; Brill, A.B.

    1986-01-01

    The relationship between regional pulmonary ventilation (V) and perfusion (Q) uniquely determines the amount of gas exchange that occurs in the lungs. Therefore, the pixel-by-pixel distributions of V and Q were measured with continuously inhaled Kr-81m and i.v. injected Tc-99m MAA, respectively, in a group of 71 subjects exposed to coal dust and then compared with those from a control group of 9 healthy volunteers. Each subject sat upright with his back against a large-field-of-view scintillation camera; 500,000 count images were obtained, analyzed by computer, and then displayed in a 64 x 64 matrix. Individual pixel values of V and Q were correlated by a best-fit regression line, whose slope was proportional to the overall V/Q ratio. The slopes of individual groups of nonsmokers, ex-smokers, and smokers (0.83-0.85) were significantly greater (p < 0.02) than the slope of the controls (0.70 +/- 0.07). In addition, the authors found that the skewness of plots of frequency distribution of V/Q and of V and Q vs V/Q for the individual patient groups was statistically different from that of the normals (p < 0.01). Statistical analysis of local and Q values therefore appears to be a potentially useful, non-invasive method to evaluate subtle regional lung impairment

  12. New Evidence of Construct Validity Problems for Pettigrew and Meertens' (1995) Blatant and Subtle Prejudice Scale.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arancibia-Martini, Héctor; Ruiz, Miguel Á; Blanco, Amalio; Cárdenas, Manuel

    2016-04-01

    Given the current debate over the distinction between subtle and blatant prejudice, this study provides new evidence regarding problems with the construct validity of the Pettigrew and Meertens' Blatant and Subtle Prejudice Scale. To assess these issues, an existing data sample of 896 Chilean participants collected in 2010 was reanalyzed. The main analysis method used was a confirmatory factor analysis. The model that best represented the original theory (a model of two correlated second-order factors) had an improper solution due to the unidentified model. The scale has substantial psychometric problems, and it was not possible to distinguish between subtle and blatant prejudice. © The Author(s) 2016.

  13. Subtle Implicit Language Facts Emerge from the Functions of Constructions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldberg, Adele E

    2015-01-01

    Much has been written about the unlikelihood of innate, syntax-specific, universal knowledge of language (Universal Grammar) on the grounds that it is biologically implausible, unresponsive to cross-linguistic facts, theoretically inelegant, and implausible and unnecessary from the perspective of language acquisition. While relevant, much of this discussion fails to address the sorts of facts that generative linguists often take as evidence in favor of the Universal Grammar Hypothesis: subtle, intricate, knowledge about language that speakers implicitly know without being taught. This paper revisits a few often-cited such cases and argues that, although the facts are sometimes even more complex and subtle than is generally appreciated, appeals to Universal Grammar fail to explain the phenomena. Instead, such facts are strongly motivated by the functions of the constructions involved. The following specific cases are discussed: (a) the distribution and interpretation of anaphoric one, (b) constraints on long-distance dependencies, (c) subject-auxiliary inversion, and (d) cross-linguistic linking generalizations between semantics and syntax.

  14. Waning of "conditioned pain modulation": a novel expression of subtle pronociception in migraine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nahman-Averbuch, Hadas; Granovsky, Yelena; Coghill, Robert C; Yarnitsky, David; Sprecher, Elliot; Weissman-Fogel, Irit

    2013-01-01

    To assess the decay of the conditioned pain modulation (CPM) response along repeated applications as a possible expression of subtle pronociception in migraine. One of the most explored mechanisms underlying the pain modulation system is "diffuse noxious inhibitory controls," which is measured psychophysically in the lab by the CPM paradigm. There are contradicting reports on CPM response in migraine, questioning whether migraineurs express pronociceptive pain modulation. Migraineurs (n = 26) and healthy controls (n = 35), all females, underwent 3 stimulation series, consisting of repeated (1) "test-stimulus" (Ts) alone that was given first followed by (2) parallel CPM application (CPM-parallel), and (3) sequential CPM application (CPM-sequential), in which the Ts is delivered during or following the conditioning-stimulus, respectively. In all series, the Ts repeated 4 times (0-3). In the CPM series, repetition "0" consisted of the Ts-alone that was followed by 3 repetitions of the Ts with a conditioning-stimulus application. Although there was no difference between migraineurs and controls for the first CPM response in each series, we found waning of CPM-parallel efficiency along the series for migraineurs (P = .005 for third vs first CPM), but not for controls. Further, greater CPM waning in the CPM-sequential series was correlated with less reported extent of pain reduction by episodic medication (r = 0.493, P = .028). Migraineurs have subtle deficits in endogenous pain modulation which requires a more challenging test protocol than the commonly used single CPM. Waning of CPM response seems to reveal this pronociceptive state. The clinical relevance of the CPM waning effect is highlighted by its association with clinical parameters of migraine. © 2013 American Headache Society.

  15. An intramolecular charge transfer process based fluorescent probe for monitoring subtle pH fluctuation in living cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Mingtai; Du, Libo; Yu, Huan; Zhang, Kui; Liu, Yang; Wang, Suhua

    2017-01-01

    It is crucial to monitor intracellular pH values and their fluctuation since the organelles of cells have different pH distribution. Herein we construct a new small molecule fluorescent probe HBT-O for monitoring the subtle pH values within the scope of neutral to acid in living cells. The probe exhibited good water solubility, a marked turquoise to olivine emission color change in response to pH, and tremendous fluorescence hypochromatic shift of ∼50nm (1718cm -1 ) as well as the increased fluorescence intensity when the pH value changed from neutral to acid. Thus, the probe HBT-O can distinguish the subtle changes in the range of normal pH values from neutral to acid with significant fluorescence changes. These properties can be attributed to the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) process of the probe upon protonation in buffer solutions at varied pH values. Moreover, the probe was reversible and nearly non-toxic for living cells. Then the probe was successfully used to detect pH fluctuation in living cells by exhibiting different fluorescence colors and intensity. These findings demonstrate that the probe will find useful applications in biology and biomedical research. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Recognizing subtle near-occlusion in carotid stenosis patients: a computed tomography angiographic study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Koskinen, Suvi Maaria [University of Helsinki, Clinicum, Department of Neurosciences (Finland); University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, HUS Medical Imaging Center, Radiology, Helsinki (Finland); Silvennoinen, Heli; Valanne, Leena [University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, HUS Medical Imaging Center, Radiology, Helsinki (Finland); Ijaes, Petra; Nuotio, Krista; Lindsberg, Perttu J. [University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Neurology, Clinical Neurosciences, Helsinki (Finland); University of Helsinki, Molecular Neurology, Research Programs Unit, Helsinki (Finland); Soinne, Lauri [University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Neurology, Clinical Neurosciences, Helsinki (Finland)

    2017-04-15

    Near-occlusion of the internal carotid artery (ICA) is a significant luminal diameter (LD) reduction beyond a tight atherosclerotic carotid stenosis (CS). Recognition of even subtle near-occlusions is essential to prevent underestimation of the stenosis degree. Our goal was to investigate the prevalence of near-occlusion among CS patients using a single standard criterion to facilitate its recognition, even when distal ICA LD reduction is not visually evident in computed tomography angiography (CTA). We analysed carotid artery CTAs of 467 patients with moderate-to-severe CS scheduled for endarterectomy. We performed measurements of the bilateral distal ICA LDs from thin axial source images and utilized a 1.0 mm intra-individual side-to-side distal ICA LD difference to distinguish near-occlusions, based on a previous study, aware of the vagaries of measurement. For analysis stratification, we excluded cases with significant carotid pathology affecting LD measurements. We discovered 126 near-occlusions fulfilling our criterion of ipsilateral near-occlusion: the mean LD side-to-side difference (mm) with 95% confidence interval being 1.8 (1.6, 1.9) and a standard deviation of 0.8 mm. Among the 233 cases not meeting our near-occlusion criterion, we found 140 moderate (50-69%) and 93 severe (70-99%) ipsilateral stenoses. The utilization of 1.0 mm cut-off value for the intra-individual distal ICA LD side-to-side difference to distinguish atherosclerotic ICA near-occlusion leads to a relatively high incidence of near-occlusion. In CTA, recently suggested to be used for near-occlusion diagnosis, a discriminatory 1.0 mm cut-off value could function as a pragmatic tool to enhance the detection of even subtle near-occlusions. (orig.)

  17. Complex radial folds versus subtle signs of intracapsular rupture of breast implants: MR findings with surgical correlation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soo, M S; Kornguth, P J; Walsh, R; Elenberger, C D; Georgiade, G S

    1996-06-01

    Detection of intracapsular rupture of silicone breast prostheses using MR imaging is often performed by identifying the "linguine sign" [1]. The linguine sign is easily differentiated from simple radial folds that are seen in intact implants. However, more subtle signs of intracapsular rupture, including undulating subcapsular lines and the "teardrop sign," are less often recognized [2-5] and may prove difficult for the less experienced radiologist to differentiate from complex radial folds of intact implants. In this essay, we illustrate the MR imaging findings of complex radial folds in intact implants and compare them with findings of incomplete shell collapse in ruptured implants in a surgically confirmed series of explanted silicone breast prostheses.

  18. Parahippocampal epilepsy with subtle dysplasia: A cause of "imaging negative" partial epilepsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pillay, Neelan; Fabinyi, Gavin C A; Myles, Terry S; Fitt, Gregory J; Berkovic, Samuel F; Jackson, Graeme D

    2009-12-01

    Lesion-negative refractory partial epilepsy is a major challenge in the assessment of patients for potential surgery. Finding a potential epileptogenic lesion simplifies assessment and is associated with good outcome. Here we describe imaging features of subtle parahippocampal dysplasia in five cases that were initially assessed as having imaging-negative frontal or temporal lobe epilepsy. We analyzed the clinical and imaging features of five patients with seizures from the parahippocampal region. Five patients had subtle but distinctive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) abnormalities in the parahippocampal gyrus. This was a unilateral signal abnormality in the parahippocampal white matter extending into gray matter on heavily T(1)- and T(2)-weighted images with relative preservation of the gray-white matter boundary on T(1)-weighted volume sequences. Only one of these patients had typical electroclinical unilateral temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE); one mimicked frontal lobe epilepsy, two showed bitemporal seizures, and one had unlocalized partial seizures. All have had surgery; four are seizure-free (one has occasional auras only, follow-up 6 months to 10 years), and one has a >50% seizure reduction. Histopathologic evaluation suggested dysplastic features in the surgical specimens in all. In patients with lesion-negative partial epilepsy with frontal or temporal semiology, or in cases with apparent bitemporal seizures, subtle parahippocampal abnormalities should be carefully excluded. Recognizing the MRI findings of an abnormal parahippocampal gyrus can lead to successful surgery without invasive monitoring, despite apparently incongruent electroclinical features.

  19. CERN result provides definite answer to one of nature's most subtle secrets

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN Press Office. Geneva

    2001-01-01

    At a seminar at CERN on 10 May the NA48 collaboration announced its final result on one of nature's best-kept secrets : direct Charge Parity (CP)-violation. This subtle effect explains nature's preference for matter over antimatter.

  20. Subtle Cardiovascular Dysfunction in the Unilateral 6-Hydroxydopamine-Lesioned Rat

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. Slack

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The present study evaluated whether the unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA model of Parkinson's disease produces autonomic deficits. Autonomic parameters were assessed by implanting a small radiofrequency telemetry device which measured heart rate variability (HRV, diurnal rhythms of heart rate (HR, core body temperature (cBT and locomotor activity (LA. Rats then received 6-OHDA lesion or sham surgery. 6-OHDA lesioned rats exhibited head and body axis biases, defective sensorimotor function (“disengage” test, and prominent apomorphine rotation (all P<.05 versus controls. Diurnal rhythm of HR was lower for 6-OHDA lesioned rats (n=8 versus controls (n=6; P<.05. Whilst HR decreased similarly in both groups during the day, there was a greater decrease in HR for the 6-OHDA lesioned rats at night (by 38 b.p.m. relative to 17 b.p.m. for controls. LA and cBT did not differ between surgery groups. This study indicates the unilateral 6-OHDA model of PD shows subtle signs of cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction.

  1. Human population structure detection via multilocus genotype clustering

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Starmer Joshua

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background We describe a hierarchical clustering algorithm for using Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP genetic data to assign individuals to populations. The method does not assume Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and linkage equilibrium among loci in sample population individuals. Results We show that the algorithm can assign sample individuals highly accurately to their corresponding ethnic groups in our tests using HapMap SNP data and it is also robust to admixed populations when tested with Perlegen SNP data. Moreover, it can detect fine-scale population structure as subtle as that between Chinese and Japanese by using genome-wide high-diversity SNP loci. Conclusion The algorithm provides an alternative approach to the popular STRUCTURE program, especially for fine-scale population structure detection in genome-wide association studies. This is the first successful separation of Chinese and Japanese samples using random SNP loci with high statistical support.

  2. Incidental white-matter foci on MRI in ''healthy'' subjects: evidence of subtle cognitive dysfunction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baum, K.A.; Schulte, C.; Girke, W.; Reischies, F.M.; Felix, R.

    1996-01-01

    The clinical significance of incidental white-matter foci seen on MRI is controversial. Mainly using a computer-assisted neuropsychological test battery, we tested the hypothesis that there is a clinical correlate of these foci. We studied 41 individuals aged 45-65 years with no history of neurological or psychiatric disorder, in whom no indication of central nervous system abnormalities was found on standardised neurological examination. A computer-assisted neuropsychological test battery, with the advantage of precise measuring of both time and deviation (e. g. in position memory tests), and rating scales for emotional dysfunction were administered; selected soft neurological signs were assessed. In 16 subjects (39 %) MRI showed high-signal foci in the white matter on spin-echo sequences. White-matter foci not adjacent to the lateral ventricles were found to be related to performance on immediate visual memory/visuoperceptual skills, visuomotor tracking/psychomotor speed and, to a lesser degree, learning capacity and abstract and conceptual reasoning skills. Subtle cognitive dysfunction would appear to be a clinical correlate of punctate white-matter foci on MRI of otherwise ''healty'' individuals. (orig.). With 1 fig., 2 tabs

  3. Seeing Emotions: A Review of Micro and Subtle Emotion Expression Training

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poole, Ernest Andre

    2016-01-01

    In this review I explore and discuss the use of micro and subtle expression training in the social sciences. These trainings, offered commercially, are designed and endorsed by noted psychologist Paul Ekman, co-author of the Facial Action Coding System, a comprehensive system of measuring muscular movement in the face and its relationship to the…

  4. Subtle lower esophageal sphincter relaxation abnormalities in patients with unexplained esophageal dysphagia

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Herregods, T. V. K.; van Hoeij, F. B.; Bredenoord, A. J.; Smout, A. J. P. M.

    2018-01-01

    Esophageal dysphagia is a relatively common symptom. We aimed to evaluate whether subtle, presently not acknowledged forms of dysfunction of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) could explain dysphagia in a subset of patients with normal findings at high-resolution manometry (HRM) according to the

  5. Learning Classification Models of Cognitive Conditions from Subtle Behaviors in the Digital Clock Drawing Test.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Souillard-Mandar, William; Davis, Randall; Rudin, Cynthia; Au, Rhoda; Libon, David J; Swenson, Rodney; Price, Catherine C; Lamar, Melissa; Penney, Dana L

    2016-03-01

    The Clock Drawing Test - a simple pencil and paper test - has been used for more than 50 years as a screening tool to differentiate normal individuals from those with cognitive impairment, and has proven useful in helping to diagnose cognitive dysfunction associated with neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and other dementias and conditions. We have been administering the test using a digitizing ballpoint pen that reports its position with considerable spatial and temporal precision, making available far more detailed data about the subject's performance. Using pen stroke data from these drawings categorized by our software, we designed and computed a large collection of features, then explored the tradeoffs in performance and interpretability in classifiers built using a number of different subsets of these features and a variety of different machine learning techniques. We used traditional machine learning methods to build prediction models that achieve high accuracy. We operationalized widely used manual scoring systems so that we could use them as benchmarks for our models. We worked with clinicians to define guidelines for model interpretability, and constructed sparse linear models and rule lists designed to be as easy to use as scoring systems currently used by clinicians, but more accurate. While our models will require additional testing for validation, they offer the possibility of substantial improvement in detecting cognitive impairment earlier than currently possible, a development with considerable potential impact in practice.

  6. Can Caring Create Prejudice? An Investigation of Positive and Negative Intergenerational Contact in Care Settings and the Generalisation of Blatant and Subtle Age Prejudice to Other Older People.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drury, Lisbeth; Abrams, Dominic; Swift, Hannah J; Lamont, Ruth A; Gerocova, Katarina

    2017-01-01

    Caring is a positive social act, but can it result in negative attitudes towards those cared for, and towards others from their wider social group? Based on intergroup contact theory, we tested whether care workers' (CWs) positive and negative contact with old-age care home residents (CHRs) predicts prejudiced attitudes towards that group, and whether this generalises to other older people. Fifty-six CWs were surveyed about their positive and negative contact with CHRs and their blatant and subtle attitudes (humanness attributions) towards CHRs and older adults. We tested indirect paths from contact with CHRs to attitudes towards older adults via attitudes towards CHRs. Results showed that neither positive nor negative contact generalised blatant ageism. However, the effect of negative, but not positive, contact on the denial of humanness to CHRs generalised to subtle ageism towards older adults. This evidence has practical implications for management of CWs' work experiences and theoretical implications, suggesting that negative contact with a subgroup generalises the attribution of humanness to superordinate groups. Because it is difficult to identify and challenge subtle prejudices such as dehumanisation, it may be especially important to reduce negative contact. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. Subtle imitation behaviour in convenience samples of normal, demented, and currently depressed elderly subjects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    von Gunten, Armin; Duc, René

    2007-06-01

    The clinical significance of imitation behaviour (IB) is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of subtle naïve and obstinate IB in convenience samples of normal elderly, demented, and depressed subjects. Subtle IB was assessed using a protocol constructed ad hoc in 146 patients, consecutively referred to a memory clinic having received an ICD-10 diagnosis of either dementia or depression, and in 241 healthy subjects. The prevalence of IB in the three groups was determined and the association with possible demographic, cognitive, and non-cognitive variables analysed. Subtle naïve IB was frequent in the elderly with dementia, intermediate in the depressed, and rare in the normal elderly except that the latter frequently stretched out their arms. Obstinate IB never occurred in the normal elderly. IB was predicted by none of the variables used. The groups included were convenience samples with the depressed being a small group precluding further distinction of depressive subtypes. Although naïve IB is a frequent clinical feature in the demented, it also accompanies depressive disorders in the elderly. It can be observed as context-specific IB in the normal elderly. Obstinate IB does not occur in the normal elderly. Copyright 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  8. Statistical guidelines for detecting past population shifts using ancient DNA

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mourier, Tobias; Ho, Simon Y. W.; Gilbert, Tom

    2012-01-01

    Populations carry a genetic signal of their demographic past, providing an opportunity for investigating the processes that shaped their evolution. Our ability to infer population histories can be enhanced by including ancient DNA data. Using serial-coalescent simulations and a range of both...... quantitative and temporal sampling schemes, we test the power of ancient mitochondrial sequences and nuclear single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to detect past population bottlenecks. Within our simulated framework, mitochondrial sequences have only limited power to detect subtle bottlenecks and/or fast...... results provide useful guidelines for scaling sampling schemes and for optimizing our ability to infer past population dynamics. In addition, our results suggest that many ancient DNA studies may face power issues in detecting moderate demographic collapses and/or highly dynamic demographic shifts when...

  9. Multisignal detecting system of pile integrity testing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Zuting; Luo, Ying; Yu, Shihai

    2002-05-01

    The low strain reflection wave method plays a principal rule in the integrating detection of base piles. However, there are some deficiencies with this method. For example, there is a blind area of detection on top of the tested pile; it is difficult to recognize the defects at deep-seated parts of the pile; there is still the planar of 3D domino effect, etc. It is very difficult to solve these problems only with the single-transducer pile integrity testing system. A new multi-signal piles integrity testing system is proposed in this paper, which is able to impulse and collect signals on multiple points on top of the pile. By using the multiple superposition data processing method, the detecting system can effectively restrain the interference and elevate the precision and SNR of pile integrity testing. The system can also be applied to the evaluation of engineering structure health.

  10. Computerized Detection of Lung Nodules by Means of “Virtual Dual-Energy” Radiography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Sheng; Suzuki, Kenji

    2014-01-01

    Major challenges in current computer-aided detection (CADe) schemes for nodule detection in chest radiographs (CXRs) are to detect nodules that overlap with ribs and/or clavicles and to reduce the frequent false positives (FPs) caused by ribs. Detection of such nodules by a CADe scheme is very important, because radiologists are likely to miss such subtle nodules. Our purpose in this study was to develop a CADe scheme with improved sensitivity and specificity by use of “virtual dual-energy” (VDE) CXRs where ribs and clavicles are suppressed with massive-training artificial neural networks (MTANNs). To reduce rib-induced FPs and detect nodules overlapping with ribs, we incorporated the VDE technology in our CADe scheme. The VDE technology suppressed rib and clavicle opacities in CXRs while maintaining soft-tissue opacity by use of the MTANN technique that had been trained with real dual-energy imaging. Our scheme detected nodule candidates on VDE images by use of a morphologic filtering technique. Sixty morphologic and gray-level-based features were extracted from each candidate from both original and VDE CXRs. A nonlinear support vector classifier was employed for classification of the nodule candidates. A publicly available database containing 140 nodules in 140 CXRs and 93 normal CXRs was used for testing our CADe scheme. All nodules were confirmed by computed tomography examinations, and the average size of the nodules was 17.8 mm. Thirty percent (42/140) of the nodules were rated “extremely subtle” or “very subtle” by a radiologist. The original scheme without VDE technology achieved a sensitivity of 78.6% (110/140) with 5 (1165/233) FPs per image. By use of the VDE technology, more nodules overlapping with ribs or clavicles were detected and the sensitivity was improved substantially to 85.0% (119/140) at the same FP rate in a leave-one-out cross-validation test, whereas the FP rate was reduced to 2.5 (583/233) per image at the same sensitivity

  11. CERN result provides answer to one of nature's most subtle secrets

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN Press Office. Geneva

    1999-01-01

    At a seminar at CERN on 18 June Pascal Debu, spokesman of the Laboratory's NA48 experiment, announced its preliminary result, after analysis of 10% of the expected data, on one of nature's best-kept secrets. Direct CP-violation, as it is called, is a subtle effect that betrays nature's preference for matter over antimatter, the reason why we are here.

  12. Can epidemiological studies discern subtle neurological effects due to perinatal exposure to PCBs?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seegal, R F

    1996-01-01

    What conclusions can be drawn concerning the potential neurological effects of perinatal exposure to either PCBs, or PCBs and other fish-borne contaminants? First, by their very nature epidemiological studies are limited in their ability to detect subtle associations--including possible links between exposure to low levels of environmental contaminants and disease. As stated by Dr. Schantz, both Rogan and the Jacobsons report small changes in motor and cognitive behavior--typically less than one-half of a standard deviation--and only in the most highly exposed children. Given these small changes in CNS function, the substantive criticisms of Paneth (including the Jacobsons' choice to employ a random, rather than matched, control sample and the related fact that fish-eating mothers differed from non-fish-eating mothers on several important characteristics) and similar "generic" concerns raised by Taubes, a critical reader must question both the validity of the findings from the Michigan study and the reasons for discrepancies in results between the Jacobson and Rogan studies. Are the differences in neurobehavioral effects reported by the Jacobsons and colleagues, and Rogan and colleagues, due to the presence of confounders, exposure to different neurotoxicants, or subtle differences in methodologies? At present it is not possible to answer these questions. Nevertheless, certain commonalities exist between the Rogan and Jacobson studies, and most recently, the study conducted by Daly and colleagues in New York. All of these studies report alterations in the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale, suggesting that exposure to environmental contaminants (including PCBs) may induce subtle, transient alterations in maturation of the human CNS. Secondly, because contaminated fish contain a large number of putative developmental neurotoxicants (e.g., methyl-mercury, p,p'-DDE, PCBs, and pesticides), I am pessimistic that additional studies of human populations

  13. Statistics of software vulnerability detection in certification testing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barabanov, A. V.; Markov, A. S.; Tsirlov, V. L.

    2018-05-01

    The paper discusses practical aspects of introduction of the methods to detect software vulnerability in the day-to-day activities of the accredited testing laboratory. It presents the approval results of the vulnerability detection methods as part of the study of the open source software and the software that is a test object of the certification tests under information security requirements, including software for communication networks. Results of the study showing the allocation of identified vulnerabilities by types of attacks, country of origin, programming languages used in the development, methods for detecting vulnerability, etc. are given. The experience of foreign information security certification systems related to the detection of certified software vulnerabilities is analyzed. The main conclusion based on the study is the need to implement practices for developing secure software in the development life cycle processes. The conclusions and recommendations for the testing laboratories on the implementation of the vulnerability analysis methods are laid down.

  14. Co-Testing of Cervical Screening Tests in Detection of High Grade Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Smita Asthana

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Co-testing performance for detection of high grade Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN has not been adequately addressed from Low Resource Countries (LRCs. Where isolated tests do not have adequate performance, further explorations are recommended. Aim: To evaluate the co-testing of conventional cervical screening tests such as Papanicolaou (Pap and Visual Inspection Cervix with Acetic Acid (VIA, with care HPV on Cervical Samples (CHPV or on Vaginal Samples (VHPV in the detection of high grade CIN. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted on ever married women of age 30 to 59 years in a rural community of Dadri. Women were screened by CHPV, VHPV, and Pap and VIA methods. Confirmation of screen positives was done by histology. Sensitivity, Specificity and likelihood ratios of different combinations of test determined to evaluate the performance. Results: Total eligible women, 66.2% (5032/7604 responded for screening. Analysis was performed on 4658, after excluding those who did not complete all screenings. Co-testing of CHPV (OR=246 or VHPV (OR=278 with Pap had highest association. Positive likelihood ratios of CHPV and VHPV with Pap in CIN II+ detection rates were 13.0 and 11.8 and in CIN III+ the detection rates were 18.0 and 16.0 respectively. Higher sensitivities and specificities were observed in co-testing for CIN III+ detection as against CIN II+ lesions. Conclusion: Choice of co-testing in a pair of tests for detection of high grade CIN is likely to depend on whether screening is targeted for developed or low resource country. VIA in isolation might not yield optimal results for LRCs.

  15. More Than Political Ideology: Subtle Racial Prejudice as a Predictor of Opposition to Universal Health Care Among U.S. Citizens

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Megan Johnson Shen

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Political rhetoric surrounding Universal Health Care in the United States typically deals only with differences in political ideology. Research on symbolic racism, however, indicates that subtle racial prejudice may also predict attitudes toward policies like universal health care that are assumed to benefit racial minorities. This subtle racial prejudice hypothesis was supported across three studies conducted in the U.S. A measure of attitudes toward universal health care was found to be a reliable, single-dimension measure associated with political ideology (Pilot Study. Subtle racial prejudice (as measured by the Modern Racism Scale predicted opposition to universal health care, even when statistically controlling for political ideology and attitudes toward the poor (Study 1. Moreover, reading about a Black individual (compared to a White individual receiving universal health care benefits reduced support for universal health care, even when statistically controlling for political ideology and right-wing authoritarianism (Study 2. Being a person who takes advantage of the system (e.g., free rides was a significant predictor of universal health care attitudes while race was not (Study 3. This work demonstrates that subtle racial prejudice plays a critical role in predicting universal health care attitudes among U.S. citizens, reflecting a long-standing history of associations between subtle racial prejudice and opposition to governmental assistance programs in the U.S.

  16. Subtle paranodal injury slows impulse conduction in a mathematical model of myelinated axons.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Charles F Babbs

    Full Text Available This study explores in detail the functional consequences of subtle retraction and detachment of myelin around the nodes of Ranvier following mild-to-moderate crush or stretch mediated injury. An equivalent electrical circuit model for a series of equally spaced nodes of Ranvier was created incorporating extracellular and axonal resistances, paranodal resistances, nodal capacitances, time varying sodium and potassium currents, and realistic resting and threshold membrane potentials in a myelinated axon segment of 21 successive nodes. Differential equations describing membrane potentials at each nodal region were solved numerically. Subtle injury was simulated by increasing the width of exposed nodal membrane in nodes 8 through 20 of the model. Such injury diminishes action potential amplitude and slows conduction velocity from 19.1 m/sec in the normal region to 7.8 m/sec in the crushed region. Detachment of paranodal myelin, exposing juxtaparanodal potassium channels, decreases conduction velocity further to 6.6 m/sec, an effect that is partially reversible with potassium ion channel blockade. Conduction velocity decreases as node width increases or as paranodal resistance falls. The calculated changes in conduction velocity with subtle paranodal injury agree with experimental observations. Nodes of Ranvier are highly effective but somewhat fragile devices for increasing nerve conduction velocity and decreasing reaction time in vertebrate animals. Their fundamental design limitation is that even small mechanical retractions of myelin from very narrow nodes or slight loosening of paranodal myelin, which are difficult to notice at the light microscopic level of observation, can cause large changes in myelinated nerve conduction velocity.

  17. Are Soft Short Tests Good Indicators of Internal Li-ion Cell Defects?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeevarajan, J.; Chung, J.-S.; Jung, K.; Park, J.

    2013-01-01

    The self discharge test at full state of charge, may not be a good one to detect subtle defects since the li-ion chemistry has the highest self discharge at full state of charge. One should characterize self discharge versus storage time for each cell manufacturer/design to differentiate between normal self discharge and that due to a subtle manufacturing defect. The various soft short test methods indicate that if this test is carried out at full discharge (0% SOC) with all capacity removed (by lowering the current load in a stepwise manner to the same end of discharge voltage), then the cells need to be placed in storage for more than 72 hours to get a good analysis on the presence of subtle defects since it takes more than 72 hours to achieve voltage stabilization. If the cells are to be charged up even to a small percentage (ex. 1%), 72 hours are sufficient to determine issues. However, the pass/fail criteria should be based on a valid OCV decline. Less than 10 mV voltage decline is not a good method to detect subtle defects. As mentioned in the first bullet, self discharge is a competing reaction when a charge is introduced and hence a characterization of the self discharge versus storage time is required to fully correlate voltage decline to a failure due to a subtle defect. Soft short test method cannot be relied on for defect detection because cells with and without voltage decline seemed to have similar defects and characteristics. Screening methods such as internal resistance and capacity as well as a 3-sigma range for OCV, mass and dimensions should be used to screen out outliers. A very critical aspect in the understanding of subtle defects is to carry out destructive analysis of cells from every lot to confirm the quality of production and screen all cells and batteries in a stringent manner to have a high quality set of flight cells. Self Discharge Test: Fully charged cells shall be placed in Open circuit stand for 72 hours (OCV measurement twice a

  18. HIV resistance testing and detected drug resistance in Europe

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schultze, Anna; Phillips, Andrew N; Paredes, Roger

    2015-01-01

    to Southern Europe. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a concurrent decline in virological failure and testing, drug resistance was commonly detected. This suggests a selective approach to resistance testing. The regional differences identified indicate that policy aiming to minimize the emergence of resistance......OBJECTIVES: To describe regional differences and trends in resistance testing among individuals experiencing virological failure and the prevalence of detected resistance among those individuals who had a genotypic resistance test done following virological failure. DESIGN: Multinational cohort...... study. METHODS: Individuals in EuroSIDA with virological failure (>1 RNA measurement >500 on ART after >6 months on ART) after 1997 were included. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for resistance testing following virological failure and aORs for the detection of resistance among those who had a test were...

  19. High prevalence of subtle and severe menstrual disturbances in exercising women: confirmation using daily hormone measures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Souza, M J; Toombs, R J; Scheid, J L; O'Donnell, E; West, S L; Williams, N I

    2010-02-01

    The identification of subtle menstrual cycle disturbances requires daily hormone assessments. In contrast, the identification of severe menstrual disturbances, such as amenorrhea and oligomenorrhea, can be established by clinical observation. The primary purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of subtle menstrual disturbances, defined as luteal phase defects (LPD) or anovulation, in exercising women, with menstrual cycles of 26-35 days, who engage in a variety of sports, both recreational and competitive. Secondly, the prevalence of oligomenorrhea and amenorrhea was also determined via measurement of daily urinary ovarian steroids rather than self report alone. Menstrual status was documented by daily measurements of estrone and pregnanediol glucuronide and luteinizing hormone across two to three consecutive cycles and subsequently categorized as ovulatory (Ovul), LPD, anovulatory (Anov), oligomenorrheic (Oligo) and amenorrheic (Amen) in sedentary (Sed) and exercising (Ex) women. Sed (n = 20) and Ex women (n = 67) were of similar (P > 0.05) age (26.3 +/- 0.8 years), weight (59.3 +/- 1.8 kg), body mass index (22.0 +/- 0.6 kg/m2), age of menarche (12.8 +/- 0.3 years) and gynecological maturity (13.4 +/- 0.9 years). The Sed group exercised less (P exercising women experience subtle menstrual disturbances, i.e. LPD and anovulation, and that one third of exercising women may be amenorrheic. Estimates of the prevalence of subtle menstrual disturbances in exercising women determined by the presence or absence of short or long cycles does not identify these disturbances. In light of known clinical consequences of menstrual disturbances, these findings underscore the lack of reliability of normal menstrual intervals and self report to infer menstrual status.

  20. Biodosimetric test in routine practice of periodic views

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rakic, B.; Jovcic, D.; Pavlovic, M.; Milacic, S.; Kovacevic, R.; Rakic, B.)

    2007-01-01

    Biodosimetry is the most sensitive method for measuring the ionizing radiation exposition level. This method enables determination of absolute dose of radiation to which the person has been exposed by defining the frequency of appearance of unstable chromosome aberrations in lymphocytes of the peripheral blood. The aim of this work was to detect the chromosome aberrations in persons which have been occupationally exposed to low doses of ionizing radiation, as well as to compare their frequencies among sexes. Among 86 patients tested by biodosimetric test, 43 women and 43 men, the presence of 74 unstable chromosome aberrations of dicentric type (12.2%), ring chromosome (2.7%) and acentric fragments (85.1%) were detected. This result indicates that there was no overexposing of any of those patients to the radiation, i.e. that there was no elevated dose absorption. Furthermore, Pearson Chi-square test showed that there is no difference in frequencies of unstable aberrations between males and females (for all detected aberrations the statistical confidence was P>0.05). The extreme contribution to further investigations would be the introduction of molecular genetics methods, such as PCR and FISH, with aim to detect the more 'subtle' damages of DNA of patients occupationally exposed to ionizing radiation [sr

  1. ANOLE Portable Radiation Detection System Field Test and Evaluation Campaign

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hodge, Chris A.

    2007-01-01

    Handheld, backpack, and mobile sensors are elements of the Global Nuclear Detection System for the interdiction and control of illicit radiological and nuclear materials. They are used by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other government agencies and organizations in various roles for border protection, law enforcement, and nonproliferation monitoring. In order to systematically document the operational performance of the common commercial off-the-shelf portable radiation detection systems, the DHS Domestic Nuclear Detection Office conducted a test and evaluation campaign conducted at the Nevada Test Site from January 18 to February 27, 2006. Named 'Anole', it was the first test of its kind in terms of technical design and test complexities. The Anole test results offer users information for selecting appropriate mission-specific portable radiation detection systems. The campaign also offered manufacturers the opportunity to submit their equipment for independent operationally relevant testing to subsequently improve their detector performance. This paper will present the design, execution, and methodologies of the DHS Anole portable radiation detection system test campaign

  2. Subthalamic nucleus detects unnatural android movement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ikeda, Takashi; Hirata, Masayuki; Kasaki, Masashi; Alimardani, Maryam; Matsushita, Kojiro; Yamamoto, Tomoyuki; Nishio, Shuichi; Ishiguro, Hiroshi

    2017-12-19

    An android, i.e., a realistic humanoid robot with human-like capabilities, may induce an uncanny feeling in human observers. The uncanny feeling about an android has two main causes: its appearance and movement. The uncanny feeling about an android increases when its appearance is almost human-like but its movement is not fully natural or comparable to human movement. Even if an android has human-like flexible joints, its slightly jerky movements cause a human observer to detect subtle unnaturalness in them. However, the neural mechanism underlying the detection of unnatural movements remains unclear. We conducted an fMRI experiment to compare the observation of an android and the observation of a human on which the android is modelled, and we found differences in the activation pattern of the brain regions that are responsible for the production of smooth and natural movement. More specifically, we found that the visual observation of the android, compared with that of the human model, caused greater activation in the subthalamic nucleus (STN). When the android's slightly jerky movements are visually observed, the STN detects their subtle unnaturalness. This finding suggests that the detection of unnatural movements is attributed to an error signal resulting from a mismatch between a visual input and an internal model for smooth movement.

  3. Detecting Test Tampering Using Item Response Theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wollack, James A.; Cohen, Allan S.; Eckerly, Carol A.

    2015-01-01

    Test tampering, especially on tests for educational accountability, is an unfortunate reality, necessitating that the state (or its testing vendor) perform data forensic analyses, such as erasure analyses, to look for signs of possible malfeasance. Few statistical approaches exist for detecting fraudulent erasures, and those that do largely do not…

  4. Can citizen science produce good science? Testing the OPAL Air Survey methodology, using lichens as indicators of nitrogenous pollution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tregidgo, Daniel J.; West, Sarah E.; Ashmore, Mike R.

    2013-01-01

    Citizen science is having increasing influence on environmental monitoring as its advantages are becoming recognised. However methodologies are often simplified to make them accessible to citizen scientists. We tested whether a recent citizen science survey (the OPAL Air Survey) could detect trends in lichen community composition over transects away from roads. We hypothesised that the abundance of nitrophilic lichens would decrease with distance from the road, while that of nitrophobic lichens would increase. The hypothesised changes were detected along strong pollution gradients, but not where the road source was relatively weak, or background pollution relatively high. We conclude that the simplified OPAL methodology can detect large contrasts in nitrogenous pollution, but it may not be able to detect more subtle changes in pollution exposure. Similar studies are needed in conjunction with the ever-growing body of citizen science work to ensure that the limitations of these methods are fully understood. -- Highlights: •We investigated the validity of a simplified citizen science methodology. •Lichen abundance data were used to indicate nitrogenous air pollution. •Significant changes were detected beside busy roads with low background pollution. •The methodology detected major, but not subtle, contrasts in pollution. •Sensitivity of citizen science methods to environmental change must be evaluated. -- A simplified lichen biomonitoring method used for citizen science can detect the impact of nitrogenous air pollution from local roads

  5. Replacement Condition Detection of Railway Point Machines Using an Electric Current Sensor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sa, Jaewon; Choi, Younchang; Chung, Yongwha; Kim, Hee-Young; Park, Daihee; Yoon, Sukhan

    2017-01-29

    Detecting replacement conditions of railway point machines is important to simultaneously satisfy the budget-limit and train-safety requirements. In this study, we consider classification of the subtle differences in the aging effect-using electric current shape analysis-for the purpose of replacement condition detection of railway point machines. After analyzing the shapes of after-replacement data and then labeling the shapes of each before-replacement data, we can derive the criteria that can handle the subtle differences between "does-not-need-to-be-replaced" and "needs-to-be-replaced" shapes. On the basis of the experimental results with in-field replacement data, we confirmed that the proposed method could detect the replacement conditions with acceptable accuracy, as well as provide visual interpretability of the criteria used for the time-series classification.

  6. Correlative micro-diffraction and differential phase contrast study of mean inner potential and subtle beam-specimen interaction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wu, Mingjian, E-mail: mingjian.wu@fau.de; Spiecker, Erdmann, E-mail: erdmann.spiecker@fau.de

    2017-05-15

    Highlights: • Correlative micro-diffraction and DPC-STEM as effective and intuitive method for probing nano-scale electric fields/electrostatic potentials. • Mean inner potential accurately measured by electron refraction from cleaved crystal wedge. • Suggested a pseudo-contactless mode for probing electrostatic potential differences by considering subtle displacements of Fresnel fringes. - Abstract: We present a correlative micro-diffraction and differential phase contrast (DPC) study within scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) on the determination of mean inner potential (MIP) and explain the origin of subtle beam-specimen interactions at the edge of wedge-shaped crystals using both experiment and simulation. Our measurement of MIP of Si and GaAs resulted in 12.48 ± 0.22 V and 14.15 ± 0.22 V, respectively, from directly evaluating beam refraction in micro-diffraction mode. DPC-STEM measurements gave very similar values. Fresnel fringes within the diffraction disk resulting from interaction of the highly coherent electron beam with the aperture are observed and a numerical simulation scheme is implemented to reproduce the effect of the specimen on the fringe pattern. Perfect agreement between experiment and simulation has been achieved in terms of subtle displacements of the fringes upon approaching the sample edge with the electron probe. The existence of the fringes has minor effect on the DPC-STEM signal, which is well below the noise level of our setup at practically reasonable acquisition times. We suggest the possibility to perform pseudo-contactless probing of weak potential differences in beam sensitive samples by evaluating the subtle displacements of Fresnel fringes quantitatively.

  7. Fault detection in multiply-redundant measurement systems via sequential testing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ray, A.

    1988-01-01

    The theory and application of a sequential test procedure for fault detection and isolation. The test procedure is suited for development of intelligent instrumentation in strategic processes like aircraft and nuclear plants where redundant measurements are usually available for individual critical variables. The test procedure consists of: (1) a generic redundancy management procedure which is essentially independent of the fault detection strategy and measurement noise statistics, and (2) a modified version of sequential probability ratio test algorithm for fault detection and isolation, which functions within the framework of this redundancy management procedure. The sequential test procedure is suitable for real-time applications using commercially available microcomputers and its efficacy has been verified by online fault detection in an operating nuclear reactor. 15 references

  8. Statistical Requirements For Pass-Fail Testing Of Contraband Detection Systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gilliam, David M.

    2011-01-01

    Contraband detection systems for homeland security applications are typically tested for probability of detection (PD) and probability of false alarm (PFA) using pass-fail testing protocols. Test protocols usually require specified values for PD and PFA to be demonstrated at a specified level of statistical confidence CL. Based on a recent more theoretical treatment of this subject [1], this summary reviews the definition of CL and provides formulas and spreadsheet functions for constructing tables of general test requirements and for determining the minimum number of tests required. The formulas and tables in this article may be generally applied to many other applications of pass-fail testing, in addition to testing of contraband detection systems.

  9. Memory detection 2.0: the first web-based memory detection test.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kleinberg, Bennett; Verschuere, Bruno

    2015-01-01

    There is accumulating evidence that reaction times (RTs) can be used to detect recognition of critical (e.g., crime) information. A limitation of this research base is its reliance upon small samples (average n = 24), and indications of publication bias. To advance RT-based memory detection, we report upon the development of the first web-based memory detection test. Participants in this research (Study1: n = 255; Study2: n = 262) tried to hide 2 high salient (birthday, country of origin) and 2 low salient (favourite colour, favourite animal) autobiographical details. RTs allowed to detect concealed autobiographical information, and this, as predicted, more successfully so than error rates, and for high salient than for low salient items. While much remains to be learned, memory detection 2.0 seems to offer an interesting new platform to efficiently and validly conduct RT-based memory detection research.

  10. Memory detection 2.0: the first web-based memory detection test.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bennett Kleinberg

    Full Text Available There is accumulating evidence that reaction times (RTs can be used to detect recognition of critical (e.g., crime information. A limitation of this research base is its reliance upon small samples (average n = 24, and indications of publication bias. To advance RT-based memory detection, we report upon the development of the first web-based memory detection test. Participants in this research (Study1: n = 255; Study2: n = 262 tried to hide 2 high salient (birthday, country of origin and 2 low salient (favourite colour, favourite animal autobiographical details. RTs allowed to detect concealed autobiographical information, and this, as predicted, more successfully so than error rates, and for high salient than for low salient items. While much remains to be learned, memory detection 2.0 seems to offer an interesting new platform to efficiently and validly conduct RT-based memory detection research.

  11. Diagnosing subtle palatal anomalies: Validation of video-analysis and assessment protocol for diagnosing occult submucous cleft palate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rourke, Ryan; Weinberg, Seth M; Marazita, Mary L; Jabbour, Noel

    2017-09-01

    Submucous cleft palate (SMCP) classically involves bifid uvula, zona pellucida, and notched hard palate. However, patients may present with more subtle anatomic abnormalities. The ability to detect these abnormalities is important for surgeons managing velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD) or considering adenoidectomy. Validate an assessment protocol for diagnosis of occult submucous cleft palate (OSMCP) and identify physical examination features present in patients with OSMCP in the relaxed and activated palate positions. Study participants included patients referred to a pediatric VPD clinic with concern for hypernasality or SMCP. Using an appropriately encrypted iPod touch, transoral video was obtained for each patient with the palate in the relaxed and activated positions. The videos were reviewed by two otolaryngologists in normal speed and slow-motion, as needed, and a questionnaire was completed by each reviewer pertaining to the anatomy and function of the palate. 47 patients, with an average age of 4.6 years, were included in the study over a one-year period. Four videos were unusable due to incomplete view of the palate. The most common palatal abnormality noted was OSMCP, diagnosed by each reviewer in 26/43 and 30/43 patients respectively. Using the assessment protocol, agreement on palatal diagnosis was 83.7% (kappa = 0.68), indicating substantial agreement, with the most prevalent anatomic features being vaulted palate elevation (96%) and visible notching of hard palate (75%). The diagnosis of subtle palatal anomalies is difficult and can be subjective. Using the proposed video-analysis method and assessment protocol may improve reliability of diagnosis of OSMCP. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Expression intensity, gender and facial emotion recognition: Women recognize only subtle facial emotions better than men.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoffmann, Holger; Kessler, Henrik; Eppel, Tobias; Rukavina, Stefanie; Traue, Harald C

    2010-11-01

    Two experiments were conducted in order to investigate the effect of expression intensity on gender differences in the recognition of facial emotions. The first experiment compared recognition accuracy between female and male participants when emotional faces were shown with full-blown (100% emotional content) or subtle expressiveness (50%). In a second experiment more finely grained analyses were applied in order to measure recognition accuracy as a function of expression intensity (40%-100%). The results show that although women were more accurate than men in recognizing subtle facial displays of emotion, there was no difference between male and female participants when recognizing highly expressive stimuli. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Test performance of faecal occult blood testing for the detection of bowel cancer in people with chronic kidney disease (DETECT protocol

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Williams Narelle

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Cancer is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD. In patients without kidney disease, screening is a major strategy for reducing the risk of cancer and improving the health outcomes for those who developed cancers by detecting treatable cancers at an early stage. Among those with CKD, the effectiveness, the efficacy and patients' preferences for cancer screening are unknown. Methods/Design This work describes the protocol for the DETECT study examining the effectiveness, efficiency and patient's perspectives of colorectal cancer screening using immunochemical faecal occult blood testing (iFOBT for people with CKD. The aims of the DETECT study are 1 to determine the test performance characteristics of iFOBT screening in individuals with CKD, 2 to estimate the incremental costs and health benefits of iFOBT screening in CKD compared to no screening and 3 to elicit patients' perspective for colorectal cancer screening in the CKD population. Three different study designs will be used to explore the uncertainties surrounding colorectal cancer screening in CKD. A diagnostic test accuracy study of iFOBT screening will be conducted across all stages of CKD in patients ages 35-70. Using individually collected direct healthcare costs and outcomes from the diagnostic test accuracy study, cost-utility and cost-effective analyses will be performed to estimate the costs and health benefits of iFOBT screening in CKD. Qualitative in-depth interviews will be undertaken in a subset of participants from the diagnostic test accuracy study to investigate the perspectives, experiences, attitudes and beliefs about colorectal cancer screening among individuals with CKD. Discussion The DETECT study will target the three major unknowns about early cancer detection in CKD. Findings from our study will provide accurate and definitive estimates of screening efficacy and efficiency for colorectal cancer, and

  14. The Caledonian face test: A new test of face discrimination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Logan, Andrew J; Wilkinson, Frances; Wilson, Hugh R; Gordon, Gael E; Loffler, Gunter

    2016-02-01

    This study aimed to develop a clinical test of face perception which is applicable to a wide range of patients and can capture normal variability. The Caledonian face test utilises synthetic faces which combine simplicity with sufficient realism to permit individual identification. Face discrimination thresholds (i.e. minimum difference between faces required for accurate discrimination) were determined in an "odd-one-out" task. The difference between faces was controlled by an adaptive QUEST procedure. A broad range of face discrimination sensitivity was determined from a group (N=52) of young adults (mean 5.75%; SD 1.18; range 3.33-8.84%). The test is fast (3-4 min), repeatable (test-re-test r(2)=0.795) and demonstrates a significant inversion effect. The potential to identify impairments of face discrimination was evaluated by testing LM who reported a lifelong difficulty with face perception. While LM's impairment for two established face tests was close to the criterion for significance (Z-scores of -2.20 and -2.27) for the Caledonian face test, her Z-score was -7.26, implying a more than threefold higher sensitivity. The new face test provides a quantifiable and repeatable assessment of face discrimination ability. The enhanced sensitivity suggests that the Caledonian face test may be capable of detecting more subtle impairments of face perception than available tests. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. MAFF sponsored research: detection tests for irradiated food

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blackburn, C.M.; Holley, P.A.; Pryke, D.C.

    1993-01-01

    In their 1986 report on the safety and wholesomeness of irradiated food the UK Advisory Committee on Irradiated and Novel Foods (ACINF) recognised that a generally applicable test to determine if a food had been irradiated was not available. The committee considered that, although not a pre-requisite, the existence of a detection test would be a useful supplement to a control system and do much to reassure consumers; with this in mind ACINF recommended that detection methods should be kept under review. As a consequence, in 1987 the Ministry initiated a comprehensive R and D detection test programme. Over fifty papers have been published to date as a result of this programme. MAFF (Ministry Of Agriculture Fisheries and Food) has also been involved in other research associated with irradiation and food safety, some of which is described in this paper. This paper aims to give an overview of recent work funded under the food irradiation programme. Twelve projects have been supported over the last two years, ten of which involved the development of detection tests for irradiated food. A summary of these projects is presented: - Thermoluminescence; - Electron Spin Resonance; - 2-alkylcyclobutanones; -Determination Of Hydrogen; - Differential Scanning Calorimetry; - Limulus Amoebocyte Lysate; - DNA; - Pesticide Breakdown; - Neutron Irradiation; -Future Plans. (orig./vhe)

  16. Laser Obstacle Detection System Flight Testing

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Davis, Timothy

    2003-01-01

    ...). The Aviation Applied Technology Directorate (AATD) was contracted to mount the HELLAS sensor on the nose of a UH-60L Blackhawk helicopter and to conduct flight tests to evaluate the HELLAS obstacle detection sensor...

  17. Replacement Condition Detection of Railway Point Machines Using an Electric Current Sensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sa, Jaewon; Choi, Younchang; Chung, Yongwha; Kim, Hee-Young; Park, Daihee; Yoon, Sukhan

    2017-01-01

    Detecting replacement conditions of railway point machines is important to simultaneously satisfy the budget-limit and train-safety requirements. In this study, we consider classification of the subtle differences in the aging effect—using electric current shape analysis—for the purpose of replacement condition detection of railway point machines. After analyzing the shapes of after-replacement data and then labeling the shapes of each before-replacement data, we can derive the criteria that can handle the subtle differences between “does-not-need-to-be-replaced” and “needs-to-be-replaced” shapes. On the basis of the experimental results with in-field replacement data, we confirmed that the proposed method could detect the replacement conditions with acceptable accuracy, as well as provide visual interpretability of the criteria used for the time-series classification. PMID:28146057

  18. Healthy dining. Subtle diet reminders at the point of purchase increase low-calorie food choices among both chronic and current dieters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Papies, Esther K; Veling, Harm

    2013-02-01

    There is a growing consensus that our food-rich living environment contributes to rising numbers of people with overweight and obesity. Low-cost, effective intervention tools are needed to facilitate healthy eating behavior, especially when eating away from home. Therefore, we present a field experiment in a restaurant that tested whether providing subtle environmental diet reminders increases low-calorie food choices among both chronic and current dieters. For half of the participants, the menu was supplemented with diet-related words, as reminders of healthy eating and dieting. We recorded customers' choices of low-calorie or high-calorie items from the menu, and we assessed chronic and current dieting. Consistent with our hypotheses, we found that diet reminders increased choices for low-calorie foods, among both chronic and current dieters. After a diet reminder, around half of dieters made a healthy menu choice. This study demonstrates the efficacy of providing subtle diet reminders as a low-cost practical intervention to increase low-calorie food choices among weight-concerned individuals, who are motivated to regulate their eating behavior but have been found to often fail in food-rich environments. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Forms of ethnic prejudice: assessing the dimensionality of a Spanish-language version of the Blatant and Subtle Prejudice Scale.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cárdenas Castro, Manuel

    2010-02-01

    The main purpose of this study was to investigate the dimensionality of a Spanish-language version of the Blatant and Subtle Prejudice Scale via exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). No research has confirmed the hypothesized factor structure in Latin American countries. Using data from a random and probability survey in population of the northern area of Chile (N= 896), four models were specified: single factor model (global prejudice factor), correlated two-factor model (subtle and blatant prejudice), correlated two-factor second-order model, and single-factor second-order model. The findings indicated that the two-factor second-order model had the best fit. The corresponding alpha coefficients were .82 (subtle prejudice) and .76 (blatant prejudice). Lastly, differences were examined between , , and regarding their feelings toward immigrants, their feelings about their beliefs concerning the state aid received by these out-groups, and their feelings about their beliefs regarding future policies for them.

  20. Oral-Fluid Thiol-Detection Test Identifies Underlying Active Periodontal Disease Not Detected by the Visual Awake Examination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Queck, Katherine E; Chapman, Angela; Herzog, Leslie J; Shell-Martin, Tamara; Burgess-Cassler, Anthony; McClure, George David

    Periodontal disease in dogs is highly prevalent but can only be accurately diagnosed by performing an anesthetized oral examination with periodontal probing and dental radiography. In this study, 114 dogs had a visual awake examination of the oral cavity and were administered an oral-fluid thiol-detection test prior to undergoing a a full-mouth anesthetized oral examination and digital dental radiographs. The results show the visual awake examination underestimated the presence and severity of active periodontal disease. The thiol-detection test was superior to the visual awake examination at detecting the presence and severity of active periodontal disease and was an indicator of progression toward alveolar bone loss. The thiol-detection test detected active periodontal disease at early stages of development, before any visual cues were present, indicating the need for intervention to prevent periodontal bone loss. Early detection is important because without intervention, dogs with gingivitis (active periodontal disease) progress to irreversible periodontal bone loss (stage 2+). As suggested in the current AAHA guidelines, a thiol-detection test administered in conjunction with the visual awake examination during routine wellness examinations facilitates veterinarian-client communication and mitigates under-diagnosis of periodontal disease and underutilization of dental services. The thiol-detection test can be used to monitor the periodontal health status of the conscious patient during follow-up examinations based on disease severity.

  1. Test of TEDA, Tsunami Early Detection Algorithm

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bressan, Lidia; Tinti, Stefano

    2010-05-01

    Tsunami detection in real-time, both offshore and at the coastline, plays a key role in Tsunami Warning Systems since it provides so far the only reliable and timely proof of tsunami generation, and is used to confirm or cancel tsunami warnings previously issued on the basis of seismic data alone. Moreover, in case of submarine or coastal landslide generated tsunamis, which are not announced by clear seismic signals and are typically local, real-time detection at the coastline might be the fastest way to release a warning, even if the useful time for emergency operations might be limited. TEDA is an algorithm for real-time detection of tsunami signal on sea-level records, developed by the Tsunami Research Team of the University of Bologna. The development and testing of the algorithm has been accomplished within the framework of the Italian national project DPC-INGV S3 and the European project TRANSFER. The algorithm is to be implemented at station level, and it is based therefore only on sea-level data of a single station, either a coastal tide-gauge or an offshore buoy. TEDA's principle is to discriminate the first tsunami wave from the previous background signal, which implies the assumption that the tsunami waves introduce a difference in the previous sea-level signal. Therefore, in TEDA the instantaneous (most recent) and the previous background sea-level elevation gradients are characterized and compared by proper functions (IS and BS) that are updated at every new data acquisition. Detection is triggered when the instantaneous signal function passes a set threshold and at the same time it is significantly bigger compared to the previous background signal. The functions IS and BS depend on temporal parameters that allow the algorithm to be adapted different situations: in general, coastal tide-gauges have a typical background spectrum depending on the location where the instrument is installed, due to local topography and bathymetry, while offshore buoys are

  2. Advances in Advertising Research (Vol. VI) : The Digital, the Classic, the Subtle, and the Alternative

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Verlegh, P.; Voorveld, H.; Eisend, M.

    2016-01-01

    This book provides insights into the inspiring and multifaceted field of advertising research, which is confronted with challenges regarding ad content and execution, media placement, as well as online and social media. Distinguishing between digital, classic, subtle, and alternative advertising

  3. Reproducibility of prompts in computer-aided detection (CAD) of breast cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taylor, C.G.; Champness, J.; Reddy, M.; Taylor, P.; Potts, H.W.W.; Given-Wilson, R.

    2003-01-01

    AIM: We evaluated the reproducibility of prompts using the R2 ImageChecker M2000 computer-aided detection (CAD) system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty selected two-view mammograms of women with breast cancer were digitized and analysed using the ImageChecker on 10 separate occasions. The mammograms were chosen to provide both straightforward and subtle signs of malignancy. Data analysed included mammographic abnormality, pathology, and whether the cancer was prompted or given an emphasized prompt. RESULTS: Correct prompts were generated in 86 out of 100 occasions for screen-detected cancers. Reproducibility was less in the other categories of more subtle cancers: 21% for cancers previously missed by CAD, a group that contained more grade 1 and small (<10 mm) tumours. Prompts for calcifications were more reproducible than those for masses (76% versus 53%) and these cancers were more likely to have an emphasized prompt. CONCLUSIONS: Probably the most important cause of variability of prompts is shifts in film position between sequential digitizations. Consequently subtle lesions that are only just above the threshold for display may not be prompted on repeat scanning. However, users of CAD should be aware that even emphasized prompts are not consistently reproducible

  4. Behavioural and physiological measures indicate subtle variations in the emotional valence of young pigs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leliveld, Lisette M C; Düpjan, Sandra; Tuchscherer, Armin; Puppe, Birger

    2016-04-01

    In the study of animal emotions, emotional valence has been found to be difficult to measure. Many studies of farm animals' emotions have therefore focussed on the identification of indicators of strong, mainly negative, emotions. However, subtle variations in emotional valence, such as those caused by rather moderate differences in husbandry conditions, may also affect animals' mood and welfare when such variations occur consistently. In this study, we investigated whether repeated moderate aversive or rewarding events could lead to measurable differences in emotional valence in young, weaned pigs. We conditioned 105 female pigs in a test arena to either a repeated startling procedure (sudden noises or appearances of objects) or a repeated rewarding procedure (applesauce, toy and straw) over 11 sessions. Control pigs were also regularly exposed to the same test arena but without conditioning. Before and after conditioning, we measured heart rate and its variability as well as the behavioural reactions of the subjects in the test arena, with a special focus on detailed acoustic analyses of their vocalisations. The behavioural and heart rate measures were analysed as changes compared to the baseline values before conditioning. A limited number of the putative indicators of emotional valence were affected by the conditioning. We found that the negatively conditioned pigs showed changes that were significantly different from those in control pigs, namely a decrease in locomotion and an increase in standing. The positively conditioned pigs, however, showed a stronger increase in heart rate and a smaller decrease in SDNN (a heart rate variability parameter indicating changes in autonomic regulation) compared to the controls. Compared to the negatively conditioned pigs, the positively conditioned pigs produced fewer vocalisations overall as well as fewer low-frequency grunts but more high-frequency grunts. The low-frequency grunts of the negatively conditioned pigs also

  5. The Body in New Age from the Perspective of the Subtle Body: The Example of the Source Breathwork Community

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katre Koppel

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available The article discusses the perception of the body among Source Breathwork practitioners. Source Process and Breathwork can be classified as a New Age healing practice that aims to heal the person as a whole. There is also a specific emphasis on healing birth trauma, which is understood as healing the fundamental experience of an individual’s life. The body in New Age can be described with the notion of the ‘subtle body’, a non-dualistic approach to the body that blurs the boundaries between ‘matter’ and ‘spirit’. Subtle bodies, the ‘places’ where healing occurs, are considered energetic, invisible and nebulous. The concept of the subtle body as a scholarly tool is applied in the analysis of fieldwork data collected between 2011 and 2013 in Estonia. In a Source community, the body is considered to be energetic and to include chakras. Members of the community claim that the functioning of the body and well-being in life bear upon negative and positive thoughts or decisions that are held in the subconscious and embedded at a cellular level in the body. Moreover, the breathwork practitioners believe that an individual already makes fundamental decisions about life in the womb or during birth. Since the perception of the body and birth are closely interrelated in the Source community, the meaning of birth is viewed from the perspective of the subtle body. 

  6. The Body in New Age from the Perspective of the Subtle Body: The Example of the Source Breathwork Community

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katre Koppel

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available The article discusses the perception of the body among Source Breathwork practitioners. Source Process and Breathwork can be classified as a New Age healing practice that aims to heal the person as a whole. There is also a specific emphasis on healing birth trauma, which is understood as healing the fundamental experience of an individual’s life. The body in New Age can be described with the notion of the ‘subtle body’, a non-dualistic approach to the body that blurs the boundaries between ‘matter’ and ‘spirit’. Subtle bodies, the ‘places’ where healing occurs, are considered energetic, invisible and nebulous. The concept of the subtle body as a scholarly tool is applied in the analysis of fieldwork data collected between 2011 and 2013 in Estonia. In a Source community, the body is considered to be energetic and to include chakras. Members of the community claim that the functioning of the body and well-being in life bear upon negative and positive thoughts or decisions that are held in the subconscious and embedded at a cellular level in the body. Moreover, the breathwork practitioners believe that an individual already makes fundamental decisions about life in the womb or during birth. Since the perception of the body and birth are closely interrelated in the Source community, the meaning of birth is viewed from the perspective of the subtle body.

  7. Sequential detection of influenza epidemics by the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Closas Pau

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Influenza is a well known and common human respiratory infection, causing significant morbidity and mortality every year. Despite Influenza variability, fast and reliable outbreak detection is required for health resource planning. Clinical health records, as published by the Diagnosticat database in Catalonia, host useful data for probabilistic detection of influenza outbreaks. Methods This paper proposes a statistical method to detect influenza epidemic activity. Non-epidemic incidence rates are modeled against the exponential distribution, and the maximum likelihood estimate for the decaying factor λ is calculated. The sequential detection algorithm updates the parameter as new data becomes available. Binary epidemic detection of weekly incidence rates is assessed by Kolmogorov-Smirnov test on the absolute difference between the empirical and the cumulative density function of the estimated exponential distribution with significance level 0 ≤ α ≤ 1. Results The main advantage with respect to other approaches is the adoption of a statistically meaningful test, which provides an indicator of epidemic activity with an associated probability. The detection algorithm was initiated with parameter λ0 = 3.8617 estimated from the training sequence (corresponding to non-epidemic incidence rates of the 2008-2009 influenza season and sequentially updated. Kolmogorov-Smirnov test detected the following weeks as epidemic for each influenza season: 50−10 (2008-2009 season, 38−50 (2009-2010 season, weeks 50−9 (2010-2011 season and weeks 3 to 12 for the current 2011-2012 season. Conclusions Real medical data was used to assess the validity of the approach, as well as to construct a realistic statistical model of weekly influenza incidence rates in non-epidemic periods. For the tested data, the results confirmed the ability of the algorithm to detect the start and the end of epidemic periods. In general, the proposed test could

  8. Experimental study of the influence of flow passage subtle variation on mixed-flow pump performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bing, Hao; Cao, Shuliang

    2014-05-01

    In the mixed-flow pump design, the shape of the flow passage can directly affect the flow capacity and the internal flow, thus influencing hydraulic performance, cavitation performance and operation stability of the mixed-flow pump. However, there is currently a lack of experimental research on the influence mechanism. Therefore, in order to analyze the effects of subtle variations of the flow passage on the mixed-flow pump performance, the frustum cone surface of the end part of inlet contraction flow passage of the mixed-flow pump is processed into a cylindrical surface and a test rig is built to carry out the hydraulic performance experiment. In this experiment, parameters, such as the head, the efficiency, and the shaft power, are measured, and the pressure fluctuation and the noise signal are also collected. The research results suggest that after processing the inlet flow passage, the head of the mixed-flow pump significantly goes down; the best efficiency of the mixed-flow pump drops by approximately 1.5%, the efficiency decreases more significantly under the large flow rate; the shaft power slightly increases under the large flow rate, slightly decreases under the small flow rate. In addition, the pressure fluctuation amplitudes on both the impeller inlet and the diffuser outlet increase significantly with more drastic pressure fluctuations and significantly lower stability of the internal flow of the mixed-flow pump. At the same time, the noise dramatically increases. Overall speaking, the subtle variation of the inlet flow passage leads to a significant change of the mixed-flow pump performance, thus suggesting a special attention to the optimization of flow passage. This paper investigates the influence of the flow passage variation on the mixed-flow pump performance by experiment, which will benefit the optimal design of the flow passage of the mixed-flow pump.

  9. Offering variety: a subtle manipulation to promote healthy food choice throughout the day.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burns, Rachel J; Rothman, Alexander J

    2015-05-01

    Providing a variety of food generally increases consumption and enjoyment. This effect is typically associated with unhealthy behavior (e.g., overindulgence at a buffet) and studied during a single meal. Two studies tested whether this effect can be leveraged in a subtle, simple manipulation to promote healthy food choices over the course of a day. In Studies 1 and 2, 188 and 187 participants, respectively, chose between a sweet and a piece of fruit in the afternoon. The fruit was either the same as or different from fruit that was selected in the morning; choice was not given in the morning. Study 1 tested this effect in the domain of expressed preferences and Study 2 examined actual choice. In both studies, a second piece of fruit was more likely to be selected in the afternoon if it was different from fruit that was selected in the morning. These results illustrate how a robust effect that is typically associated with unhealthy outcomes can be harnessed to promote healthy food choices and underscore the importance of conceptualizing eating as a series of interrelated behavioral decisions. This work has implications for applied settings, such as cafeterias, and is distinguished from other simple structural manipulations by its focus on sustaining healthy food choice over the course of the day. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

  10. The Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory-3 and Stages of Change: A Screening Validity Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laux, John M.; Piazza, Nick J.; Salyers, Kathleen; Roseman, Christopher P.

    2012-01-01

    The sensitivity of the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory-3 (SASSI-3) was examined among substance-dependent adults enrolled in a family drug court. The SASSI-3 had a high sensitivity rate with this population, even across varying levels of motivation to change. (Contains 2 tables.)

  11. Quantum computing. Defining and detecting quantum speedup.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rønnow, Troels F; Wang, Zhihui; Job, Joshua; Boixo, Sergio; Isakov, Sergei V; Wecker, David; Martinis, John M; Lidar, Daniel A; Troyer, Matthias

    2014-07-25

    The development of small-scale quantum devices raises the question of how to fairly assess and detect quantum speedup. Here, we show how to define and measure quantum speedup and how to avoid pitfalls that might mask or fake such a speedup. We illustrate our discussion with data from tests run on a D-Wave Two device with up to 503 qubits. By using random spin glass instances as a benchmark, we found no evidence of quantum speedup when the entire data set is considered and obtained inconclusive results when comparing subsets of instances on an instance-by-instance basis. Our results do not rule out the possibility of speedup for other classes of problems and illustrate the subtle nature of the quantum speedup question. Copyright © 2014, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

  12. Sensitive change detection for remote sensing monitoring of nuclear treaties

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Canty, Morton J.; Nielsen, Allan Aasbjerg; Schlittenhardt, Jörg

    2005-01-01

    change is a commonplace application in remote sensing, the detection of anthropogenic changes associated with nuclear activities, whether declared or clandestine, presents a difficult challenge. It is necessary to discriminate subtle, often weak signals of interest on a background of irrelevant...... in multispectral, bitemporal image data: New approaches to change detection studies, Remote Sens. Environ. 64(1), 1998, pp. 1--19. Nielsen, A. A., Iteratively re-weighted multivariate alteration detection in multi- and hyperspectral data, to be published....

  13. Evaluation of the white test for the intraoperative detection of bile leakage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leelawat, Kawin; Chaiyabutr, Kittipong; Subwongcharoen, Somboon; Treepongkaruna, Sa-Ad

    2012-01-01

    We assess whether the White test is better than the conventional bile leakage test for the intraoperative detection of bile leakage in hepatectomized patients. This study included 30 patients who received elective liver resection. Both the conventional bile leakage test (injecting an isotonic sodium chloride solution through the cystic duct) and the White test (injecting a fat emulsion solution through the cystic duct) were carried out in the same patients. The detection of bile leakage was compared between the conventional method and the White test. A bile leak was demonstrated in 8 patients (26.7%) by the conventional method and in 19 patients (63.3%) by the White test. In addition, the White test detected a significantly higher number of bile leakage sites compared with the conventional method (Wilcoxon signed-rank test; P detection of bile leakage. Based on our study, we recommend that surgeons investigating bile leakage sites during liver resections should use the White test instead of the conventional bile leakage test.

  14. Complex networks: Effect of subtle changes in nature of randomness

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goswami, Sanchari; Biswas, Soham; Sen, Parongama

    2011-03-01

    In two different classes of network models, namely, the Watts Strogatz type and the Euclidean type, subtle changes have been introduced in the randomness. In the Watts Strogatz type network, rewiring has been done in different ways and although the qualitative results remain the same, finite differences in the exponents are observed. In the Euclidean type networks, where at least one finite phase transition occurs, two models differing in a similar way have been considered. The results show a possible shift in one of the phase transition points but no change in the values of the exponents. The WS and Euclidean type models are equivalent for extreme values of the parameters; we compare their behaviour for intermediate values.

  15. Cascaded image analysis for dynamic crack detection in material testing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hampel, U.; Maas, H.-G.

    Concrete probes in civil engineering material testing often show fissures or hairline-cracks. These cracks develop dynamically. Starting at a width of a few microns, they usually cannot be detected visually or in an image of a camera imaging the whole probe. Conventional image analysis techniques will detect fissures only if they show a width in the order of one pixel. To be able to detect and measure fissures with a width of a fraction of a pixel at an early stage of their development, a cascaded image analysis approach has been developed, implemented and tested. The basic idea of the approach is to detect discontinuities in dense surface deformation vector fields. These deformation vector fields between consecutive stereo image pairs, which are generated by cross correlation or least squares matching, show a precision in the order of 1/50 pixel. Hairline-cracks can be detected and measured by applying edge detection techniques such as a Sobel operator to the results of the image matching process. Cracks will show up as linear discontinuities in the deformation vector field and can be vectorized by edge chaining. In practical tests of the method, cracks with a width of 1/20 pixel could be detected, and their width could be determined at a precision of 1/50 pixel.

  16. DN detection during SLSF tests

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Braid, T.H.; Harper, H.A.; Wilson, R.E.; Baldwin, R.D.; Gilbert, D.M.; Baxter, D.E.; Gillins, R.L.; Jeffries, G.L.

    1982-01-01

    During two tests in the Sodium Loop Safety Facility (W2 and P4), two systems were operated to detect delayed neutrons from exposed fuel. One monitored directly the sodium in the in-pile loop with a transit delay from the flux region of approx.2 seconds; the other conducted a sample stream of sodium to external detectors with a transit delay which could be varied from approx.10 to approx. 40 seconds. Detectors of a wide range of sensitivity were operated in pulse and current mode; DN signals varying from 2 recoil to many grams of molten fuel could be recorded reliably without saturation. During the W2 and P4 tests a continuous DN record was made. Massive fuel failure signals were observed during reactor transients in both tests, including events interpreted as fuel melting and exposure of large areas. The steady signal from the blockage in P4 was studied as a function of reactor power and sodium temperature

  17. Latin America’s Subtle Racism: Salient Managerial Implications For Non-Latin American Managers

    OpenAIRE

    Rutilio Martinez; Cris de la Torre

    2011-01-01

    Since the mid nineteen nineties most Latin American nations have implemented free market policies. The ensuing economic stability has attracted investment from non-Latin corporations, thereby causing the transfer of non-Latin executives to Latin nations. For many of these executives, their Latin assignments include an unexpected challenge: Dealing with Latin America’s subtle but pervasive racism. Such racism contributes to the mistreatment of labor and influences the promotion and hiring of e...

  18. Automated High-Speed Video Detection of Small-Scale Explosives Testing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ford, Robert; Guymon, Clint

    2013-06-01

    Small-scale explosives sensitivity test data is used to evaluate hazards of processing, handling, transportation, and storage of energetic materials. Accurate test data is critical to implementation of engineering and administrative controls for personnel safety and asset protection. Operator mischaracterization of reactions during testing contributes to either excessive or inadequate safety protocols. Use of equipment and associated algorithms to aid the operator in reaction determination can significantly reduce operator error. Safety Management Services, Inc. has developed an algorithm to evaluate high-speed video images of sparks from an ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) machine to automatically determine whether or not a reaction has taken place. The algorithm with the high-speed camera is termed GoDetect (patent pending). An operator assisted version for friction and impact testing has also been developed where software is used to quickly process and store video of sensitivity testing. We have used this method for sensitivity testing with multiple pieces of equipment. We present the fundamentals of GoDetect and compare it to other methods used for reaction detection.

  19. Subtle persistent working memory and selective attention deficits in women with premenstrual syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slyepchenko, Anastasiya; Lokuge, Sonali; Nicholls, Brianne; Steiner, Meir; Hall, Geoffrey B C; Soares, Claudio N; Frey, Benicio N

    2017-03-01

    As a recurrent, cyclical phenomenon, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) affects a significant proportion of women of the reproductive age, and leads to regular monthly days of functional impairment. Symptoms of PMS include somatic and psychological symptoms, such as headaches, sleep disturbances, social withdrawal and mood changes, during the late luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, which alleviate during the follicular phase. This study investigated neurocognitive functioning in women with moderate to severe PMS symptoms (n=13) compared to women with mild/no PMS (n=27) through administration of a battery of neuropsychological tests during the asymptomatic follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. Relative to women with mild/no PMS symptoms, women with moderate to severe PMS showed significantly poorer accuracy and more errors of omission on the N-0-back, as well as more errors of omission on the N-2-back task, indicating the presence of impairment in selective attention and working memory. This study provides evidence of persistent, subtle working memory and selective attention difficulties in those with moderate to severe PMS during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. SCTI chemical leak detection test plan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1981-01-01

    Tests will be conducted on the CRBRP prototype steam generator at SCTI to determine the effects of steam generator geometry on the response of the CRBRP chemical leak detection system to small water-to-sodium leaks in various regions of the steam generator. Specifically, small injections of hydrogen gas (simulating water leaks) will be made near the two tubesheets, and the effective transport times to the main stream exit and vent line hydrogen meters will be measured. The magnitude and time characteristics of the meters' response will also be measured. This information will be used by the Small Leak Protection Base Program (SG027) for improved predictions of meter response times and leak detection sensitivity

  1. Integrating Symbolic and Statistical Methods for Testing Intelligent Systems Applications to Machine Learning and Computer Vision

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jha, Sumit Kumar [University of Central Florida, Orlando; Pullum, Laura L [ORNL; Ramanathan, Arvind [ORNL

    2016-01-01

    Embedded intelligent systems ranging from tiny im- plantable biomedical devices to large swarms of autonomous un- manned aerial systems are becoming pervasive in our daily lives. While we depend on the flawless functioning of such intelligent systems, and often take their behavioral correctness and safety for granted, it is notoriously difficult to generate test cases that expose subtle errors in the implementations of machine learning algorithms. Hence, the validation of intelligent systems is usually achieved by studying their behavior on representative data sets, using methods such as cross-validation and bootstrapping.In this paper, we present a new testing methodology for studying the correctness of intelligent systems. Our approach uses symbolic decision procedures coupled with statistical hypothesis testing to. We also use our algorithm to analyze the robustness of a human detection algorithm built using the OpenCV open-source computer vision library. We show that the human detection implementation can fail to detect humans in perturbed video frames even when the perturbations are so small that the corresponding frames look identical to the naked eye.

  2. The faintest speck of dirt: disgust enhances the detection of impurity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sherman, Gary D; Haidt, Jonathan; Clore, Gerald L

    2012-12-01

    Purity is commonly regarded as being physically embodied in the color white, with even trivial deviations from whiteness indicating a loss of purity. In three studies, we explored the implications of this "white = pure" association for disgust, an emotion that motivates the detection and avoidance of impurities that threaten purity and cleanliness. We hypothesized that disgust tunes perception to prioritize the light end of the light-dark spectrum, which results in a relative hypersensitivity to changes in lightness in this range. In studies 1 and 2, greater sensitivity to disgusting stimuli was associated with greater ability to make subtle gray-scale discriminations (e.g., detecting a faint gray stimulus against a white background) at the light end of the spectrum relative to ability to make subtle gray-scale discriminations at the dark end of the spectrum. In study 3, after viewing disgusting images, disgust-sensitive individuals demonstrated a heightened ability to detect deviations from white. These findings suggest that disgust not only motivates people to avoid impurities, but actually makes them better able to see them.

  3. A Space Object Detection Algorithm using Fourier Domain Likelihood Ratio Test

    Science.gov (United States)

    Becker, D.; Cain, S.

    Space object detection is of great importance in the highly dependent yet competitive and congested space domain. Detection algorithms employed play a crucial role in fulfilling the detection component in the situational awareness mission to detect, track, characterize and catalog unknown space objects. Many current space detection algorithms use a matched filter or a spatial correlator to make a detection decision at a single pixel point of a spatial image based on the assumption that the data follows a Gaussian distribution. This paper explores the potential for detection performance advantages when operating in the Fourier domain of long exposure images of small and/or dim space objects from ground based telescopes. A binary hypothesis test is developed based on the joint probability distribution function of the image under the hypothesis that an object is present and under the hypothesis that the image only contains background noise. The detection algorithm tests each pixel point of the Fourier transformed images to make the determination if an object is present based on the criteria threshold found in the likelihood ratio test. Using simulated data, the performance of the Fourier domain detection algorithm is compared to the current algorithm used in space situational awareness applications to evaluate its value.

  4. A Chip Off the Old Block: Parents’ Subtle Ethnic Prejudice Predicts Children’s Implicit Prejudice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sabine Pirchio

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available The increasing flow of immigrants in many European countries and the growing presence of children from immigrant families in schools makes it relevant to study the development of prejudice in children. Parents play an important role in shaping children’s values and their attitudes toward members of other ethnic groups; an intergenerational transmission of prejudice has been found in a number of studies targeting adolescents. The present study aims to investigate the intergenerational transmission of ethnic prejudice in 3- to 9- year-old children and its relations to parenting styles. Parents’ blatant and subtle ethnic prejudice and parenting style are measured together with children’s explicit and implicit ethnic prejudice in pupils and parents of preschool and primary schools in the region of Rome, Italy (N = 318. Results show that parents’ subtle prejudice predicts children’s implicit prejudice regardless of the parenting style. Findings indicate that children might acquire prejudice by means of the parents’ implicit cognition and automatic behavior and educational actions. Implications for future studies and insights for possible applied interventions are discussed.

  5. A Chip Off the Old Block: Parents’ Subtle Ethnic Prejudice Predicts Children’s Implicit Prejudice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pirchio, Sabine; Passiatore, Ylenia; Panno, Angelo; Maricchiolo, Fridanna; Carrus, Giuseppe

    2018-01-01

    The increasing flow of immigrants in many European countries and the growing presence of children from immigrant families in schools makes it relevant to study the development of prejudice in children. Parents play an important role in shaping children’s values and their attitudes toward members of other ethnic groups; an intergenerational transmission of prejudice has been found in a number of studies targeting adolescents. The present study aims to investigate the intergenerational transmission of ethnic prejudice in 3- to 9- year-old children and its relations to parenting styles. Parents’ blatant and subtle ethnic prejudice and parenting style are measured together with children’s explicit and implicit ethnic prejudice in pupils and parents of preschool and primary schools in the region of Rome, Italy (N = 318). Results show that parents’ subtle prejudice predicts children’s implicit prejudice regardless of the parenting style. Findings indicate that children might acquire prejudice by means of the parents’ implicit cognition and automatic behavior and educational actions. Implications for future studies and insights for possible applied interventions are discussed. PMID:29479328

  6. Feelings as a basis for discrimination : Comparison of a modified authenticity test with the same-different test for slightly different types of milk

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Frandsen, Lise Wolf; Dijksterhuis, Garmt B.; Brockhoff, Per B.; Nielsen, Jacob H.; Martens, Magni

    An analytical sensory test and an authenticity test were used to evaluate subtle flavour differences in milk. Consumers who habitually drink milk were selected for the tests. These consumers, we assume, possess implicitly learned knowledge about the taste of milk. In the authenticity test the

  7. Feelings as a basis for discrimination: Comparison of a modified authenticity test with the same-different test for slightly different types of milk

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Frandsen, L.W.; Dijksterhuis, G.B.; Brockhoff, P.B.; Nielsen, J.H.; Martens, M.

    2007-01-01

    An analytical sensory test and an authenticity test were used to evaluate subtle flavour differences in milk. Consumers who habitually drink milk were selected for the tests. These consumers, we assume, possess implicitly learned knowledge about the taste of milk. In the authenticity test the

  8. Hydrogen peroxide test for intraoperative bile leak detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trehan, V; Rao, Pankaj P; Naidu, C S; Sharma, Anuj K; Singh, A K; Sharma, Sanjay; Gaur, Amit; Kulkarni, S V; Pathak, N

    2017-07-01

    Bile leakage (BL) is a common complication following liver surgery, ranging from 3 to 27% in different series. To reduce the incidence of post-operative BL various BL tests have been applied since ages, but no method is foolproof and every method has their own limitations. In this study we used a relatively simpler technique to detect the BL intra-operatively. Topical application of 1.5% diluted hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) was used to detect the BL from cut surface of liver and we compared this with conventional saline method to know the efficacy. A total of 31 patients included all patients who underwent liver resection and donor hepatectomies as part of Living Donor Liver Transplantation. After complete liver resection, the conventional saline test followed by topical diluted 1.5% H 2 O 2 test was performed on all. A BL was demonstrated in 11 patients (35.48%) by the conventional saline method and in 19 patients (61.29%) by H 2 O 2 method. Statistically compared by Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed significant difference ( P  = 0.014) for minor liver resections group and ( P  = 0.002) for major liver resections group. The topical application of H 2 O 2 is a simple and effective method of detection of BL from cut surface of liver. It is an easy, non-invasive, cheap, less time consuming, reproducible, and sensitive technique with no obvious disadvantages.

  9. Accuracy analysis of the CTBTO nuclear test detection scale and Improvement

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ryu, Young Kwang [Seoul National Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-10-15

    CTBTO (Comprehensive nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization) is charge of nuclear test monitoring for nuclear non-proliferation. CTBTO has 170 seismic stations in operation in 76 countries in order to detect the artificial earthquake that was caused by an underground nuclear test. Korea use formula that is based on the equations that are used by the IMS (International Monitoring System) of CTBTO for analysis of explosive scale, and reflect the nature of the terrain, such as rock. But the expression for calculating the exact scale explosive is still un-established state. And generally CTBTO doesn't care about artificial explosive that is being received low-yield in accordance with the criteria of nuclear detection. But, at the time that North Korea conduct a nuclear test, it should not be overlooked that the scale of the earthquake detection criteria below. Because DPRK is trying to conceal their nuclear development capability, there are possibility of low-yield nuclear test or possibility of install a buffer to hide actual explosive scale. These radionuclide observations were consistent with a DPRK low-yield nuclear test on May 2010, even though no seismic signals from such a test have been detected. But there were a few times of low-yield (magnitude 1.39-1.93) occurred around DPRK nuclear test site at that time.

  10. Comparative efficacy of antigen and antibody detection tests for human trichinellosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ivanoska, D.; Cuperlovic, K.; Gamble, H.R.; Murrell, K.D.

    1989-01-01

    Sera collected from patients with suspected or confirmed exposure to Trichinella spiralis were tested for circulating parasite antigens and antiparasite antibodies. Using an immunoradiometric assay, excretory--secretory antigens from muscle-stage larvae of T. spiralis were detected in the sera of 47% of 62 patients with clinical trichinellosis and 13% of 39 patients without clinical signs but suspected of exposure to infected meat. In comparison, antibodies were detected using an indirect immunofluorescent test in the circulation of 100% of the 62 patients with clinical trichinellosis and 46% of the 39 patients with suspected exposure. The presence of antibodies specific to excretory-secretory products of T. spiralis muscle larvae was confirmed in the majority of the samples tested by a monoclonal antibody-based competitive inhibition assay. These results indicate that antibody detection is a more sensitive diagnostic method for human trichinellosis, but that antigen detection might be a useful confirmatory test because it is a direct demonstration of parasite products in the circulation

  11. Water Pollution Detection Based on Hypothesis Testing in Sensor Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xu Luo

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Water pollution detection is of great importance in water conservation. In this paper, the water pollution detection problems of the network and of the node in sensor networks are discussed. The detection problems in both cases of the distribution of the monitoring noise being normal and nonnormal are considered. The pollution detection problems are analyzed based on hypothesis testing theory firstly; then, the specific detection algorithms are given. Finally, two implementation examples are given to illustrate how the proposed detection methods are used in the water pollution detection in sensor networks and prove the effectiveness of the proposed detection methods.

  12. Detection Test for Leakage of CO2 into Sodium Loop

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Sun Hee; Wi, Myung-Hwan; Min, Jae Hong

    2015-01-01

    This report is about the facility for the detection test for leakage of CO 2 into sodium loop. The facility for the detection test for leakage of CO 2 into sodium loop was introduced. The test will be carried out. Our experimental results are going to be expected to be used for approach methods to detect CO 2 leaking into sodium in heat exchangers. A sodium-and-carbon dioxide (Na-CO 2 ) heat exchanger is one of the key components for the supercritical CO 2 Brayton cycle power conversion system of sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs). A printed circuit heat exchanger (PCHE) is considered for the Na-CO 2 heat exchanger, which is known to have potential for reducing the volume occupied by the exchangers compared to traditional shell-and-tube heat exchangers. Among various issues about the Na- CO 2 exchanger, detection of CO 2 leaking into sodium in the heat exchanger is most important thing for its safe operation. It is known that reaction products from sodium and CO 2 such as sodium carbonate (Na 2 CO 3 ) and amorphous carbon are hardly soluble in sodium, which cause plug sodium channels. Detection technique for Na 2 CO 3 in sodium loop has not been developed yet. Therefore, detection of CO 2 and CO from reaction of sodium and CO 2 are proper to detect CO 2 leakage into sodium loop

  13. Judgments of subtle facial expressions of emotion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsumoto, David; Hwang, Hyisung C

    2014-04-01

    Most studies on judgments of facial expressions of emotion have primarily utilized prototypical, high-intensity expressions. This paper examines judgments of subtle facial expressions of emotion, including not only low-intensity versions of full-face prototypes but also variants of those prototypes. A dynamic paradigm was used in which observers were shown a neutral expression followed by the target expression to judge, and then the neutral expression again, allowing for a simulation of the emergence of the expression from and then return to a baseline. We also examined how signal and intensity clarities of the expressions (explained more fully in the Introduction) were associated with judgment agreement levels. Low-intensity, full-face prototypical expressions of emotion were judged as the intended emotion at rates significantly greater than chance. A number of the proposed variants were also judged as the intended emotions. Both signal and intensity clarities were individually associated with agreement rates; when their interrelationships were taken into account, signal clarity independently predicted agreement rates but intensity clarity did not. The presence or absence of specific muscles appeared to be more important to agreement rates than their intensity levels, with the exception of the intensity of zygomatic major, which was positively correlated with agreement rates for judgments of joy.

  14. Subtle evidence for paleoseismicity in the cratonic interior, U.S. A

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacobson, W. Z.; Cowan, C. A.; Runkel, A. C.

    2009-12-01

    Intrastratal deformation features in Cambrian-Ordovician boundary strata in southeastern Minnesota, U.S.A., may be evidence for mid-continent paleoseismicity. Deformation features are present tens of kilometers east of the Midcontinent Rift zone, and include sand blows, water escape, and convolute lamination, as well as more subtle structures indicative of sand-on-sand density contrasts. The stratigraphic interval of interest is the uppermost Jordan Formation (Furongian), a very fine- to coarse-grained quartzose sandstone, and the basal Oneota Formation (Tremadocian), a heterolithic sandstone and dolostone that grades upward into bedded dolostone. Along the Jordan-Oneota boundary, deformation features are extensive, and the result of sand liquefaction and fluidization. Upward migration of excess pore water was obstructed in places by shale drapes that locally ruptured, causing sand to be injected into overlying beds. Movement of sand in this manner created voids that were filled by a chaotic mixture of sand, shale, and pebbles that collapsed from above. Where upwardly percolating water was not confined by shale, intrastratal flow produced water escape pillars. Other deformation features are present up to ~3 m below the Jordan-Oneota boundary, in well-sorted, pure quartzose sandstone. These features are inconspicuous because of the uniform texture and minerology of the sediment, and some were previously interpreted as synsedimentary phenomena. These features are common along foreset boundaries in large-scale (>3 m) cross-strata, and include cm-scale digitate interfaces (interfingering) and in situ rounded forms interpreted as sand-on-sand boudinage. They formed from density contrasts between individual foresets within the cross-bedded sand. The top of the lower foreset was less dense but more viscous than the base of the succeeding foreset. Such contrasts were the result of subtle packing and grain size differences formed during the avalanche process during dune

  15. Proof-testing strategies induced by dangerous detected failures of safety-instrumented systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Yiliu; Rausand, Marvin

    2016-01-01

    Some dangerous failures of safety-instrumented systems (SISs) are detected almost immediately by diagnostic self-testing as dangerous detected (DD) failures, whereas other dangerous failures can only be detected by proof-testing, and are therefore called dangerous undetected (DU) failures. Some items may have a DU- and a DD-failure at the same time. After the repair of a DD-failure is completed, the maintenance team has two options: to perform an insert proof test for DU-failure or not. If an insert proof test is performed, it is necessary to decide whether the next scheduled proof test should be postponed or performed at the scheduled time. This paper analyzes the effects of different testing strategies on the safety performance of a single channel of a SIS. The safety performance is analyzed by Petri nets and by approximation formulas and the results obtained by the two approaches are compared. It is shown that insert testing improves the safety performance of the channel, but the feasibility and cost of the strategy may be a hindrance to recommend insert testing. - Highlights: • Identify the tests induced by detected failures. • Model the testing strategies following DD-failures. • Propose analytical formulas for effects of strategies. • Simulate and verify the proposed models.

  16. Observer detection of image degradation caused by irreversible data compression processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Ji; Flynn, Michael J.; Gross, Barry; Spizarny, David

    1991-05-01

    Irreversible data compression methods have been proposed to reduce the data storage and communication requirements of digital imaging systems. In general, the error produced by compression increases as an algorithm''s compression ratio is increased. We have studied the relationship between compression ratios and the detection of induced error using radiologic observers. The nature of the errors was characterized by calculating the power spectrum of the difference image. In contrast with studies designed to test whether detected errors alter diagnostic decisions, this study was designed to test whether observers could detect the induced error. A paired-film observer study was designed to test whether induced errors were detected. The study was conducted with chest radiographs selected and ranked for subtle evidence of interstitial disease, pulmonary nodules, or pneumothoraces. Images were digitized at 86 microns (4K X 5K) and 2K X 2K regions were extracted. A full-frame discrete cosine transform method was used to compress images at ratios varying between 6:1 and 60:1. The decompressed images were reprinted next to the original images in a randomized order with a laser film printer. The use of a film digitizer and a film printer which can reproduce all of the contrast and detail in the original radiograph makes the results of this study insensitive to instrument performance and primarily dependent on radiographic image quality. The results of this study define conditions for which errors associated with irreversible compression cannot be detected by radiologic observers. The results indicate that an observer can detect the errors introduced by this compression algorithm for compression ratios of 10:1 (1.2 bits/pixel) or higher.

  17. Quench detection electronics testing protocol for SST-1 magnets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Banaudha, Moni; Varmora, Pankaj; Parghi, Bhadresh; Prasad, Upendra

    2017-01-01

    Quench Detection (QD) system consisting 204 signal channels has been successfully installed and working well during plasma experiment of SST-1 Tokamak. QD system requires testing, validation and maintenance in every SST-1 campaign for better reliability and maintainability of the system. Standalone test of each channel of the system is essential for hard-ware validation. The standard Testing Protocol follow in every campaign which validate each section of QD electronics as well as voltage tap signal cables which are routed inside the cryostat and then extended outside of the SST-1 machine up-to the magnet control room. Fiber link for Quench signal transmission to the SST-1 magnet power supply is also test and validate before every plasma campaign. Precise instrument used as a dummy source of quench signal and for manual quench generation to test the each channel and Master Quench Logic. Each signal Integrated with the magnet DAQ system, signal observed at 1Hz and 50Hz configuration to validate the logging data, compare with actual and previous test data. This paper describes the testing protocol follow in every campaign to validate functionality of QD electronics, limitation of testing, test results and overall integration of the quench detection system for SST-1 magnet. (author)

  18. Imperfection detection probability at ultrasonic testing of reactor vessels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kazinczy, F. de; Koernvik, L.Aa.

    1980-02-01

    The report is a lecture given at a symposium organized by the Swedish nuclear power inspectorate on February 1980. Equipments, calibration and testing procedures are reported. The estimation of defect detection probability for ultrasonic tests and the reliability of literature data are discussed. Practical testing of reactor vessels and welded joints are described. Swedish test procedures are compared with other countries. Series of test data for welded joints of the OKG-2 reactor are presented. Future recommendations for testing procedures are made. (GBn)

  19. Adjustment to subtle time constraints and power law learning in rapid serial visual presentation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jacqueline Chakyung Shin

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available We investigated whether attention could be modulated through the implicit learning of temporal information in a rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP task. Participants identified two target letters among numeral distractors. The stimulus-onset asynchrony immediately following the first target (SOA1 varied at three levels (70, 98, and 126 ms randomly between trials or fixed within blocks of trials. Practice over three consecutive days resulted in a continuous improvement in the identification rate for both targets and attenuation of the attentional blink (AB, a decrement in target (T2 identification when presented 200-400 ms after another target (T1. Blocked SOA1s led to a faster rate of improvement in RSVP performance and more target order reversals relative to random SOA1s, suggesting that the implicit learning of SOA1 positively affected performance. The results also reveal power law learning curves for individual target identification as well as the reduction in the AB decrement. These learning curves reflect the spontaneous emergence of skill through subtle attentional modulations rather than general attentional distribution. Together, the results indicate that implicit temporal learning could improve high level and rapid cognitive processing and highlights the sensitivity and adaptability of the attentional system to subtle constraints in stimulus timing.

  20. [Blood Test Patterns for Blood Donors after Nucleic Acid Detection in the Blood Center].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Men, Shou-Shan; Lv, Lian-Zhi; Chen, Yuan-Feng; Han, Chun-Hua; Liu, Hong-Yu; Yan, Yan

    2017-12-01

    To investigate the blood test patterns for blood donors after nucleic acid detection in blood center. The collected blood samples after voluntary blood donors first were detected by conventional ELISA, then 31981 negative samples were detected via HBV/HCV/HIV combined nucleic acid test of 6 mixed samples(22716 cases) or single samples(9265 cases) by means of Roche cobas s201 instrument. The combined detection method as follows: the blood samples were assayed by conventional nucleic acid test of 6 mixed samples, at same time, 6 mixed samples were treated with polyethylene glycol precipitation method to concentrate the virus, then the nucleic acid test of blood samples was performed; the single detection method as follows: firstly the conventional nucleic acid test of single sample was performed, then the positive reactive samples after re-examination were 6-fold diluted to simulate the nucleic acid test of 6-mixed samples. The positive rate of positive samples detected by combined nucleic acid test, positive samples detected by nucleic acid test of mixed virus concentration and positive samples detected by single nucleic acid test was statistically analyzed. In addition, for HBV + persons the serological test yet should be performed. In 22 716 samples detected by nucleic acid test of 6 mixed samples (MP-6-NAT) , 9 cases were HBV + (0.40‰, 9/22716); at same time, the detection of same samples by nucleic acid test of mixed sample virus concentration showed 29 cases of HBV + (1.28‰, 29/22716). In 9265 samples detected by single nucleic acid test(ID-NAT) 12 cases showed HBV + (1.30‰, 12/9265), meanwhile the detection of these 12 samples with HBV + by 6-fold dilution for virus concentration found only 4 samples with HBV + . In serological qualified samples, ID-NAT unqualified rate was 1.28‰, which was higher than that of MP-6-NAT(0.4‰) (χ 2 =8.11, P0.05). In 41 samples with HBsAg - HBV DNA + detected by ELISA, 36 samples were confirmed to be occult HBV

  1. A pdf-Free Change Detection Test Based on Density Difference Estimation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bu, Li; Alippi, Cesare; Zhao, Dongbin

    2018-02-01

    The ability to detect online changes in stationarity or time variance in a data stream is a hot research topic with striking implications. In this paper, we propose a novel probability density function-free change detection test, which is based on the least squares density-difference estimation method and operates online on multidimensional inputs. The test does not require any assumption about the underlying data distribution, and is able to operate immediately after having been configured by adopting a reservoir sampling mechanism. Thresholds requested to detect a change are automatically derived once a false positive rate is set by the application designer. Comprehensive experiments validate the effectiveness in detection of the proposed method both in terms of detection promptness and accuracy.

  2. The subtle field of the meeting: meta-corporeality and the clinic

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Helia Borges

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available This article aims to discuss the context of the analytic setting, proposing a clinical approach that encourages reflection on a practice that takes into account the encounter between analyst and patient, from the subtle field triggered by complaints, by corporeality. This meeting, as meta-corporeality, would enable the hold of subjective dynamics that escape the represented field. The flow of forces, the intensive field in Freudian concepts such as, for example, the drive concept, was dropped by a psychoanalytic construction restricted to representation speech. It takes up here the tradition already consolidated since Freud, when approaching art and clinic, thinking the analytical doing and its theoretical production, seeking to expand its devices.

  3. Seeing emotions: a review of micro and subtle emotion expression training

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poole, Ernest Andre

    2016-09-01

    In this review I explore and discuss the use of micro and subtle expression training in the social sciences. These trainings, offered commercially, are designed and endorsed by noted psychologist Paul Ekman, co-author of the Facial Action Coding System, a comprehensive system of measuring muscular movement in the face and its relationship to the expression of emotions. The trainings build upon that seminal work and present them in a way for either the layperson or researcher to easily add to their personal toolbox for a variety of purposes. Outlined are my experiences across the training products, how they could be used in social science research, a brief comparison to automated systems, and possible next steps.

  4. Digital holographic reconstruction detection of localized corrosion arising from scratches

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    LIANG WANG

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available In this study, electrochemical methods and the digital holographic reconstruction technique were combined to detect the localized scratch-induced corrosion process of Alloy 690 in 0.50 mol dm-3 H2SO4 containing 0.10 mol dm-3 NaCl. The numerical reconstruction method has been proved to be an effective technique to detect changes of solution concentration. One can obtain direct information from the reconstructed images and capture subtle more revealing changes. It provides a method to detect localized corrosion arising from scratches.

  5. Do subtle reminders of money change people's political views?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rohrer, Doug; Pashler, Harold; Harris, Christine R

    2015-08-01

    A number of researchers have reported studies showing that subtle reminders of money can alter behaviors and beliefs that are seemingly unrelated to money. In 1 set of studies published in this journal, Caruso, Vohs, Baxter, and Waytz (2013) found that incidental exposures to money led subjects to indicate greater support for inequality, socioeconomic differences, group-based discrimination, and free market economies. We conducted high-powered replication attempts of these 4 money priming effects and found no evidence of priming (weighted Cohen's d = 0.03). We later learned that Caruso et al. also found several null effects in their line of research that were not reported in the original article. In addition, the money priming effect observed in the first study of Caruso et al. was included in the Many Labs Replication Project (Klein et al., 2014), and only 1 of the 36 labs was able to find the effect. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

  6. Indirect micro-immunofluorescence test for detecting type-specific antibodies to herpes simplex virus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forsey, T; Darougar, S

    1980-02-01

    A rapid indirect micro-immunofluorescence test capable of detecting and differentiating type-specific antibodies to herpes simplex virus is described. The test proved highly sensitive and, in 80 patients with active herpes ocular infection, antibody was detected in 94%. No anti-herpes antibody was detected in a control group of 20 patients with adenovirus infections. Testing of animal sera prepared against herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 and of human sera from cases of ocular and genital herpes infections showed that the test can differentiate antibodies to the infecting serotypes. Specimens of whole blood, taken by fingerprick, and eye secretions, both collected on cellulose sponges, could be tested by indirect micro-immunofluorescence. Anti-herpes IgG, IgM, and IgA can also be detected.

  7. Field test of a leak detection system: planning, execution and results

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sampaio da Silva; Daniel; Melo Filho, Silvio A.; Niehues de Farias, Mauro; Pacheco, Anderson [Petrobas Transporte SA - TRANSPETRO, (Brazil)

    2010-07-01

    The OLAPA pipeline (Brazil) with its 97.6 km in length crosses difficult environment with a combination of mountain and dense forest. The non-detection of leaks in this kind of pipeline would have serious consequences. This pipeline was chosen for testing the performance of a new TRANSPETRO leak detection system. This paper reports the testing process of the new leakage detection method carried out on the OLAPA pipeline. TRANSPETRO decided to test the leakwarn system which is a computational pipeline monitoring (CPM) method which and can be integrated into their SCADA system. The CPM uses the mass balance principle with line pack change to analyze the pipeline operational parameters. The tests consisted of comparing the theoretical results with in-field results of alarm times obtained from controlled removal of product, simulating a real leak. Three leaks were tested in different states of operation and size of leak. It was found that the results were compatible with the expected alarm time.

  8. Metabolic profiling of the response to an oral glucose tolerance test detects subtle metabolic changes.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wopereis, S.; Rubingh, C.M. de; Erk, M.J. van; Verheij, E.R.; Vliet, T. van; Cnubben, N.H.; Smilde, A.K.; Greef, J. van der; Ommen, B. van; Hendriks, H.F.

    2009-01-01

    BACKGROUND: The prevalence of overweight is increasing globally and has become a serious health problem. Low-grade chronic inflammation in overweight subjects is thought to play an important role in disease development. Novel tools to understand these processes are needed. Metabolic profiling is one

  9. Multianalyte Tests for the Early Detection of Cancer: Speedbumps and Barriers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael A. Tainsky

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available It has become very clear that a single molecular event is inadequate to accurately predict the biology (or pathophysiology of cancer. Furthermore, using any single molecular event as a biomarker for the early detection of malignancy may not comprehensively identify the majority of individuals with that disease. Therefore, the fact that technologies have arisen that can simultaneously detect several, possibly hundreds, of biomarkers has propelled the field towards the development of multianalyte-based in vitro diagnostic early detection tests for cancer using body fl uids such as serum, plasma, sputum, saliva, or urine. These multianalyte tests may be based on the detection of serum autoantibodies to tumor antigens, the presence of cancer-related proteins in serum, or the presence of tumor-specific genomic changes that appear in plasma as free DNA. The implementation of non-invasive diagnostic approaches to detect early stage cancer may provide the physician with evidence of cancer, but the question arises as to how the information will affect the pathway of clinical intervention. The confirmation of a positive result from an in vitro diagnostic cancer test may involve relatively invasive procedures to establish a true cancer diagnosis. If in vitro diagnostic tests are proven to be both specific, i.e. rarely produce false positive results due to unrelated conditions, and sufficiently sensitive, i.e. rarely produce false negative results, then such screening tests offer the potential for early detection and personalized therapeutics using multiple disease-related targets with convenient and non-invasive means. Here we discuss the technical and regulatory barriers inherent in development of clinical multianalyte biomarker assays.

  10. High sensitive quench detection method using an integrated test wire

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fevrier, A.; Tavergnier, J.P.; Nithart, H.; Kiblaire, M.; Duchateau, J.L.

    1981-01-01

    A high sensitive quench detection method which works even in the presence of an external perturbing magnetic field is reported. The quench signal is obtained from the difference in voltages at the superconducting winding terminals and at the terminals at a secondary winding strongly coupled to the primary. The secondary winding could consist of a ''zero-current strand'' of the superconducting cable not connected to one of the winding terminals or an integrated normal test wire inside the superconducting cable. Experimental results on quench detection obtained by this method are described. It is shown that the integrated test wire method leads to efficient and sensitive quench detection, especially in the presence of an external perturbing magnetic field

  11. {sup 18}F-FDG-Avid Adenocarcinoma of the Rectum Presenting as a Subtle Filling Defect on Maximum Intensity Projection Image: Report of a Case

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bahk, Yong Whee; Lee, Kwang Chan [SungAe General Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2009-04-15

    {sup 18}F-FDG avid polypoid or tumefacient carcinomas of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract including the rectum are characteristically featured on PET-CT as an intraluminal tumor surrounded by completely or partially cleared background. However, the carcinomas of intramural or sessile variant may not so easily be detected especially when tumors are obliterated by feces or mucus retained in the host bowel loop. Recently, we observed a case of cauliflower-like adenocarcinoma of the rectum that was diagnosed by noting a subtle, flat filling defect created against the background of 'black' feces-mucus filled rectum. To our knowledge such a 'filling defect' produced by sessile tumor has not previously been reported as a useful diagnostic sign of GI tract carcinoma on PET-CT.

  12. Absence or interruption of the supra-acetabular line: a subtle plain film indicator of hip pathology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Major, N.M.; Helms, C.A.

    1996-01-01

    Objective. To show that absence or interruption of the supraacetabular line is a subtle plain film indicator of pathology in the acetabulum. Design. Nineteen hips from 17 patients with known disease processes involving the acetabulum as demonstrated by subsequent magnetic resonance imaging, bone scan or plain film follow-up were evaluated with antero-posterior (AP) plain films of the pelvis. Three additional cases were diagnosed prospectively using interruption of the supra-acetabular line as the criterion for inclusion. Fifty AP plain films of the pelvis in patients without hip pain were examined prospectively to determine normal imaging criteria. Results and conclusions. The normal supra-acetabular line measures 2-3 mm in thickness superiorly and is a thin sclerotic line in the medial aspect. In all 22 hips (with pathology) in this series, the line was interrupted or absent. Loss or interruption of the supra-acetabular line may thus be a subtle pain film indicator of a disease process involving the acetabulum. This plain film sign has not previously been reported. (orig.). With 8 figs., 1 tab

  13. Real time risk analysis of kick detection: Testing and validation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Islam, Rakibul; Khan, Faisal; Venkatesan, Ramchandran

    2017-01-01

    Oil and gas development is moving into harsh and remote locations where the highest level of safety is required. A blowout is one of the most feared accidents in oil and gas developments projects. The main objective of this paper is to test and validate the kick detection of blowout risk assessment model using uniquely developed experimental results. Kick detection is a major part of the blowout risk assessment model. The accuracy and timeliness of kick detection are dependent on the monitoring of multiple downhole parameters such as downhole pressure, fluid density, fluid conductivity and mass flow rate. In the present study these four parameters are considered in different logical combinations to assess the occurrence of kick and associated blowout risk. The assessed results are compared against the experimental observations. It is observed that simultaneous monitoring of mass flow rate combined with any one the three parameters provides most reliable detection of kick and potential blowout likelihood. The current work presents the framework for a dynamic risk assessment and management model. Upon success testing of this approach at the pilot and field levels, this approach could provide a paradigm shift in drilling safety. - Highlights: • A novel dynamic risk model of kick detection and blowout prediction. • Testing and Validation of the risk model. • Application of the dynamic risk model.

  14. A versatile omnibus test for detecting mean and variance heterogeneity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, Ying; Wei, Peng; Bailey, Matthew; Kauwe, John S K; Maxwell, Taylor J

    2014-01-01

    Recent research has revealed loci that display variance heterogeneity through various means such as biological disruption, linkage disequilibrium (LD), gene-by-gene (G × G), or gene-by-environment interaction. We propose a versatile likelihood ratio test that allows joint testing for mean and variance heterogeneity (LRT(MV)) or either effect alone (LRT(M) or LRT(V)) in the presence of covariates. Using extensive simulations for our method and others, we found that all parametric tests were sensitive to nonnormality regardless of any trait transformations. Coupling our test with the parametric bootstrap solves this issue. Using simulations and empirical data from a known mean-only functional variant, we demonstrate how LD can produce variance-heterogeneity loci (vQTL) in a predictable fashion based on differential allele frequencies, high D', and relatively low r² values. We propose that a joint test for mean and variance heterogeneity is more powerful than a variance-only test for detecting vQTL. This takes advantage of loci that also have mean effects without sacrificing much power to detect variance only effects. We discuss using vQTL as an approach to detect G × G interactions and also how vQTL are related to relationship loci, and how both can create prior hypothesis for each other and reveal the relationships between traits and possibly between components of a composite trait.

  15. Testing the system detection unit for measuring solid minerals bulk density

    Science.gov (United States)

    Voytyuk, I. N.; Kopteva, A. V.

    2017-10-01

    The paper provides a brief description of the system for measuring flux per volume of solid minerals via example of mineral coal. The paper discloses the operational principle of the detection unit. The paper provides full description of testing methodology, as well as practical implementation of the detection unit testing. This paper describes the removal of two data arrays via the channel of scattered anddirect radiation for the detection units of two generations. This paper describes Matlab software to determine the statistical characteristics of the studied objects. The mean value of pulses per cycles, and pulse counting inaccuracy relatively the mean value were determined for the calculation of the stability account of the detection units.

  16. Gravitational and magnetic field variations synergize to cause subtle variations in the global transcriptional state of Arabidopsis in vitro callus cultures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manzano Ana I

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Biological systems respond to changes in both the Earth's magnetic and gravitational fields, but as experiments in space are expensive and infrequent, Earth-based simulation techniques are required. A high gradient magnetic field can be used to levitate biological material, thereby simulating microgravity and can also create environments with a reduced or an enhanced level of gravity (g, although special attention should be paid to the possible effects of the magnetic field (B itself. Results Using diamagnetic levitation, we exposed Arabidopsis thaliana in vitro callus cultures to five environments with different levels of effective gravity and magnetic field strengths. The environments included levitation, i.e. simulated μg* (close to 0 g* at B = 10.1 T, intermediate g* (0.1 g* at B = 14.7 T and enhanced gravity levels (1.9 g* at B = 14.7 T and 2 g* at B = 10.1 T plus an internal 1 g* control (B = 16.5 T. The asterisk denotes the presence of the background magnetic field, as opposed to the effective gravity environments in the absence of an applied magnetic field, created using a Random Position Machine (simulated μg and a Large Diameter Centrifuge (2 g. Microarray analysis indicates that changes in the overall gene expression of cultured cells exposed to these unusual environments barely reach significance using an FDR algorithm. However, it was found that gravitational and magnetic fields produce synergistic variations in the steady state of the transcriptional profile of plants. Transcriptomic results confirm that high gradient magnetic fields (i.e. to create μg* and 2 g* conditions have a significant effect, mainly on structural, abiotic stress genes and secondary metabolism genes, but these subtle gravitational effects are only observable using clustering methodologies. Conclusions A detailed microarray dataset analysis, based on clustering of similarly expressed genes (GEDI software, can detect underlying global

  17. Scintillating anticoincidence detection elements design and tests with muons and protons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gilliot, M.; Chabaud, J.; Baronick, J.P.; Colonges, S.; Laurent, P.

    2010-01-01

    Design, construction and tests of anticoincidence detection elements are presented. Initially planned to be used as active shielding parts of the anticoincidence detector of the Simbol-X mission, they are aimed to detect cosmic protons and provide veto signal against charged-particle background induced on imaging detectors. The sample is made of a scintillator plate into which grooves are machined and waveshifting fibers glued. The fibers are connected to multianode photomultiplier (PM) tubes. The tubes characteristics have been evaluated for this application. The device has been tested with atmospheric muons that deposit similar energy to that of cosmic protons thanks to a specially designed muon telescope also described in this paper. Tests have also been performed with protons of a tandem accelerator beam line. The response is on average above 10 photoelectrons, which is not complicated to detect, which allows very good detection efficiency as well as very good ability to reject noise. In addition many evolution and performance improvements appear possible.

  18. Scintillating anticoincidence detection elements design and tests with muons and protons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gilliot, M.; Chabaud, J.; Baronick, J. P.; Colonges, S.; Laurent, P.

    2010-09-01

    Design, construction and tests of anticoincidence detection elements are presented. Initially planned to be used as active shielding parts of the anticoincidence detector of the Simbol-X mission, they are aimed to detect cosmic protons and provide veto signal against charged-particle background induced on imaging detectors. The sample is made of a scintillator plate into which grooves are machined and waveshifting fibers glued. The fibers are connected to multianode photomultiplier (PM) tubes. The tubes characteristics have been evaluated for this application. The device has been tested with atmospheric muons that deposit similar energy to that of cosmic protons thanks to a specially designed muon telescope also described in this paper. Tests have also been performed with protons of a tandem accelerator beam line. The response is on average above 10 photoelectrons, which is not complicated to detect, which allows very good detection efficiency as well as very good ability to reject noise. In addition many evolution and performance improvements appear possible.

  19. Scintillating anticoincidence detection elements design and tests with muons and protons

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gilliot, M., E-mail: mickael.gilliot@univ-reims.f [Laboratoire APC, AstroParticules and Cosmologie, Batiment Condorcet, 10 rue Alice Domont et Leonie Duquet, 75205 Paris Cedex 13 (France); Chabaud, J.; Baronick, J.P.; Colonges, S. [Laboratoire APC, AstroParticules and Cosmologie, Batiment Condorcet, 10 rue Alice Domont et Leonie Duquet, 75205 Paris Cedex 13 (France); Laurent, P. [Laboratoire APC, AstroParticules and Cosmologie, Batiment Condorcet, 10 rue Alice Domont et Leonie Duquet, 75205 Paris Cedex 13 (France); CEA/DSM/Irfu/SAp, CEA/Saclay, 91191 Gif-Sur-Yvette Cedex (France)

    2010-09-21

    Design, construction and tests of anticoincidence detection elements are presented. Initially planned to be used as active shielding parts of the anticoincidence detector of the Simbol-X mission, they are aimed to detect cosmic protons and provide veto signal against charged-particle background induced on imaging detectors. The sample is made of a scintillator plate into which grooves are machined and waveshifting fibers glued. The fibers are connected to multianode photomultiplier (PM) tubes. The tubes characteristics have been evaluated for this application. The device has been tested with atmospheric muons that deposit similar energy to that of cosmic protons thanks to a specially designed muon telescope also described in this paper. Tests have also been performed with protons of a tandem accelerator beam line. The response is on average above 10 photoelectrons, which is not complicated to detect, which allows very good detection efficiency as well as very good ability to reject noise. In addition many evolution and performance improvements appear possible.

  20. Samsung Salmonella Detection Kit. AOAC Performance Tested Method(SM) 021203.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jun; Cheung, Win Den; Opdyke, Jason; Harvey, John; Chong, Songchun; Moon, Cheol Gon

    2012-01-01

    Salmonella, one of the most common causes of foodborne illness, is a significant public health concern worldwide. There is a need in the food industry for methods that are simple, rapid, and sensitive for the detection of foodborne pathogens. In this study, the Samsung Salmonella Detection Kit, a real-time PCR assay for the detection of Salmonella, was evaluated according to the current AOAC guidelines. The validation consisted of lot-to-lot consistency, stability, robustness, and inclusivity/exclusivity studies, as well as a method comparison of 10 different food matrixes. In the validation, the Samsung Salmonella Detection Kit was used in conjunction with the Applied Biosystems StepOnePlus PCR system and the Samsung Food Testing Software for the detection of Salmonella species. The performance of the assays was compared to the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Food Safety and Inspection Service-Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook (USDA/FSIS-MLG) 4.05: Isolation and Identification of Salmonella from Meat, Poultry, Pasteurized Egg, and Catfish and the and U.S. Food and Drug Administration/Bacteriological Analytical Manual (FDA/BAM) Chapter 5 Salmonella reference methods. The validation was conducted using an unpaired study design for detection of Salmonella spp. in raw ground beef, raw pork, raw ground pork, raw chicken wings, raw salmon, alfalfa sprouts, pasteurized orange juice, peanut butter, pasteurized whole milk, and shell eggs. The Samsung Salmonella Detection Kit demonstrated lot-to-lot consistency among three independent lots as well as ruggedness with minor modifications to changes in enrichment incubation time, enrichment incubation temperature, and DNA sample volume for PCR reaction. Stability was observed for 13 months at -20 degrees C and 3 months at 5 degrees C. For the inclusivity/exclusivity study, the Samsung Salmonella Detection Kit correctly identified 147 Salmonella species isolates out of 147 isolates tested from each of three different enrichment

  1. Hypothesis tests for the detection of constant speed radiation moving sources

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dumazert, Jonathan; Coulon, Romain; Kondrasovs, Vladimir; Boudergui, Karim; Sannie, Guillaume; Gameiro, Jordan; Normand, Stephane [CEA, LIST, Laboratoire Capteurs Architectures Electroniques, 99 Gif-sur-Yvette, (France); Mechin, Laurence [CNRS, UCBN, Groupe de Recherche en Informatique, Image, Automatique et Instrumentation de Caen, 4050 Caen, (France)

    2015-07-01

    Radiation Portal Monitors are deployed in linear network to detect radiological material in motion. As a complement to single and multichannel detection algorithms, inefficient under too low signal to noise ratios, temporal correlation algorithms have been introduced. Test hypothesis methods based on empirically estimated mean and variance of the signals delivered by the different channels have shown significant gain in terms of a tradeoff between detection sensitivity and false alarm probability. This paper discloses the concept of a new hypothesis test for temporal correlation detection methods, taking advantage of the Poisson nature of the registered counting signals, and establishes a benchmark between this test and its empirical counterpart. The simulation study validates that in the four relevant configurations of a pedestrian source carrier under respectively high and low count rate radioactive background, and a vehicle source carrier under the same respectively high and low count rate radioactive background, the newly introduced hypothesis test ensures a significantly improved compromise between sensitivity and false alarm, while guaranteeing the stability of its optimization parameter regardless of signal to noise ratio variations between 2 to 0.8. (authors)

  2. Evaluation of the White Test for the Intraoperative Detection of Bile Leakage

    OpenAIRE

    Leelawat, Kawin; Chaiyabutr, Kittipong; Subwongcharoen, Somboon; Treepongkaruna, Sa-ad

    2012-01-01

    We assess whether the White test is better than the conventional bile leakage test for the intraoperative detection of bile leakage in hepatectomized patients. This study included 30 patients who received elective liver resection. Both the conventional bile leakage test (injecting an isotonic sodium chloride solution through the cystic duct) and the White test (injecting a fat emulsion solution through the cystic duct) were carried out in the same patients. The detection of bile leakage was c...

  3. Detection at a distance of atomic bomb tests

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nahmias, M E

    1954-01-01

    Nahmias describes the radioassay of air, rain, and snowfall as the basis for detecting atomic bomb tests. Tables and graphs give time vs. Ra equivalents, distance vs Roentgens/h of radiation, and distribution of radioelements which can be expected.

  4. Detection of ductile crack initiation by acoustic emission testing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Richter, H.; Boehmert, J.; Viehrig, H.W.

    1998-08-01

    A Charpy impact test equipment is described permitting simultaneous measurement of impact force, crack tip opening, acoustic emissions and magnetic emissions. The core of the equipment is an inverted pendulum ram impact testing machine and the tests have been performed with laterally notched, pre-fatigue ISO-V specimens made of steels of various strength and toughness properties. The tests are intended to ascertain whether the acoustic emission method is suitable for detecting steady crack initiation in highly ductile steels. (orig./CB) [de

  5. Advantages and disadvantages of current diagnostic tests for the detection of Helicobacter pylori.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mégraud, F

    1996-01-01

    Current tests used to detect Helicobacter pylori are either invasive (histological detection, culture, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), smear examination) or non-invasive (serology, 13C-urea breath test). These tests vary in their sensitivity and specificity, and the choice of test will depend on the situation, for example, whether the test is to detect infection or the success of eradication treatment. The accuracy of histological tests depends, to a large degree, on the expertise of the pathologist, while the accuracy of culture can depend on the conditions in which the specimen is transported and processed. When performed under optimal conditions, both techniques give very good results. The PCR test has similar sensitivity and specificity to histological and culture tests but a strict protocol must be followed to avoid contamination with H. pylori DNA. The rapid urease test (with a reading taken 1 hour later) is suitable for diagnosis before treatment but its sensitivity decreases after treatment. Smear examination has limited sensitivity. The urea breath test and serology (specific IgG detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with purified antigens) have sensitivities close to those using the best of the biopsy methods. Other points to consider when selecting a test are its availability, the rapidity of the results (which can range from a few minutes to 2 weeks), possibilities for retrospective analysis, quantification and the detection of pathogenic properties, the globality of certain tests that present an overall picture of the stomach, thus avoiding errors in sampling, and the cost of the test. Important added value can be gained from certain tests: histology allows evaluation of the status of the mucosa, culture allows strain typing and tests for antibiotic susceptibility, and the breath test can confirm successful eradication without endoscopy. When the diagnostic tests are performed correctly, most of them are highly accurate.

  6. Application of Bayesian Methods for Detecting Fraudulent Behavior on Tests

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sinharay, Sandip

    2018-01-01

    Producers and consumers of test scores are increasingly concerned about fraudulent behavior before and during the test. There exist several statistical or psychometric methods for detecting fraudulent behavior on tests. This paper provides a review of the Bayesian approaches among them. Four hitherto-unpublished real data examples are provided to…

  7. Detection of thrombocytic antibodies with the direct and indirect haemolysis inhibition test and the radioimmuno-Coombs test

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mettenboerger, D.; Vith, E.

    1982-01-01

    Methods of application of the direct and indirect haemolysis inhibition test were studied in order to optimise the test parameters: The ultimate aim was to standardize the test method and compare its sensitivity in detecting various platelet antibodies with platelet indirect radioactive Coombs-test and the platelet immunofluorescence test. (orig.) [de

  8. Deconstructing autofluorescence: non-invasive detection and monitoring of biochemistry in cells and tissues (Conference Presentation)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldys, Ewa M.; Gosnell, Martin E.; Anwer, Ayad G.; Cassano, Juan C.; Sue, Carolyn M.; Mahbub, Saabah B.; Pernichery, Sandeep M.; Inglis, David W.; Adhikary, Partho P.; Jazayeri, Jalal A.; Cahill, Michael A.; Saad, Sonia; Pollock, Carol; Sutton-Mcdowall, Melanie L.; Thompson, Jeremy G.

    2016-03-01

    Automated and unbiased methods of non-invasive cell monitoring able to deal with complex biological heterogeneity are fundamentally important for biology and medicine. Label-free cell imaging provides information about endogenous fluorescent metabolites, enzymes and cofactors in cells. However extracting high content information from imaging of native fluorescence has been hitherto impossible. Here, we quantitatively characterise cell populations in different tissue types, live or fixed, by using novel image processing and a simple multispectral upgrade of a wide-field fluorescence microscope. Multispectral intrinsic fluorescence imaging was applied to patient olfactory neurosphere-derived cells, cell model of a human metabolic disease MELAS (mitochondrial myopathy, encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, stroke-like syndrome). By using an endogenous source of contrast, subtle metabolic variations have been detected between living cells in their full morphological context which made it possible to distinguish healthy from diseased cells before and after therapy. Cellular maps of native fluorophores, flavins, bound and free NADH and retinoids unveiled subtle metabolic signatures and helped uncover significant cell subpopulations, in particular a subpopulation with compromised mitochondrial function. The versatility of our method is further illustrated by detecting genetic mutations in cancer, non-invasive monitoring of CD90 expression, label-free tracking of stem cell differentiation, identifying stem cell subpopulations with varying functional characteristics, tissue diagnostics in diabetes, and assessing the condition of preimplantation embryos. Our optimal discrimination approach enables statistical hypothesis testing and intuitive visualisations where previously undetectable differences become clearly apparent.

  9. An Optical Test Strip for the Detection of Benzoic Acid in Food

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fatimah Abu Bakar

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Fabrication of a test strip for detection of benzoic acid was successfully implemented by immobilizing tyrosinase, phenol and 3-methyl-2-benzothiazolinone hydrazone (MBTH onto filter paper using polystyrene as polymeric support. The sensing scheme was based on the decreasing intensity of the maroon colour of the test strip when introduced into benzoic acid solution. The test strip was characterized using optical fiber reflectance and has maximum reflectance at 375 nm. It has shown a highly reproducible measurement of benzoic acid with a calculated RSD of 0.47% (n = 10. The detection was optimized at pH 7. A linear response of the biosensor was obtained in 100 to 700 ppm of benzoic acid with a detection limit (LOD of 73.6 ppm. At 1:1 ratio of benzoic acid to interfering substances, the main interfering substance is boric acid. The kinetic analyses show that, the inhibition of benzoic is competitive inhibitor and the inhibition constant (Ki is 52.9 ppm. The activity of immobilized tyrosinase, phenol, and MBTH in the test strip was fairly sustained during 20 days when stored at 3 °C. The developed test strip was used for detection of benzoic acid in food samples and was observed to have comparable results to the HPLC method, hence the developed test strip can be used as an alternative to HPLC in detecting benzoic acid in food products.

  10. Optical generation,detection and non-destructive testing applications of terahertz waves

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    ZHANG; Weili; LIANG; Dachuan; TIAN; Zhen; HAN; Jiaguang; GU; Jianqiang; HE; Mingxia; OUYANG; Chunmei

    2016-01-01

    Optoelectronic terahertz generation and detection play a key role in the applications of non-destructive testing,which involves different areas such as physics,biological,material science,imaging,explosions detection,astronomy applications,semiconductor technology and superconductiong electronics. In this article,we present a reviewof the principle and performance of typical terahertz sources,detectors and non-destructive testing applications. On this basis,the newdevelopment and trends of terahertz radiation detectors are also discussed.

  11. Differences in Looking at Own- and Other-Race Faces Are Subtle and Analysis-Dependent: An Account of Discrepant Reports.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arizpe, Joseph; Kravitz, Dwight J; Walsh, Vincent; Yovel, Galit; Baker, Chris I

    2016-01-01

    The Other-Race Effect (ORE) is the robust and well-established finding that people are generally poorer at facial recognition of individuals of another race than of their own race. Over the past four decades, much research has focused on the ORE because understanding this phenomenon is expected to elucidate fundamental face processing mechanisms and the influence of experience on such mechanisms. Several recent studies of the ORE in which the eye-movements of participants viewing own- and other-race faces were tracked have, however, reported highly conflicting results regarding the presence or absence of differential patterns of eye-movements to own- versus other-race faces. This discrepancy, of course, leads to conflicting theoretical interpretations of the perceptual basis for the ORE. Here we investigate fixation patterns to own- versus other-race (African and Chinese) faces for Caucasian participants using different analysis methods. While we detect statistically significant, though subtle, differences in fixation pattern using an Area of Interest (AOI) approach, we fail to detect significant differences when applying a spatial density map approach. Though there were no significant differences in the spatial density maps, the qualitative patterns matched the results from the AOI analyses reflecting how, in certain contexts, Area of Interest (AOI) analyses can be more sensitive in detecting the differential fixation patterns than spatial density analyses, due to spatial pooling of data with AOIs. AOI analyses, however, also come with the limitation of requiring a priori specification. These findings provide evidence that the conflicting reports in the prior literature may be at least partially accounted for by the differences in the statistical sensitivity associated with the different analysis methods employed across studies. Overall, our results suggest that detection of differences in eye-movement patterns can be analysis-dependent and rests on the

  12. [Rapid test for detection of susceptibility to cefotaxime in Enterobacteriaceae].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiménez-Guerra, Gemma; Hoyos-Mallecot, Yannik; Rodríguez-Granger, Javier; Navarro-Marí, José María; Gutiérrez-Fernández, José

    In this work an "in house" rapid test based on the change in pH that is due to hydrolysis for detecting Enterobacteriaceae susceptible to cefotaxime is evaluated. The strains of Enterobacteriaceae from 1947 urine cultures were assessed using MicroScan panels and the "in house" test. This rapid test includes red phenol solution and cefotaxime. Using MicroScan panels, 499 Enterobacteriaceae isolates were evaluated, which included 27 isolates of Escherichia coli producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL), 16 isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae ESBL and 1 isolate of Klebsiella oxytoca ESBL. The "in house" test offers the following values: sensitivity 98% and specificity 97%, with negative predictive value 100% and positive predictive value 78%. The "in house" test based on the change of pH is useful in our area for detecting presumptively cefotaxime-resistant Enterobacteriaceae strains. Copyright © 2016 Asociación Argentina de Microbiología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  13. 9 CFR 113.36 - Detection of pathogens by the chicken inoculation test.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Detection of pathogens by the chicken... REQUIREMENTS Standard Procedures § 113.36 Detection of pathogens by the chicken inoculation test. The test for...,000 doses. (b) At least 25 healthy susceptible young chickens, properly identified and obtained from...

  14. Computerized detection of pneumothorax on digital chest radiographs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sanada, S.; Doi, K.; MacMahon, H.; Montner, S.M.

    1990-01-01

    This paper reports on neumothoraces that are clinically important abnormalities that usually appear as a subtle, fine line pattern on chest radiographs. We are developing a computer vision system for automated detection of pneumothorax to aid radiologists diagnosis. Chest images were digitized with a 0.175-mm pixel size, yielding a 2,000 x 2,430 matrix size, and 10 bits of gray scale. After indentification of the lung regions, an edge detection filter was employed in the apical areas to enhance a pneumothorax pattern. Ribs were detected with a technique based on statistical analysis of edge gradients and their orientations. Points located on a curved line suggestive of a pneumothorax in this enhanced image were detected with a Hough transform

  15. Explosive simulants for testing explosive detection systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kury, John W.; Anderson, Brian L.

    1999-09-28

    Explosives simulants that include non-explosive components are disclosed that facilitate testing of equipment designed to remotely detect explosives. The simulants are non-explosive, non-hazardous materials that can be safely handled without any significant precautions. The simulants imitate real explosives in terms of mass density, effective atomic number, x-ray transmission properties, and physical form, including moldable plastics and emulsions/gels.

  16. Minimum detection efficiencies for a loophole-free observable-asymmetric Bell-type test

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garbarino, G.

    2010-01-01

    We discuss the problem of finding the most favorable conditions for closing the detection loophole in a test of local realism with a Bell inequality. For a generic nonmaximally entangled two-qubit state and two incompatible bases to be adopted for alternative measurements of two observables a and b on each party, we apply Hardy's proof of nonlocality without inequality and derive an Eberhard-like inequality. For an infinity of nonmaximally entangled states we find that it is possible to refute local realism by requiring perfect detection efficiency for only one of the two observables, say b, to be measured on each party: The test is free from the detection loophole for any value of the detection efficiency corresponding to the other observable a. The maximum tolerable noise in such a loophole-free observable-asymmetric test is also evaluated.

  17. NA48 unravels one of nature's most subtle secrets

    CERN Multimedia

    2001-01-01

    NA48 has just announced its final results confirming direct CP-violation with great precision. This phenomenon helps us to understand the imbalance between matter and antimatter in the Universe. At a seminar at CERN on 10 May Guillaume Unal of the Laboratory's NA48 collaboration announced NA48's final result on one of nature's best-kept secrets. Direct CP-violation, as it is called, is a subtle effect that betrays nature's preference for matter over antimatter, the reason why we are here. In 1993, an earlier CERN experiment, NA31, and the E731 experiment at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) in the USA published the first precise results on direct CP-violation. The CERN result suggested that direct CP-violation was a real effect. The Fermilab result, while not excluding the effect, was also compatible with no direct CP-violation. More precise measurements were clearly needed, and ambitious new experiments at the two laboratories - NA48 and KTeV - soon rose to the challenge. Both have now measure...

  18. Sensitivity of heterogeneous marine benthic habitats to subtle stressors.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iván F Rodil

    Full Text Available It is important to understand the consequences of low level disturbances on the functioning of ecological communities because of the pervasiveness and frequency of this type of environmental change. In this study we investigated the response of a heterogeneous, subtidal, soft-sediment habitat to small experimental additions of organic matter and calcium carbonate to examine the sensitivity of benthic ecosystem functioning to changes in sediment characteristics that relate to the environmental threats of coastal eutrophication and ocean acidification. Our results documented significant changes between key biogeochemical and sedimentary variables such as gross primary production, ammonium uptake and dissolved reactive phosphorus flux following treatment additions. Moreover, the application of treatments affected relationships between macrofauna communities, sediment characteristics (e.g., chlorophyll a content and biogeochemical processes (oxygen and nutrient fluxes. In this experiment organic matter and calcium carbonate showed persistent opposing effects on sedimentary processes, and we demonstrated that highly heterogeneous sediment habitats can be surprisingly sensitive to subtle perturbations. Our results have important biological implications in a world with relentless anthropogenic inputs of atmospheric CO2 and nutrients in coastal waters.

  19. Orthogonal series generalized likelihood ratio test for failure detection and isolation. [for aircraft control

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hall, Steven R.; Walker, Bruce K.

    1990-01-01

    A new failure detection and isolation algorithm for linear dynamic systems is presented. This algorithm, the Orthogonal Series Generalized Likelihood Ratio (OSGLR) test, is based on the assumption that the failure modes of interest can be represented by truncated series expansions. This assumption leads to a failure detection algorithm with several desirable properties. Computer simulation results are presented for the detection of the failures of actuators and sensors of a C-130 aircraft. The results show that the OSGLR test generally performs as well as the GLR test in terms of time to detect a failure and is more robust to failure mode uncertainty. However, the OSGLR test is also somewhat more sensitive to modeling errors than the GLR test.

  20. Detection Test for Leakage of CO{sub 2} into Sodium Loop

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Park, Sun Hee; Wi, Myung-Hwan; Min, Jae Hong [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-10-15

    This report is about the facility for the detection test for leakage of CO{sub 2} into sodium loop. The facility for the detection test for leakage of CO{sub 2} into sodium loop was introduced. The test will be carried out. Our experimental results are going to be expected to be used for approach methods to detect CO{sub 2} leaking into sodium in heat exchangers. A sodium-and-carbon dioxide (Na-CO{sub 2}) heat exchanger is one of the key components for the supercritical CO{sub 2} Brayton cycle power conversion system of sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs). A printed circuit heat exchanger (PCHE) is considered for the Na-CO{sub 2} heat exchanger, which is known to have potential for reducing the volume occupied by the exchangers compared to traditional shell-and-tube heat exchangers. Among various issues about the Na- CO{sub 2} exchanger, detection of CO{sub 2} leaking into sodium in the heat exchanger is most important thing for its safe operation. It is known that reaction products from sodium and CO{sub 2} such as sodium carbonate (Na{sub 2}CO{sub 3}) and amorphous carbon are hardly soluble in sodium, which cause plug sodium channels. Detection technique for Na{sub 2}CO{sub 3} in sodium loop has not been developed yet. Therefore, detection of CO{sub 2} and CO from reaction of sodium and CO{sub 2} are proper to detect CO{sub 2} leakage into sodium loop.

  1. Comparison of four urease-dependent tests of detecting HP infection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Han Yuan; Huang Gang; Zhu Cuiying; Ling Liqun

    2001-01-01

    Objective: The aim of this study is to compare the four urease-dependent tests of detecting Hp infection. The authors used following method: 1) rapid urease test (RUT), 2) 14 C urea breath test ( 14 C-UBT), 3) 13 C urea breath test which is measured by with infrared spectrometry ( 13 C-UBT1), 4) 13 C urea breath test with mass spectrometry ( 13 C-UBT). Methods: 54 patients underwent RUT, 14 C-UBT, 13 C-UBT1, 13 C-UBT2 respectively. Results: Sensitivity and specificity, accurate rate, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), respectively, were as follows: RUT (82.1%, 80%, 81.5%, 91.4%, 63.2%), 14 C-UBT (97.4%, 100%, 98.1%, 100%, 93.8%), 13 C-UBT1 (100%, 93.3%, 98.1%, 97.5%, 100%), 13 C-UBT2 (100%, 86.7%, 96.3%, 95.1%, 100%), PPV of four tests are not significantly different (P>0.05). Conclusion: Four urease-dependent tests are high sensitive and accurate methods for detecting Hp infection. UBT is an ideal tool for diagnosis, screen and follow-up of Hp infection

  2. Overt and subtle discrimination, subjective well-being and physical health-related quality of life in an obese sample.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Magallares, Alejandro; Benito de Valle, Pilar; Irles, Jose Antonio; Jauregui-Lobera, Ignacio

    2014-10-27

    Obesity represents a serious health issue affecting millions of people in Western industrialized countries. The severity of the medical problems it causes is paralleled by the fact that obesity has become a social stigma that affects the psychological health-related quality of life of individuals with weight problems. Our study, with 111 obese patients of a Spanish hospital, focused specifically on how overt and subtle discrimination is related to subjective well-being (affect balance and life satisfaction) and physical health-related quality of life. It was shown that overt (r = -.28, p life satisfaction) and subtle discrimination (r = -.28, p life satisfaction) were negatively linked with subjective well-being, and that there was a negative correlation between overt discrimination and physical health-related quality of life (r = -.26, p quality of life and subjective well-being using the Baron and Kenny procedure. Finally, it is discussed the relationship between discrimination, subjective well-being and physical health-related quality of life in obese people.

  3. Executive cognitive impairment detected by simple bedside testing ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Aims. Cognitive impairment in people with type 2 diabetes is a barrier to successful disease management. We sought to determine whether impaired executive function as detected by a battery of simple bedside cognitive tests of executive function was associated with inadequate glycaemic control. Methods. People with ...

  4. Detection of urea-induced internal denaturation of dsDNA using solid-state nanopores.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singer, Alon; Kuhn, Heiko; Frank-Kamenetskii, Maxim; Meller, Amit

    2010-11-17

    The ability to detect and measure dsDNA thermal fluctuations is of immense importance in understanding the underlying mechanisms responsible for transcription and replication regulation. We describe here the ability of solid-state nanopores to detect sub-nanometer changes in DNA structure as a result of chemically enhanced thermal fluctuations. In this study, we investigate the subtle changes in the mean effective diameter of a dsDNA molecule with 3-5 nm solid-state nanopores as a function of urea concentration and the DNA's AT content. Our studies reveal an increase in the mean effective diameter of a DNA molecule of approximately 0.6 nm at 8.7 M urea. In agreement with the mechanism of DNA local denaturation, we observe a sigmoid dependence of these effects on urea concentration. We find that the translocation times in urea are markedly slower than would be expected if the dynamics were governed primarily by viscous effects. Furthermore, we find that the sensitivity of the nanopore is sufficient to statistically differentiate between DNA molecules of nearly identical lengths differing only in sequence and AT content when placed in 3.5 M urea. Our results demonstrate that nanopores can detect subtle structural changes and are thus a valuable tool for detecting differences in biomolecules' environment.

  5. Detection of urea-induced internal denaturation of dsDNA using solid-state nanopores

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singer, Alon; Kuhn, Heiko; Frank-Kamenetskii, Maxim; Meller, Amit

    2010-01-01

    The ability to detect and measure dsDNA thermal fluctuations is of immense importance in understanding the underlying mechanisms responsible for transcription and replication regulation. We describe here the ability of solid-state nanopores to detect sub-nanometer changes in DNA structure as a result of chemically enhanced thermal fluctuations. In this study, we investigate the subtle changes in the mean effective diameter of a dsDNA molecule with 3-5 nm solid-state nanopores as a function of urea concentration and the DNA's AT content. Our studies reveal an increase in the mean effective diameter of a DNA molecule of approximately 0.6 nm at 8.7 M urea. In agreement with the mechanism of DNA local denaturation, we observe a sigmoid dependence of these effects on urea concentration. We find that the translocation times in urea are markedly slower than would be expected if the dynamics were governed primarily by viscous effects. Furthermore, we find that the sensitivity of the nanopore is sufficient to statistically differentiate between DNA molecules of nearly identical lengths differing only in sequence and AT content when placed in 3.5 M urea. Our results demonstrate that nanopores can detect subtle structural changes and are thus a valuable tool for detecting differences in biomolecules' environment.

  6. Subtle differences in molecular recognition between modified glycopeptide antibiotics and bacterial receptor peptides identified by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, Thomas J. D.; Staroske, T; Roepstorff, P

    1999-01-01

    showing that electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) can be used in the rapid quantitative analysis of mixtures of vancomycin-group antibiotics and their bacterial cell-wall receptors allowing the identification of even subtle differences in binding constants. Differences in affinities...

  7. Integration testing through reusing representative unit test cases for high-confidence medical software.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shin, Youngsul; Choi, Yunja; Lee, Woo Jin

    2013-06-01

    As medical software is getting larger-sized, complex, and connected with other devices, finding faults in integrated software modules gets more difficult and time consuming. Existing integration testing typically takes a black-box approach, which treats the target software as a black box and selects test cases without considering internal behavior of each software module. Though it could be cost-effective, this black-box approach cannot thoroughly test interaction behavior among integrated modules and might leave critical faults undetected, which should not happen in safety-critical systems such as medical software. This work anticipates that information on internal behavior is necessary even for integration testing to define thorough test cases for critical software and proposes a new integration testing method by reusing test cases used for unit testing. The goal is to provide a cost-effective method to detect subtle interaction faults at the integration testing phase by reusing the knowledge obtained from unit testing phase. The suggested approach notes that the test cases for the unit testing include knowledge on internal behavior of each unit and extracts test cases for the integration testing from the test cases for the unit testing for a given test criteria. The extracted representative test cases are connected with functions under test using the state domain and a single test sequence to cover the test cases is produced. By means of reusing unit test cases, the tester has effective test cases to examine diverse execution paths and find interaction faults without analyzing complex modules. The produced test sequence can have test coverage as high as the unit testing coverage and its length is close to the length of optimal test sequences. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Experimental study on flaw detectability of remote field eddy current testing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kamimura, T.; Fukui, S.; Iwahashi, Y.; Yamada, H.

    1988-01-01

    For the purpose of comprehending the effect in practical use of the remote field eddy current (RFEC) testing that becomes noticeable for the ISI technique of steel tubes, its flaw detectability was clarified through a model test. This study used straight and bending tubes of 3.8 mm in wall thickness and 31.8 mm in outside diameter. These tubes were inspected from their inside. After relations among the pickup coil output, coil distance, testing frequency, etc. were measured, a probe of the practical use type was manufactured to investigate its flaw detectability by means of simulated flaws. The authors discuss how it has been found that light local wall thinning on the outside surfaces can be detected by this technique and its effect in practical use can be expected with small influences due to magnetic permeability variations of tube materials, bending of tubes, etc

  9. Subtle behavioral variation in wild chimpanzees, with special reference to Imanishi's concept of kaluchua.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakamura, Michio; Nishida, Toshisada

    2006-01-01

    Here we consider the concept of kaluchua (a word adopted from the English "culture") in group-living animals developed by Imanishi in the 1950s. He distinguished it from bunka (the Japanese equivalent to the English "culture") because he thought that bunka had strong connotations of noble and intellectual human-like activities. Although he did not rigidly define kaluchua, his original concept of kaluchua was much broader than bunka and represented non-hereditary, acquired behavior that was acknowledged socially. However, instead of social life, complex feeding skills have often formed the central topic in the current studies of animal culture. In order to provide evidence that more subtle behavioral variations exist among wild chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) populations, we directly compared the behaviors of two well-habituated chimpanzee groups, at Bossou and Mahale. During a 2-month stay at Bossou, M.N. (the first author) saw several behavioral patterns that were absent or rare at Mahale. Two of them, "mutual genital touch" and "heel tap" were probably customary for mature females and for mature males, respectively. "Index to palm" and "sputter" are still open to question. These subtle patterns occurred more often than tool use during the study period, suggesting that rarity is not the main reason for their being ignored. Unlike tool use, some cultural behavioral patterns do not seem to require complex skills or intellectual processes, and sometimes it is hard to explain the existence of such behaviors only in terms of function.

  10. Summary of accidental releases of radioactivity detected off the Nevada Test Site, 1963--1986

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Patzer, R.G.; Phillips, W.G.; Grossman, R.F.; Black, S.C.; Costa, C.F.

    1988-08-01

    Of the more than 450 underground nuclear explosives tests conducted at the Nevada Test Site from August 1963 (signing of the Limited Test Ban Treaty) through the end of 1986, only 23 accidentally released radioactivity that was detectable beyond the boundary of the NTS. Of these 23, 4 were detectable off the NTS only by aircraft while the remainder were detectable by ground monitoring instruments. Since the Baneberry venting of December 1970, only two tests released radioactivity that was detectable off the NTS, and this was a seepage of radioactive noble gases. None of these releases from underground tests designed for complete containment caused exposure of the population living in the area that exceeded standards recommended by national and international radiation protection agencies. This report summarizes the releases from each of the tests, describes the monitoring that was conducted, and lists the location of the maximum exposure

  11. The use of serological tests in combination with the intradermal tuberculin test maximizes the detection of tuberculosis infected goats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bezos, Javier; Roy, Álvaro; Infantes-Lorenzo, José Antonio; González, Isabel; Venteo, Ángel; Romero, Beatriz; Grau, Anna; Mínguez, Olga; Domínguez, Lucas; de Juan, Lucía

    2018-05-01

    The diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) in goats is based mainly on the single and comparative intradermal tuberculin (SIT and CIT) tests and, exceptionally, on the interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) assay, however they are not perfect in terms of sensitivity and specificity. Nevertheless, various serological assays that provide a potential cost-effective approach for the control of TB are also available or under development, and a variety of results have been reported regarding the ability of these tests to detect infected animals, particularly in the early stages of infection. In the present study, SIT/CIT and IFN-γ tests and three different serological assays were evaluated during two consecutive herd testing events in a recently infected caprine herd (n = 447) with a high prevalence of infection in order to evaluate their performance and provide field data with which to improve the TB control programs in this species. The proportion of infected animals that tested positive among all the infected goats (T+/I+ value) in the last herd testing event ranged from 26.2% (IC95%; 19.3-34.5) to 85.7% (IC95%; 78.5-90.7) using cell-based diagnostic tests. The SIT/SCIT tests detected more infected goats than the IFN-γ test, regardless of the interpretation criteria. The T+/I+ value of serology was 83.2 (IC95%; 75.2-89), although it increased significantly (P test (100%, IC95%; 97-100). In general, a parallel interpretation of intradermal tests with serology maximized the detection of infected goats. These results demonstrate that serological tests are valuable diagnostic tools to maximize the detection of TB infected goats, even in recent outbreaks, accelerating the eradication process. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Field Test Data for Detecting Vibrations of a Building Using High-Speed Video Cameras

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-10-01

    ARL-TR-8185 ● OCT 2017 US Army Research Laboratory Field Test Data for Detecting Vibrations of a Building Using High-Speed Video...Field Test Data for Detecting Vibrations of a Building Using High-Speed Video Cameras by Caitlin P Conn and Geoffrey H Goldman Sensors and...June 2016 – October 2017 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Field Test Data for Detecting Vibrations of a Building Using High-Speed Video Cameras 5a. CONTRACT

  13. Efficacy of immunoassay chromatography test for hepatitis-C antibodies detection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Batool, A.; Khan, M.I.; Bano, K.A.

    2009-01-01

    To asses the efficacy of commercially available tests device method for anti HCV detection. Methods: Total 2000 blood samples for detection of anti HCV were screened initially by immuno chromatographic method. Those found positive on initial screening were re-tested by ELISA method at the Biochemistry Laboratory of the Pakistan Medical Research Council, Fatima Jinnah Medical College, Lahore. Results: Out of a total of 2,000 blood samples, 177 were found to be initially reactive/positive for anti-HCV with immuno chromatographic method. When these reactive/positive samples were retested for confirmation with ELISA, 47 blood samples were found to have tested falsely positive for anti-HCV. Overall 2.35% of blood samples were found to be tested false positive for anti-HCV by immuno chromatographic device method. Conclusions: Immuno chromatographic device method test is rapid and simple, which can be used in setting with limited facility when rapid testing is required. However it should not be used as sole criteria for diagnosis but should serve the purpose of initial screening only. Further research is required to establish the reliability of such devices for their specificity and sensitivity. (author)

  14. Defect detectability of eddy current testing for underwater laser beam welding

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ueno, Souichi; Kobayashi, Noriyasu; Ochiai, Makoto; Kasuya, Takashi; Yuguchi, Yasuhiro

    2011-01-01

    We clarified defect detectability of eddy current testing (ECT) as a surface inspection technique for underwater laser beam welding works of dissimilar metal welding (DMW) of reactor vessel nozzle. The underwater laser beam welding procedure includes groove caving as a preparation, laser beam welding in the grooves and welded surface grinding as a post treatment. Therefore groove and welded surface inspections are required in the underwater condition. The ECT is a major candidate as this inspection technique because a penetrant testing is difficult to perform in the underwater condition. Several kinds of experiments were curried out using a cross coil an ECT probe and ECT data acquisition system in order to demonstrate the ECT defect detectability. We used specimens, simulating groove and DMW materials at an RV nozzle, with electro-discharge machining (EDM) slits over it. Additionally, we performed a detection test for artificial stress corrosion cracking (SCC) defects. From these experimental results, we confirmed that an ECT was possible to detect EDM slits 0.3 mm or more in depth and artificial SCC defects 0.02 mm to 0.48 mm in depth on machined surface. Furthermore, the underwater ECT defect detectability is equivalent to that in air. We clarified an ECT is sufficiently usable as a surface inspection technique for underwater laser beam welding works. (author)

  15. System for automatic detection of lung nodules exhibiting growth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Novak, Carol L.; Shen, Hong; Odry, Benjamin L.; Ko, Jane P.; Naidich, David P.

    2004-05-01

    Lung nodules that exhibit growth over time are considered highly suspicious for malignancy. We present a completely automated system for detection of growing lung nodules, using initial and follow-up multi-slice CT studies. The system begins with automatic detection of lung nodules in the later CT study, generating a preliminary list of candidate nodules. Next an automatic system for registering locations in two studies matches each candidate in the later study to its corresponding position in the earlier study. Then a method for automatic segmentation of lung nodules is applied to each candidate and its matching location, and the computed volumes are compared. The output of the system is a list of nodule candidates that are new or have exhibited volumetric growth since the previous scan. In a preliminary test of 10 patients examined by two radiologists, the automatic system identified 18 candidates as growing nodules. 7 (39%) of these corresponded to validated nodules or other focal abnormalities that exhibited growth. 4 of the 7 true detections had not been identified by either of the radiologists during their initial examinations of the studies. This technique represents a powerful method of surveillance that may reduce the probability of missing subtle or early malignant disease.

  16. Statistical Methods for the detection of answer copying on achievement tests

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sotaridona, Leonardo

    2003-01-01

    This thesis contains a collection of studies where statistical methods for the detection of answer copying on achievement tests in multiple-choice format are proposed and investigated. Although all methods are suited to detect answer copying, each method is designed to address specific

  17. Performance test of SKIROC II ASIC chip for the radiation detection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jun, W. J.; Namgoong, H.; Kim, B. K.; Song, H. S.; Kim, H. S.; Lee, S. H.; Choi, H. J.; Ghergherehchi, M.; Chai, J. S. [Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon (Korea, Republic of)

    2017-04-15

    There is a PCB board called FEV8 board which can readout analog signal from any energy source, and amplify it for signal processing. For precise detection, the board had been designed to operate in wide range of energy condition, with high-resolutive detection performance. This function has the possibility of the utilization for the radiation detection. The channels of the prototype board must be evaluated to make sure that the board is perfect or not. This research had made an progress for the radiation detection as well as the electronics of the intricate combination of the measurement instrumentations. The number of the noisy channels had been measured for threshold scan, and every channels in the board had been evaluated. By improving the experimental conditions such as test script in Linux system or well designed ground condition of the test bench, much more clean data will be able to be acquisited.

  18. A simple uniformity test for ultrasound phased arrays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dudley, Nicholas J; Woolley, Darren J

    2016-09-01

    It is difficult to test phased array ultrasound transducers for non functioning elements. We aimed to modify a widely performed test to improve its ease and effectiveness for these arrays. A paperclip was slowly moved along the transducer array, with the scanner operating in M-mode, imaging at a fundamental frequency with automatic gain and grey scale adjustment disabled. Non-functioning elements are identified by a dark vertical line in the image. The test was repeated several times for each transducer, looking for consistency of results. 2 transducers, with faults already shown by electronic transducer testing, were used to validate the method. 23 transducers in clinical use were tested. The results of the modified test on the 2 faulty transducers agreed closely with electronic transducer testing results. The test indicated faults in 5 of the 23 transducers in clinical use: 3 with a single failed element and 2 with non-uniform sensitivity. 1 transducer with non-uniform sensitivity had undergone lens repair; the new lens was visibly non-uniform in thickness and further testing showed a reduction in depth of penetration and a loss of elevational focus in comparison with a new transducer. The modified test is capable of detecting non-functioning elements. Further work is required to provide a better understanding of more subtle faults. Copyright © 2016 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. All rights reserved.

  19. A NOTE ON THE CONVENTIONAL OUTLIER DETECTION TEST PROCEDURES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    JIANFENG GUO

    Full Text Available Under the assumption of that the variance-covariance matrix is fully populated, Baarda's w-test is turn out to be completely different from the standardized least-squares residual. Unfortunately, this is not generally recognized. In the limiting case of only one degree of freedom, all the three types of test statistics, including Gaussian normal test, Student's t-test and Pope's Tau-test, will be invalid for identification of outliers: (1 all the squares of the Gaussian normal test statistic coincide with the goodness-of-fit (global test statistic, even for correlated observations. Hence, the failure of the global test implies that all the observations will be flagged as outliers, and thus the Gaussian normal test is inconclusive for localization of outliers; (2 the absolute values of the Tau-test statistic are all exactly equal to one, no matter whether the observations are contaminated. Therefore, the Tau-test cannot work for outlier detection in this situation; and (3 Student's t-test statistics are undefined.

  20. PageFocus: Using paradata to detect and prevent cheating on online achievement tests.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diedenhofen, Birk; Musch, Jochen

    2017-08-01

    Cheating threatens the validity of unproctored online achievement tests. To address this problem, we developed PageFocus, a JavaScript that detects when participants abandon test pages by switching to another window or browser tab. In a first study, we aimed at testing whether PageFocus could detect and prevent cheating. We asked 115 lab and 186 online participants to complete a knowledge test comprising items that were difficult to answer but easy to look up on the Internet. Half of the participants were invited to look up the solutions, which significantly increased their test scores. The PageFocus script detected test takers who abandoned the test page with very high sensitivity and specificity, and successfully reduced cheating by generating a popup message that asked participants not to cheat. In a second study, 510 online participants completed a knowledge test comprising items that could easily be looked up and a reasoning task involving matrices that were impossible to look up. In a first group, a performance-related monetary reward was promised to the top scorers; in a second group, participants took part in a lottery that provided performance-unrelated rewards; and in a third group, no incentive was offered. PageFocus revealed that participants cheated more when performance-related incentives were offered. As expected, however, this effect was limited to items that could easily be looked up. We recommend that PageFocus be routinely employed to detect and prevent cheating on online achievement tests.

  1. The White test: a new dye test for intraoperative detection of bile leakage during major liver resection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nadalin, Silvio; Li, Jun; Lang, Hauke; Sotiropoulos, Georgios C; Schaffer, Randolph; Radtke, Arnold; Saner, Fuat; Broelsch, Christoph E; Malagó, Massimo

    2008-04-01

    To describe a new intraoperative bile leakage test in patients undergoing a major liver resection aimed to combine the advantages of each of the other standard bile leakage tests (accurate visualization of leaks, reproducibility, and ease of use) without their disadvantages. At the end of the major hepatic resection, 10 to 30 mL of sterile fat emulsion, 5%, is injected via an olive-tip cannula through the cystic duct while manually occluding the distal common bile duct. As the biliary tree fills with fat emulsion solution, leakage of the white fluid is visualized on the raw surface of the liver resection margin. The detected leakages are closed by means of single stitches. Afterwards, the residual fat emulsion on the resection surface is washed off with saline and the White test is repeated to detect and/or exclude additional bile leakages. At the end, residual fat emulsion is washed out from the biliary tract by a low-pressure infusion of saline solution. Intraoperatively, additional potential bile leakages (not seen using a conventional saline bile leakage test) were identified in 74% of our patients. Postoperative bile leakages (within 30 days) occurred in only 5.1% of patients when the White test was used. No adverse effects related to this technique were observed. The White test has clear advantages in comparison with other bile leakage tests: it precisely detects bile leakages, regardless of size; it does not stain the resection surface, allowing it to be washed off and repeated ad infinitum; and it is safe, quick, and inexpensive.

  2. Rapid antigen detection test for respiratory syncytial virus diagnosis as a diagnostic tool.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mesquita, Flávio da Silva; Oliveira, Danielle Bruna Leal de; Crema, Daniela; Pinez, Célia Miranda Nunes; Colmanetti, Thaís Cristina; Thomazelli, Luciano Matsumia; Gilio, Alfredo Elias; Vieira, Sandra Elisabeth; Martinez, Marina Baquerizo; Botosso, Viviane Fongaro; Durigon, Edison Luiz

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the QuickVue ® RSV Test Kit (QUIDEL Corp, CA, USA) as a screening tool for respiratory syncytial virus in children with acute respiratory disease in comparison with the indirect immunofluorescence assay as gold standard. In Brazil, rapid antigen detection tests for respiratory syncytial virus are not routinely utilized as a diagnostic tool, except for the diagnosis of dengue and influenza. The authors retrospectively analyzed 486 nasopharyngeal aspirate samples from children under age 5 with acute respiratory infection, between December 2013 and August 2014, the samples were analyzed by indirect immunofluorescence assay and QuickVue ® RSV Test kit. Samples with discordant results were analyzed by real time PCR and nucleotide sequencing. From 313 positive samples by immunofluorescence assays, 282 (90%) were also positive by the rapid antigen detection test, two were positive only by rapid antigen detection test, 33 were positive only by immunofluorescence assays, and 171 were positive by both methods. The 35 samples with discordant results were analyzed by real time PCR; the two samples positive only by rapid antigen detection test and the five positive only by immunofluorescence assays were also positive by real time PCR. There was no relation between the negativity by QuickVue ® RSV Test and viral load or specific strain. The QuickVue ® RSV Test showed sensitivity of 90%, specificity of 98.8%, predictive positive value of 99.3%, and negative predictive value of 94.6%, with accuracy of 93.2% and agreement κ index of 0.85 in comparison to immunofluorescence assay. This study demonstrated that the QuickVue ® RSV Test Kit can be effective in early detection of Respiratory syncytial virus in nasopharyngeal aspirate and is reliable for use as a diagnostic tool in pediatrics. Copyright © 2016 Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

  3. Rapid antigen detection test for respiratory syncytial virus diagnosis as a diagnostic tool,

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Flávio da Silva Mesquita

    Full Text Available Abstract Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the QuickVue® RSV Test Kit (QUIDEL Corp, CA, USA as a screening tool for respiratory syncytial virus in children with acute respiratory disease in comparison with the indirect immunofluorescence assay as gold standard. In Brazil, rapid antigen detection tests for respiratory syncytial virus are not routinely utilized as a diagnostic tool, except for the diagnosis of dengue and influenza. Methods: The authors retrospectively analyzed 486 nasopharyngeal aspirate samples from children under age 5 with acute respiratory infection, between December 2013 and August 2014, the samples were analyzed by indirect immunofluorescence assay and QuickVue® RSV Test kit. Samples with discordant results were analyzed by real time PCR and nucleotide sequencing. Results: From 313 positive samples by immunofluorescence assays, 282 (90% were also positive by the rapid antigen detection test, two were positive only by rapid antigen detection test, 33 were positive only by immunofluorescence assays, and 171 were positive by both methods. The 35 samples with discordant results were analyzed by real time PCR; the two samples positive only by rapid antigen detection test and the five positive only by immunofluorescence assays were also positive by real time PCR. There was no relation between the negativity by QuickVue® RSV Test and viral load or specific strain. The QuickVue® RSV Test showed sensitivity of 90%, specificity of 98.8%, predictive positive value of 99.3%, and negative predictive value of 94.6%, with accuracy of 93.2% and agreement κ index of 0.85 in comparison to immunofluorescence assay. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the QuickVue® RSV Test Kit can be effective in early detection of Respiratory syncytial virus in nasopharyngeal aspirate and is reliable for use as a diagnostic tool in pediatrics.

  4. Design and preliminary test results of the quench detection system for IFSMTF

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shen, S.S.; Walstrom, P.L.; Wilson, C.T.; Goddard, J.S.

    1985-01-01

    A unique quench detection system was designed for the International Fusion Superconducting Magnet Test Facility (IFSMTF), where a simultaneous test of six large superconducting toroidal field magnets will be carried out. The scheme was based on analog subtraction of self and neighboring pickup winding voltage from the coil voltage to yield a compensated signal proportional to a normal-zone voltage. The compensated signals were input to quench detection modules that give a quench output signal to discharge the coil if the compensated signals exceed preset thresholds for preset time durations. This paper summarizes the design and analysis of the system and presents the experimental results of the simulation tests, two-coil charging-discharging tests, and the normal-zone recovery tests

  5. Instantaneous threat detection based on a semantic representation of activities, zones and trajectories

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Burghouts, G.J; Schutte, K; Hove, R.J.M. ten; Broek, S.P. van den; Baan, J.; Rajadell, O.; Huis, J.R. van; Rest, J.H.C. van; Hanckmann, P.; Bouma, H.; Sanroma, G.; Evans, M.; Ferryman, J.

    2014-01-01

    Threat detection is a challenging problem, because threats appear in many variations and differences to normal behaviour can be very subtle. In this paper, we consider threats on a parking lot, where theft of a truck’s cargo occurs. The theft takes place in very different forms, in the midst of many

  6. ESBL Detection: Comparison of a Commercially Available Chromogenic Test for Third Generation Cephalosporine Resistance and Automated Susceptibility Testing in Enterobactericeae.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohamed Ramadan El-Jade

    Full Text Available Rapid detection and reporting of third generation cephalosporine resistance (3GC-R and of extended spectrum betalactamases in Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E is a diagnostic and therapeutic priority to avoid inefficacy of the initial antibiotic regimen. In this study we evaluated a commercially available chromogenic screen for 3GC-R as a predictive and/or confirmatory test for ESBL and AmpC activity in clinical and veterinary Enterobacteriaceae isolates. The test was highly reliable in the prediction of cefotaxime and cefpodoxime resistance, but there was no correlation with ceftazidime and piperacillin/tazobactam minimal inhibitory concentrations. All human and porcine ESBL-E tested were detected with exception of one genetically positive but phenotypically negative isolate. By contrast, AmpC detection rates lay below 30%. Notably, exclusion of piperacillin/tazobactam resistant, 3GC susceptible K1+ Klebsiella isolates increased the sensitivity and specificity of the test for ESBL detection. Our data further imply that in regions with low prevalence of AmpC and K1 positive E. coli strains chromogenic testing for 3GC-R can substitute for more time consuming ESBL confirmative testing in E. coli isolates tested positive by Phoenix or VITEK2 ESBL screen. We, therefore, suggest a diagnostic algorithm that distinguishes 3GC-R screening from primary culture and species-dependent confirmatory ESBL testing by βLACTATM and discuss the implications of MIC distribution results on the choice of antibiotic regimen.

  7. [Validation of three screening tests used for early detection of cervical cancer].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodriguez-Reyes, Esperanza Rosalba; Cerda-Flores, Ricardo M; Quiñones-Pérez, Juan M; Cortés-Gutiérrez, Elva I

    2008-01-01

    to evaluate the validity (sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy) of three screening methods used in the early detection of the cervical carcinoma versus the histopathology diagnosis. a selected sample of 107 women attended in the Opportune Detection of Cervicouterine Cancer Program in the Hospital de Zona 46, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social in Durango, during the 2003 was included. The application of Papa-nicolaou, acetic acid test, and molecular detection of human papillomavirus, and histopatholgy diagnosis were performed in all the patients at the time of the gynecological exam. The detection and tipification of the human papillomavirus was performed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and analysis of polymorphisms of length of restriction fragments (RFLP). Histopathology diagnosis was considered the gold standard. The evaluation of the validity was carried out by the Bayesian method for diagnosis test. the positive cases for acetic acid test, Papanicolaou, and PCR were 47, 22, and 19. The accuracy values were 0.70, 0.80 and 0.99, respectively. since the molecular method showed a greater validity in the early detection of the cervical carcinoma we considered of vital importance its implementation in suitable programs of Opportune Detection of Cervicouterino Cancer Program in Mexico. However, in order to validate this conclusion, cross-sectional studies in different region of country must be carried out.

  8. Sensitivity of the improved Dutch tube diffusion test for detection of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The sensitivity of the improved two-tube test for detection of antimicrobial residues in Kenyan milk was investigated by comparison with the commercial Delvo test SP. Suspect positive milk samples (n =244) from five milk collection centers, were analyzed with the improved two-tube and the commercial Delvo SP test as per ...

  9. The power of FIA Phase 3 Crown-Indicator variables to detect change

    Science.gov (United States)

    William Bechtold; KaDonna Randolph; Stanley Zarnoch

    2009-01-01

    The goal of Phase 3 Detection Monitoring as implemented by the Forest Inventory and Analysis Program is to identify forest ecosystems where conditions might be deteriorating in subtle ways over large areas. At the relatively sparse sampling intensity of the Phase 3 plot network, a rough measure of success for the forest health indicators developed for this purpose is...

  10. Hermetic Seal Leak Detection Apparatus with Variable Size Test Chamber

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelley, Anthony R. (Inventor)

    2015-01-01

    The present invention is a versatile hermetic seal leak detection apparatus for testing hermetically sealed containers and devices for leaks without the need to create a custom or specially manufactured testing chamber conforming to the dimensions of the specific object under test. The size of the testing chamber may be mechanically adjusted by the novel use of bellows to reduce and optimize the amount of gas space in a test chamber which surrounds the hermetically sealed object under test. The present invention allows the size of the test chamber to be selectively adjusted during testing to provide an optimum test chamber gas space. The present invention may be further adapted to isolate and test specific portions of the hermetically sealed object under test for leaks.

  11. Can citizen science produce good science? Testing the OPAL Air Survey methodology, using lichens as indicators of nitrogenous pollution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tregidgo, Daniel J; West, Sarah E; Ashmore, Mike R

    2013-11-01

    Citizen science is having increasing influence on environmental monitoring as its advantages are becoming recognised. However methodologies are often simplified to make them accessible to citizen scientists. We tested whether a recent citizen science survey (the OPAL Air Survey) could detect trends in lichen community composition over transects away from roads. We hypothesised that the abundance of nitrophilic lichens would decrease with distance from the road, while that of nitrophobic lichens would increase. The hypothesised changes were detected along strong pollution gradients, but not where the road source was relatively weak, or background pollution relatively high. We conclude that the simplified OPAL methodology can detect large contrasts in nitrogenous pollution, but it may not be able to detect more subtle changes in pollution exposure. Similar studies are needed in conjunction with the ever-growing body of citizen science work to ensure that the limitations of these methods are fully understood. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. 14C-urea breath test for the detection of Helicobacter pylori

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Veldhuyzen van Zanten, S.J.; Tytgat, K.M.; Hollingsworth, J.; Jalali, S.; Rshid, F.A.; Bowen, B.M.; Goldie, J.; Goodacre, R.L.; Riddell, R.H.; Hunt, R.H.

    1990-01-01

    The high urease activity of Helicobacter pylori can be used to detect this bacterium by noninvasive breath tests. We have developed a 14 C-urea breath test which uses 5 microCi 14 C with 50 mg nonradioactive urea. Breath samples are collected at baseline and every 30 min for 2 h. Our study compared the outcome of the breath test to the results of histology and culture of endoscopically obtained gastric biopsies in 84 patients. The breath test discriminated well between the 50 positive patients and the 34 patients negative for Helicobacter pylori: the calculated sensitivity was 100%, specificity 88%, positive predictive value 93%, and negative predictive value 100%. Treatment with bismuth subsalicylate and/or ampicillin resulted in lower counts of exhaled 14 CO 2 which correlated with histological improvement in gastritis. The 14 C-urea breath test is a better gold standard for the detection of Helicobacter pylori than histology and/or culture

  13. Testing the implicit processing hypothesis of precognitive dream experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valášek, Milan; Watt, Caroline; Hutton, Jenny; Neill, Rebecca; Nuttall, Rachel; Renwick, Grace

    2014-08-01

    Seemingly precognitive (prophetic) dreams may be a result of one's unconscious processing of environmental cues and having an implicit inference based on these cues manifest itself in one's dreams. We present two studies exploring this implicit processing hypothesis of precognitive dream experience. Study 1 investigated the relationship between implicit learning, transliminality, and precognitive dream belief and experience. Participants completed the Serial Reaction Time task and several questionnaires. We predicted a positive relationship between the variables. With the exception of relationships between transliminality and precognitive dream belief and experience, this prediction was not supported. Study 2 tested the hypothesis that differences in the ability to notice subtle cues explicitly might account for precognitive dream beliefs and experiences. Participants completed a modified version of the flicker paradigm. We predicted a negative relationship between the ability to explicitly detect changes and precognitive dream variables. This relationship was not found. There was also no relationship between precognitive dream belief and experience and implicit change detection. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. The Stool DNA Test is More Accurate than the Plasma Septin 9 Test in Detecting Colorectal Neoplasia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahlquist, David A.; Taylor, William R.; Mahoney, Douglas W.; Zou, Hongzhi; Domanico, Michael; Thibodeau, Stephen N.; Boardman, Lisa A.; Berger, Barry M.; Lidgard, Graham P.

    2014-01-01

    Background & Aims Several noninvasive tests have been developed for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. We compared the sensitivities of a multi-marker test for stool DNA (sDNA) and a plasma test for methylated Septin 9 (SEPT9) in identifying patients with large adenomas or CRC. Methods We analyzed paired stool and plasma samples from 30 patients with CRC and 22 with large adenomas from Mayo Clinic archives. Stool (n=46) and plasma (n=49) samples from age- and sex-matched patients with normal colonoscopy results were used as controls. The sDNA test is an assay for methylated BMP3, NDRG4, vimentin, and TFPI2; mutant KRAS; the β-actin gene, and quantity of hemoglobin (by the porphyrin method). It was performed blindly at Exact Sciences (Madison WI); the test for SEPT9 was performed at ARUP Laboratories (Salt Lake City UT). Results were considered positive based on the manufacturer's specificity cutoff values of 90% and 89%, respectively. Results The sDNA test detected adenomas (median 2 cm, range 1–5 cm) with 82% sensitivity (95% confidence interval [CI], 60%–95%); SEPT9 had 14% sensitivity (95% CI, 3%–35%; P=.0001). The sDNA test identified patients with CRC with 87% sensitivity (95% CI, 69%–96%); SEPT9 had 60% sensitivity (95% CI, 41%–77%; P=.046). The sDNA test identified patients with stage I–III CRC with 91% sensitivity (95% CI, 71%–99%); SEPT9 had 50% sensitivity (95% CI, 28%–72%; P=.013); for stage IV CRC, sensitivity values were 75% (95% CI, 35%–97%) and 88% (95% CI, 47%–100%), respectively (P=.56). False-positive rates were 7% for the sDNA test and 27% for SEPT9. Conclusions Based on analyses of paired samples, the sDNA test detects non-metastatic CRC and large adenomas with significantly greater levels of sensitivity than the SEPT9 test. These findings might be used to modify approaches for CRC prevention and early detection. PMID:22019796

  15. Field-test of a date-rape drug detection device.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quest, Dale W; Horsley, Joanne

    2007-01-01

    Drink Safe Technology Version 1.2 is an inexpensive color-change reagent test marketed internationally for use by consumers in settings such as a night club to detect potentially incapacitating concentrations of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) and ketamine in beverages. The objective of this study was to compare product performance in the laboratory and performance in the hands of consumers in the field. Product performance in the laboratory adhered to the protocol defined by the manufacturer. Product performance in the hands of consumers in field settings allowed browsing participants to pipette an aliquot of their own drinks into randomly coded vials containing authentic drugs, or pure water, so as to yield the same concentrations of GHB or ketamine specified in the manufacturer-defined protocol, or blanks. Consumers were to proceed according to the directions printed on the product, and to record their results on a card with a code corresponding with the vial to which they had added an aliquot of their beverage. Diagnostic performance was calculated using two-way analysis. In the laboratory, Drink Safe Technology Version 1.2 reliably detected GHB and ketamine at concentrations specified by the manufacturer's protocol. The reactive color change denoting a positive test for GHB was rapid, but a positive test for ketamine required substantially more time to resolve. Nonetheless, test accuracy following the manufacturer's protocol in the laboratory was 100%. In the field, based on 101 paired-test results recorded by consumers, the test efficiency was 65.1%, sensitivity 50%, and specificity 91.6%. The product performed much better in the laboratory than it did in the hand of consumers in the field. There seems to be considerable potential for consumers to misinterpret a test result. The potential for consumers to record a false-negative test result for a spiked drink is cause for concern.

  16. Radioimmunoassay test system for detection of anti-insulin antibodies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dudko, N.V.; Piven', N.V.; Ibragimova, G.V.; Kasatkin, Yu.N.

    1995-01-01

    A radiodiagnostic test system has been developed and commercial kit for radioimmunoassay of anti-insulin antibodies in human blood serum created. Clinical trials of the kit in patients (150 diabetics with types 1 and 2 condition) and normal subjects (n=100) demonstrated the possibility of using this kit for the detection of preclinical forms of diabetes and for distinguishing groups at risk of diabetes among children and adults, for the detection of insulin resistance, for the differential diagnosis of diabetes, and for monitoring the efficacy of insulin therapy. 9 refs.; 1 tab

  17. Deletion of Gpr55 Results in Subtle Effects on Energy Metabolism, Motor Activity and Thermal Pain Sensation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mikael Bjursell

    Full Text Available The G-protein coupled receptor 55 (GPR55 is activated by cannabinoids and non-cannabinoid molecules and has been speculated to play a modulatory role in a large variety of physiological and pathological processes, including in metabolically perturbed states. We therefore generated male mice deficient in the gene coding for the cannabinoid/lysophosphatidylinositol (LPI receptor Gpr55 and characterized them under normal dietary conditions as well as during high energy dense diet feeding followed by challenge with the CB1 receptor antagonist/GPR55 agonist rimonabant. Gpr55 deficient male mice (Gpr55 KO were phenotypically indistinguishable from their wild type (WT siblings for the most part. However, Gpr55 KO animals displayed an intriguing nocturnal pattern of motor activity and energy expenditure (EE. During the initial 6 hours of the night, motor activity was significantly elevated without any significant effect observed in EE. Interestingly, during the last 6 hours of the night motor activity was similar but EE was significantly decreased in the Gpr55 KO mice. No significant difference in motor activity was detected during daytime, but EE was lower in the Gpr55 KO compared to WT mice. The aforementioned patterns were not associated with alterations in energy intake, daytime core body temperature, body weight (BW or composition, although a non-significant tendency to increased adiposity was seen in Gpr55 KO compared to WT mice. Detailed analyses of daytime activity in the Open Field paradigm unveiled lower horizontal activity and rearing time for the Gpr55 KO mice. Moreover, the Gpr55 KO mice displayed significantly faster reaction time in the tail flick test, indicative of thermal hyperalgesia. The BW-decreasing effect of rimonabant in mice on long-term cafeteria diet did not differ between Gpr55 KO and WT mice. In conclusion, Gpr55 deficiency is associated with subtle effects on diurnal/nocturnal EE and motor activity behaviours but does not

  18. Integration and road tests of a self-sensing CNT concrete pavement system for traffic detection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Baoguo; Zhang, Kun; Burnham, Tom; Kwon, Eil; Yu, Xun

    2013-01-01

    In this paper, a self-sensing carbon nanotube (CNT) concrete pavement system for traffic detection is proposed and tested in a roadway. Pre-cast and cast-in-place self-sensing CNT concrete sensors were simultaneously integrated into a controlled pavement test section at the Minnesota Road Research Facility (MnROAD), USA. Road tests of the system were conducted by using an MnROAD five-axle semi-trailer tractor truck and a van, respectively, both in the winter and summer. Test results show that the proposed self-sensing pavement system can accurately detect the passing of different vehicles under different vehicular speeds and test environments. These findings indicate that the developed self-sensing CNT concrete pavement system can achieve real-time vehicle flow detection with a high detection rate and a low false-alarm rate.

  19. Integration and road tests of a self-sensing CNT concrete pavement system for traffic detection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Han, Baoguo; Zhang, Kun; Yu, Xun; Burnham, Tom; Kwon, Eil

    2013-01-01

    In this paper, a self-sensing carbon nanotube (CNT) concrete pavement system for traffic detection is proposed and tested in a roadway. Pre-cast and cast-in-place self-sensing CNT concrete sensors were simultaneously integrated into a controlled pavement test section at the Minnesota Road Research Facility (MnROAD), USA. Road tests of the system were conducted by using an MnROAD five-axle semi-trailer tractor truck and a van, respectively, both in the winter and summer. Test results show that the proposed self-sensing pavement system can accurately detect the passing of different vehicles under different vehicular speeds and test environments. These findings indicate that the developed self-sensing CNT concrete pavement system can achieve real-time vehicle flow detection with a high detection rate and a low false-alarm rate. (paper)

  20. Viral RNA testing and automation on the bead-based CBNE detection microsystem.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Galambos, Paul C.; Bourdon, Christopher Jay; Farrell, Cara M.; Rossito, Paul (University of California at Davis); McClain, Jaime L.; Derzon, Mark Steven; Cullor, James Sterling (University of California at Davis); Rahimian, Kamayar

    2008-09-01

    We developed prototype chemistry for nucleic acid hybridization on our bead-based diagnostics platform and we established an automatable bead handling protocol capable of 50 part-per-billion (ppb) sensitivity. We are working towards a platform capable of parallel, rapid (10 minute), raw sample testing for orthogonal (in this case nucleic acid and immunoassays) identification of biological (and other) threats in a single sensor microsystem. In this LDRD we developed the nucleic acid chemistry required for nucleic acid hybridization. Our goal is to place a non-cell associated RNA virus (Bovine Viral Diarrhea, BVD) on the beads for raw sample testing. This key pre-requisite to showing orthogonality (nucleic acid measurements can be performed in parallel with immunoassay measurements). Orthogonal detection dramatically reduces false positives. We chose BVD because our collaborators (UC-Davis) can supply samples from persistently infected animals; and because proof-of-concept field testing can be performed with modification of the current technology platform at the UC Davis research station. Since BVD is a cattle-prone disease this research dovetails with earlier immunoassay work on Botulinum toxin simulant testing in raw milk samples. Demonstration of BVD RNA detection expands the repertoire of biological macromolecules that can be adapted to our bead-based detection. The resources of this late start LDRD were adequate to partially demonstrate the conjugation of the beads to the nucleic acids. It was never expected to be adequate for a full live virus test but to motivate that additional investment. In addition, we were able to reduce the LOD (Limit of Detection) for the botulinum toxin stimulant to 50 ppb from the earlier LOD of 1 ppm. A low LOD combined with orthogonal detection provides both low false negatives and low false positives. The logical follow-on steps to this LDRD research are to perform live virus identification as well as concurrent nucleic acid and

  1. Advanced Behavioral Analyses Show that the Presence of Food Causes Subtle Changes in C. elegans Movement

    OpenAIRE

    Angstman, Nicholas B.; Frank, Hans-Georg; Schmitz, Christoph

    2016-01-01

    As a widely used and studied model organism, Caenorhabditis elegans worms offer the ability to investigate implications of behavioral change. Although, investigation of C. elegans behavioral traits has been shown, analysis is often narrowed down to measurements based off a single point, and thus cannot pick up on subtle behavioral and morphological changes. In the present study videos were captured of four different C. elegans strains grown in liquid cultures and transferred to NGM-agar plate...

  2. Comparison of Rate-All-That-Apply (RATA) and Descriptive sensory Analysis (DA) of model double emulsions with subtle perceptual differences

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Oppermann, A.K.L.; Graaf, de C.; Scholten, E.; Stieger, M.A.; Piqueras Fiszman, Phd Betina

    2017-01-01

    The Rate-All-That-Apply (RATA) method, an intensity-based Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) variant, has recently been developed for sensory characterization involving untrained panellists. The aim of this study was to investigate the sensory profiles of ten model (double) emulsions with subtle perceptual

  3. Sensitivity of field tests, serological and molecular techniques for Plum Pox Virus detection in various tissues

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mojca VIRŠČEK MARN

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Sensitivity of field tests (AgriStrip  and Immunochromato, DAS-ELISA, two step RT-PCR and real-time RT-PCR for Plum pox virus (PPV detection was tested in various tissues of apricot, peach, plum and damson plum trees infected with isolates belonging to PPV-D, PPV-M or PPV-Rec, the three strains present in Slovenia. Flowers of apricot and plum in full bloom proved to be a very good source for detection of PPV. PPV could be detected with all tested techniques in symptomatic parts of leaves in May and with one exception even in the beginning of August, but it was not detected in asymptomatic leaves using field tests, DAS-ELISA and partly also molecular techniques. PPV was detected only in some of the samples of asymptomatic parts of the leaves with symptoms and of stalks by field tests and DAS-ELISA. Infections were not detected in buds in August using field tests or DAS-ELISA. Field tests are useful for confirmation of the PPV infection in symptomatic leaves, but in tissues without symptoms DAS-ELISA should be combined or replaced by molecular techniques.

  4. Performance Test of BF3 Neutron Detection System

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Choi, Yu Sun; Shin, Ho Cheol [KHNP-CRI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Cho, Jin Bok; Oh, Sae Hyun; Ryou, Seok Jean [USERS, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-10-15

    The neutron detecting system of First-of-a-kind plant such an APR1400 at Shin Kori should have been verified in the condition of low operating temperature and pressure of the primary coolant system before receiving the operation license. Auxiliary Ex-core Neutron Flux Monitoring System (AENFMS) is supposed to be installed using BF3 neutron detector in Shin Kori plant. The performance test of AENFMS was conducted to measure neutron sensitivity, moderation ratio and count rate in the same condition with Ex-core Neutron Flux Monitoring System (ENFMS) of APR1400 to verify its detection characteristics in compliance with the functional requirement. Performance test has been conducted for AENFMS of APR1400 to verify BF3 neutron sensitivity, moderation ration of PE, expecting neutron signal count rate from AENFMS, possible extending cable length from detector to pre-amplifier. As a result of measurement, the neutron sensitivity of 34.246±0.168(95%CI)cps/nv, moderation ratio of 11.343±0.039(95%CI) and AENFMS expecting count rate related to ENFMS of 17.8 times are acceptable in compliance with functional requirement, respectively.

  5. Optical Production and Detection of Ultrasonic Waves in Metals for Nondestructive Testing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morrison, R. A.

    1972-01-01

    Ultrasonic waves were produced by striking the surface of a metal with the focused one-joule pulse of a Q-switched ruby laser. Rayleigh (surface) waves and longitudinal waves were detected with conventional transducers. Optical methods of detection were tested and developed. Rayleigh waves were produced with an oscillator and transducer. They were optically detected on curved polished surfaces, and on unpolished surfaces. The technique uses a knife edge to detect small angle changes of the surface as the wave pulse passes the illuminated spot. Optical flaw detection using pulse echo and attenuation is demonstrated.

  6. Testing effort dependent software reliability model for imperfect debugging process considering both detection and correction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peng, R.; Li, Y.F.; Zhang, W.J.; Hu, Q.P.

    2014-01-01

    This paper studies the fault detection process (FDP) and fault correction process (FCP) with the incorporation of testing effort function and imperfect debugging. In order to ensure high reliability, it is essential for software to undergo a testing phase, during which faults can be detected and corrected by debuggers. The testing resource allocation during this phase, which is usually depicted by the testing effort function, considerably influences not only the fault detection rate but also the time to correct a detected fault. In addition, testing is usually far from perfect such that new faults may be introduced. In this paper, we first show how to incorporate testing effort function and fault introduction into FDP and then develop FCP as delayed FDP with a correction effort. Various specific paired FDP and FCP models are obtained based on different assumptions of fault introduction and correction effort. An illustrative example is presented. The optimal release policy under different criteria is also discussed

  7. KAtex antigen-detection test as a diagnostic tool for latent visceral ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    SERVER

    2008-04-03

    Apr 3, 2008 ... Urine samples were tested by kAtex kit to detect VL antigen. All sera .... IFA, and ELISA-IgG and IgM) to finding of agreement and validity and reliability .... Animal inoculation is not usually employed as a diag- nostic test, since ...

  8. Spurious Seasonality Detection: A Non-Parametric Test Proposal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aurelio F. Bariviera

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper offers a general and comprehensive definition of the day-of-the-week effect. Using symbolic dynamics, we develop a unique test based on ordinal patterns in order to detect it. This test uncovers the fact that the so-called “day-of-the-week” effect is partly an artifact of the hidden correlation structure of the data. We present simulations based on artificial time series as well. While time series generated with long memory are prone to exhibit daily seasonality, pure white noise signals exhibit no pattern preference. Since ours is a non-parametric test, it requires no assumptions about the distribution of returns, so that it could be a practical alternative to conventional econometric tests. We also made an exhaustive application of the here-proposed technique to 83 stock indexes around the world. Finally, the paper highlights the relevance of symbolic analysis in economic time series studies.

  9. Validation of Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing Tests for Universal Pathogen Detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schlaberg, Robert; Chiu, Charles Y; Miller, Steve; Procop, Gary W; Weinstock, George

    2017-06-01

    - Metagenomic sequencing can be used for detection of any pathogens using unbiased, shotgun next-generation sequencing (NGS), without the need for sequence-specific amplification. Proof-of-concept has been demonstrated in infectious disease outbreaks of unknown causes and in patients with suspected infections but negative results for conventional tests. Metagenomic NGS tests hold great promise to improve infectious disease diagnostics, especially in immunocompromised and critically ill patients. - To discuss challenges and provide example solutions for validating metagenomic pathogen detection tests in clinical laboratories. A summary of current regulatory requirements, largely based on prior guidance for NGS testing in constitutional genetics and oncology, is provided. - Examples from 2 separate validation studies are provided for steps from assay design, and validation of wet bench and bioinformatics protocols, to quality control and assurance. - Although laboratory and data analysis workflows are still complex, metagenomic NGS tests for infectious diseases are increasingly being validated in clinical laboratories. Many parallels exist to NGS tests in other fields. Nevertheless, specimen preparation, rapidly evolving data analysis algorithms, and incomplete reference sequence databases are idiosyncratic to the field of microbiology and often overlooked.

  10. A harmonic pulse testing method for leakage detection in deep subsurface storage formations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Alexander Y.; Lu, Jiemin; Hovorka, Susan

    2015-06-01

    Detection of leakage in deep geologic storage formations (e.g., carbon sequestration sites) is a challenging problem. This study investigates an easy-to-implement frequency domain leakage detection technology based on harmonic pulse testing (HPT). Unlike conventional constant-rate pressure interference tests, HPT stimulates a reservoir using periodic injection rates. The fundamental principle underlying HPT-based leakage detection is that leakage modifies a storage system's frequency response function, thus providing clues of system malfunction. During operations, routine HPTs can be conducted at multiple pulsing frequencies to obtain experimental frequency response functions, using which the possible time-lapse changes are examined. In this work, a set of analytical frequency response solutions is derived for predicting system responses with and without leaks for single-phase flow systems. Sensitivity studies show that HPT can effectively reveal the presence of leaks. A search procedure is then prescribed for locating the actual leaks using amplitude and phase information obtained from HPT, and the resulting optimization problem is solved using the genetic algorithm. For multiphase flows, the applicability of HPT-based leakage detection procedure is exemplified numerically using a carbon sequestration problem. Results show that the detection procedure is applicable if the average reservoir conditions in the testing zone stay relatively constant during the tests, which is a working assumption under many other interpretation methods for pressure interference tests. HPT is a cost-effective tool that only requires periodic modification of the nominal injection rate. Thus it can be incorporated into existing monitoring plans with little additional investment.

  11. Preliminary study of diagnostic workstation with different matrix size for detection of small pulmonary nodules

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu Jie; Wang Xuejian; Wang Bo; Tong Juan; Wei Yuqing; Shen Guiquan; Wang Limei; Cao Jun; Sui He

    2004-01-01

    Objective: To assess the influence in detecting small pulmonary nodules (SPNs) on soft-copy images displayed with different matrix sizes. Methods: Seventy-six chest compute radiographs were selected for the study. Of the 76 test images, 36 pulmonary nodules smaller than 20 mm in diameter were proven by CT, which were further divided into two groups: 1.0-2.0 cm and Z values and standard error of three kinds of view system for individual observers. Results: For 1.0-2.0 cm group, the mean A Z values were 0.7936 for DRCS with 2-fold magnification and window technique, 0.8225 for 1 K monitor with 2-fold magnification and window technique, and 0.8367 for 2 K monitor without magnification; for Z values increased slightly as the display matrix size improved, but there were no significant differences among the three sets in the detection of SPNs in the ROC analyses. Conclusion: It is acceptable to detect small pulmonary nodules of 1.0-2.0 cm in diameter on 1 K monitor and DRCS with magnification. High resolution diagnostic workstation is recommended for detecting small pulmonary nodules <1.0 cm in diameter. Reasonable equipment for the detection of subtle abnormality may result in better cost-efficacy and diagnostic accuracy

  12. 10 CFR 32.103 - Schedule D-prototype tests for ice detection devices containing strontium-90.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... water and the strontium-90 shall be considered leakage. (e) Observations. After each of the tests... 10 Energy 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Schedule D-prototype tests for ice detection devices... § 32.103 Schedule D—prototype tests for ice detection devices containing strontium-90. An applicant for...

  13. Prospective detection of large prediction errors: a hypothesis testing approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ruan, Dan

    2010-01-01

    Real-time motion management is important in radiotherapy. In addition to effective monitoring schemes, prediction is required to compensate for system latency, so that treatment can be synchronized with tumor motion. However, it is difficult to predict tumor motion at all times, and it is critical to determine when large prediction errors may occur. Such information can be used to pause the treatment beam or adjust monitoring/prediction schemes. In this study, we propose a hypothesis testing approach for detecting instants corresponding to potentially large prediction errors in real time. We treat the future tumor location as a random variable, and obtain its empirical probability distribution with the kernel density estimation-based method. Under the null hypothesis, the model probability is assumed to be a concentrated Gaussian centered at the prediction output. Under the alternative hypothesis, the model distribution is assumed to be non-informative uniform, which reflects the situation that the future position cannot be inferred reliably. We derive the likelihood ratio test (LRT) for this hypothesis testing problem and show that with the method of moments for estimating the null hypothesis Gaussian parameters, the LRT reduces to a simple test on the empirical variance of the predictive random variable. This conforms to the intuition to expect a (potentially) large prediction error when the estimate is associated with high uncertainty, and to expect an accurate prediction when the uncertainty level is low. We tested the proposed method on patient-derived respiratory traces. The 'ground-truth' prediction error was evaluated by comparing the prediction values with retrospective observations, and the large prediction regions were subsequently delineated by thresholding the prediction errors. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to describe the performance of the proposed hypothesis testing method. Clinical implication was represented by miss

  14. The subtle body: an interoceptive map of central nervous system function and meditative mind-brain-body integration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loizzo, Joseph J

    2016-06-01

    Meditation research has begun to clarify the brain effects and mechanisms of contemplative practices while generating a range of typologies and explanatory models to guide further study. This comparative review explores a neglected area relevant to current research: the validity of a traditional central nervous system (CNS) model that coevolved with the practices most studied today and that provides the first comprehensive neural-based typology and mechanistic framework of contemplative practices. The subtle body model, popularly known as the chakra system from Indian yoga, was and is used as a map of CNS function in traditional Indian and Tibetan medicine, neuropsychiatry, and neuropsychology. The study presented here, based on the Nalanda tradition, shows that the subtle body model can be cross-referenced with modern CNS maps and challenges modern brain maps with its embodied network model of CNS function. It also challenges meditation research by: (1) presenting a more rigorous, neural-based typology of contemplative practices; (2) offering a more refined and complete network model of the mechanisms of contemplative practices; and (3) serving as an embodied, interoceptive neurofeedback aid that is more user friendly and complete than current teaching aids for clinical and practical applications of contemplative practice. © 2016 New York Academy of Sciences.

  15. Triazole-induced gene expression changes in the zebrafish embryo

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hermsen, S.A.B.; Pronk, T.; van den Brandhof, E.J.; van der Ven, L.T.; Piersma, A.H.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/071276947

    2012-01-01

    The zebrafish embryo is considered to provide a promising alternative test model for developmental toxicity testing. Most systems use morphological assessment of the embryos, however, microarray analyses may increase sensitivity and predictability of the test by detecting more subtle and detailed

  16. Evaluation of point-of-care tests for detecting microalbuminuria in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Evaluation of point-of-care tests for detecting microalbuminuria in diabetic patients. ... creatinine (modified Jaffe) and albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR). Results: Linear regression analysis demonstrated a good correlation for the HemoCue® ...

  17. Earlier stages of colorectal cancer detected with immunochemical faecal occult blood tests

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Rossum, L. G. M.; van Rijn, A. F.; van Munster, I. P.; Jansen, J. B. M. J.; Fockens, P.; Laheij, R. J. F.; Dekker, E.

    2009-01-01

    Background: The aim of colorectal cancer screening is to improve prognosis by the detection of early cancer and precursor stages. We compared the stage distribution of asymptomatic colorectal cancer patients detected by a positive immunochemical or guaiac-based faecal occult blood test (FOBT) with

  18. Improved anomaly detection using multi-scale PLS and generalized likelihood ratio test

    KAUST Repository

    Madakyaru, Muddu

    2017-02-16

    Process monitoring has a central role in the process industry to enhance productivity, efficiency, and safety, and to avoid expensive maintenance. In this paper, a statistical approach that exploit the advantages of multiscale PLS models (MSPLS) and those of a generalized likelihood ratio (GLR) test to better detect anomalies is proposed. Specifically, to consider the multivariate and multi-scale nature of process dynamics, a MSPLS algorithm combining PLS and wavelet analysis is used as modeling framework. Then, GLR hypothesis testing is applied using the uncorrelated residuals obtained from MSPLS model to improve the anomaly detection abilities of these latent variable based fault detection methods even further. Applications to a simulated distillation column data are used to evaluate the proposed MSPLS-GLR algorithm.

  19. Improved anomaly detection using multi-scale PLS and generalized likelihood ratio test

    KAUST Repository

    Madakyaru, Muddu; Harrou, Fouzi; Sun, Ying

    2017-01-01

    Process monitoring has a central role in the process industry to enhance productivity, efficiency, and safety, and to avoid expensive maintenance. In this paper, a statistical approach that exploit the advantages of multiscale PLS models (MSPLS) and those of a generalized likelihood ratio (GLR) test to better detect anomalies is proposed. Specifically, to consider the multivariate and multi-scale nature of process dynamics, a MSPLS algorithm combining PLS and wavelet analysis is used as modeling framework. Then, GLR hypothesis testing is applied using the uncorrelated residuals obtained from MSPLS model to improve the anomaly detection abilities of these latent variable based fault detection methods even further. Applications to a simulated distillation column data are used to evaluate the proposed MSPLS-GLR algorithm.

  20. Radon detection system, design, test and performance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Balcazar, M.; Chavez, A.; Pina-Villalpando, G.; Navarrete, M.

    1999-01-01

    A portable radon detection system (α-Inin) has been designed and constructed for using it in adverse environmental conditions where humidity, temperature and chemical vaporous are present. The minimum integration time is in periods of 15 min during 41 days. A 12 V battery and a photovoltaic module allow the α-Inin autonomy in field measurements. Data is collected by means of a laptop computer where data processing and α-Inin programming are carried out. α-Inin performance was simultaneously tested in a controlled radon chamber, together with a commercial α-Meter

  1. [The advance of detection technology of HIV self-testing].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, L; Xiao, P P; Yan, H J; Huan, X P; Fu, G F; Li, J J; Yang, H T

    2017-11-06

    At present, China's AIDS testing increased rapidly, but there are still many people living with HIV do not recognize their status, thus postponing the antiviral treatment time. HIV self-testing (HST) is an effective method to expand the testing, not only simple operation, easy to get a result, effectively protect the detection privacy, expand the selection of testers, suit to the entire population, but also the premise and basis of other AIDS comprehensive prevention measures, all over the world are promoting it. Because the HST has controversies in the window period, price and before and after controversial, and our country is in the initial stage of HST, so it is not to develop related policies, but more and more countries are in accordance with their own situations are modified or developed to allow to use rapid detection of AIDS policy to regulate the field. This paper analyzed and summarized the advantage and influence factors of HST promotion, HST believes that in the long term, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, we need to formulate relevant policies, and improve the sensitivity of the kit, shorten the window period of time, production and promotion of operation standard of video, specification and testing the operating practices, preventing and reporting the possible social harm, investigation and understanding of the needs of the people of the crowd, to maximize the advantages of HST, find more infection, so as to curb the epidemic of AIDS.

  2. Evaluation of the β-CARBA™ test, a colorimetric test for the rapid detection of carbapenemase activity in Gram-negative bacilli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernabeu, Sandrine; Dortet, Laurent; Naas, Thierry

    2017-06-01

    There is an urgent need for accurate and fast diagnostic tests to identify carbapenemase-producing bacteria. Here, we have evaluated a novel colorimetric test (the β-CARBA™ test; Bio-Rad) to detect carbapenemase-producing Gram-negative bacilli from cultured colonies. The performance of the β-CARBA™ test was compared with that of the Carba NP test (or the CarbAcineto NP test) and RAPIDEC ® CARBA NP (bioMérieux) using a collection of 290 isolates with characterized β-lactamase content. This collection included 199 carbapenemase producers (121 Enterobacteriaceae, 36 Pseudomonas and 42 Acinetobacter baumannii ) and 91 non-carbapenemase producers (55 Enterobacteriaceae, 20 Pseudomonas and 16 A. baumannii ). The β-CARBA™ test correctly detected 84.9% of the carbapenemase producers, including all KPC and IMP, 96.4% of VIM, 85.3% of NDM, 80.5% of OXA-48-like and 91.2% of A. baumannii -related OXA carbapenemases (OXA-23, OXA-40, OXA-58, OXA-143 and overexpressed OXA-51). All rare metallo-β-lactamases (SPM, AIM, GIM, DIM and SIM) were detected. Importantly, all non-KPC Ambler class A carbapenemases were not detected, including GES variants with carbapenemase activity ( n  = 6), IMI ( n  = 3), NMC-A ( n  = 1), SME ( n  = 2), FRI-1 ( n  = 1) and BIC-1 ( n  = 1). All non-carbapenemase producers gave a negative result except with OXA-163-, OXA-405- and one TEM-3-producing Citrobacter freundii . The overall sensitivity and specificity of the β-CARBA™ test were 84.9% and 95.6%, respectively. This test is easy to perform and to interpret by non-specialized staff members. Despite lack of specificity towards non-KPC Ambler class A and OXA-48-like carbapenemases, the β-CARBA™ test could complete the existing panel of tests available for the confirmation of carbapenemases in Gram-negatives. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For

  3. Human anti-HIV IgM detection by the OraQuick ADVANCE® Rapid HIV 1/2 Antibody Test.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guillon, Geraldine; Yearwood, Graham; Snipes, Casey; Boschi, Daniel; Reed, Michael R

    2018-01-01

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and many public health jurisdictions continue to advocate for the most sensitive rapid HIV test that is available. Currently, the recommendation is to utilize tests that can detect HIV infection biomarkers within 30 days of infection, when initial immune responses are mounted. The infected patient's IgM response is often used to detect acute infection within a 20-25 days window after infection. This requirement applies to lab-based testing with automated analyzers and rapid, point of care (POC) testing used for screening in a non-clinical setting. A recent study has demonstrated that POC tests using a Protein A-based detection system can detect samples with predominantly HIV-1 IgM reactivity (Moshgabadi et al., 2015). The OraQuick ADVANCE ® Rapid HIV-1/2 Antibody Test (OraQuick ADVANCE ®) also uses Protein A as the detection protein in the antibody-binding colloidal gold conjugate, so it is expected that the OraQuick ADVANCE ® Test will also detect samples with predominantly IgM reactivity. This report definitively demonstrates that the OraQuick ADVANCE ® Test can detect IgM antibodies during an acute infection window period of approximately 20-25 days after infection, and is therefore suitable for use in testing environments requiring adherence to current CDC recommendations.

  4. Reverse-Transcriptase PCR Detection of Leptospira: Absence of Agreement with Single-Specimen Microscopic Agglutination Testing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waggoner, Jesse J; Balassiano, Ilana; Mohamed-Hadley, Alisha; Vital-Brazil, Juliana Magalhães; Sahoo, Malaya K; Pinsky, Benjamin A

    2015-01-01

    Reference diagnostic tests for leptospirosis include nucleic acid amplification tests, bacterial culture, and microscopic agglutination testing (MAT) of acute and convalescent serum. However, clinical laboratories often do not receive paired specimens. In the current study, we tested serum samples using a highly sensitive real-time nucleic acid amplification test for Leptospira and compared results to MAT performed on the same specimens. 478 serum samples from suspected leptospirosis cases in Rio de Janeiro were tested using a real-time RT-PCR for the diagnosis of leptospirosis, malaria and dengue (the Lepto-MD assay). The Lepto-MD assay detects all species of Leptospira (saprophytic, intermediate, and pathogenic), and in the current study, we demonstrate that this assay amplifies both Leptospira RNA and DNA. Dengue virus RNA was identified in 10 patients, and no cases of malaria were detected. A total of 65 samples (13.6%) were positive for Leptospira: 35 samples (7.3%) in the Lepto-MD assay, 33 samples (6.9%) by MAT, and 3 samples tested positive by both (kappa statistic 0.02). Poor agreement between methods was consistent regardless of the titer used to define positive MAT results or the day of disease at sample collection. Leptospira nucleic acids were detected in the Lepto-MD assay as late as day 22, and cycle threshold values did not differ based on the day of disease. When Lepto-MD assay results were added to the MAT results for all patients in 2008 (n=818), the number of detected leptospirosis cases increased by 30.4%, from 102 (12.5%) to 133 (16.3%). This study demonstrates a lack of agreement between nucleic acid detection of Leptospira and single-specimen MAT, which may result from the clearance of bacteremia coinciding with the appearance of agglutinating antibodies. A combined testing strategy for acute leptospirosis, including molecular and serologic testing, appears necessary to maximize case detection.

  5. Using electrolyte leakage tests to determine lifting windows and detect tissue damage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richard W. Tinus

    2002-01-01

    Physiological testing is rapidly coming into use as a means to determine the condition of nursery stock and predict how it will respond to treatment or use. One such test, the electrolyte leakage test, can be used to measure cold hardiness and detect tissue damage. The principle of this test is that when cell membranes are damaged, electrolytes leak out into the water...

  6. Fault detection by surface seismic scanning tunneling macroscope: Field test

    KAUST Repository

    Hanafy, Sherif M.

    2014-08-05

    The seismic scanning tunneling macroscope (SSTM) is proposed for detecting the presence of near-surface impedance anomalies and faults. Results with synthetic data are consistent with theory in that scatterers closer to the surface provide brighter SSTM profiles than those that are deeper. The SSTM profiles show superresolution detection if the scatterers are in the near-field region of the recording line. The field data tests near Gulf of Aqaba, Haql, KSA clearly show the presence of the observable fault scarp, and identify the subsurface presence of the hidden faults indicated in the tomograms. Superresolution detection of the fault is achieved, even when the 35 Hz data are lowpass filtered to the 5-10 Hz band.

  7. Fault detection by surface seismic scanning tunneling macroscope: Field test

    KAUST Repository

    Hanafy, Sherif M.; Schuster, Gerard T.

    2014-01-01

    The seismic scanning tunneling macroscope (SSTM) is proposed for detecting the presence of near-surface impedance anomalies and faults. Results with synthetic data are consistent with theory in that scatterers closer to the surface provide brighter SSTM profiles than those that are deeper. The SSTM profiles show superresolution detection if the scatterers are in the near-field region of the recording line. The field data tests near Gulf of Aqaba, Haql, KSA clearly show the presence of the observable fault scarp, and identify the subsurface presence of the hidden faults indicated in the tomograms. Superresolution detection of the fault is achieved, even when the 35 Hz data are lowpass filtered to the 5-10 Hz band.

  8. Lesbian mommy blogging in Canada: documenting subtle homophobia in Canadian society and building community online.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hunter, Andrea

    2015-01-01

    This article analyzes how lesbian mommy bloggers in Canada are using their blogs as forums for self-expression and a means to form community, as they record their unique experiences as queer parents. Further, it argues that lesbian mommy blogging is documenting a subtle form of homophobia that exists in Canada in terms of social acceptance. Although there is legal acceptance of queer families, society has not necessarily caught up with the law. These blogs show that lesbian parents in Canada still struggle with issues of equality, including difficulties being "out," invisibility, and having to advocate for the non-birth parent.

  9. 14C-urea breath test for the detection of Helicobacter pylori

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Veldhuyzen van Zanten, S. J.; Tytgat, K. M.; Hollingsworth, J.; Jalali, S.; Rshid, F. A.; Bowen, B. M.; Goldie, J.; Goodacre, R. L.; Riddell, R. H.; Hunt, R. H.

    1990-01-01

    The high urease activity of Helicobacter pylori can be used to detect this bacterium by noninvasive breath tests. We have developed a 14C-urea breath test which uses 5 microCi 14C with 50 mg nonradioactive urea. Breath samples are collected at baseline and every 30 min for 2 h. Our study compared

  10. Germination test as a fast method to detect glyphosate-resistant sourgrass

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcos Altomani Neves Dias

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The occurrence of weed species with different levels of resistance to glyphosate has increasingly spread in agricultural areas. In Brazil, sourgrass is among the main species presenting issues in this regard. Thus, fast and reliable methods to detect glyphosate resistance are of special interest for this specie, either for research or rational management purposes. This study was carried out to verify the feasibility of using the germination test to detect glyphosate resistance in sourgrass. The experiment was conducted with two sourgrass biotypes, with different levels of susceptibility to glyphosate. The seeds were previously imbibed in solutions composed of 0, 0.1875%, 0.25%, 0.75%, 1.5%, 3% and 6% of glyphosate during two periods, five and ten minutes, and submitted to germination tests. The results indicate the germination test as a feasible and time-saving approach to evaluate glyphosate-resistant sourgrass, with results available in seven days.

  11. Germination test as a fast method to detect glyphosate-resistant sourgrass

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcos Altomani Neves Dias

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available The occurrence of weed species with different levels of resistance to glyphosate has increasingly spread in agricultural areas. In Brazil, sourgrass is among the main species presenting issues in this regard. Thus, fast and reliable methods to detect glyphosate resistance are of special interest for this specie, either for research or rational management purposes. This study was carried out to verify the feasibility of using the germination test to detect glyphosate resistance in sourgrass. The experiment was conducted with two sourgrass biotypes, with different levels of susceptibility to glyphosate. The seeds were previously imbibed in solutions composed of 0, 0.1875%, 0.25%, 0.75%, 1.5%, 3% and 6% of glyphosate during two periods, five and ten minutes, and submitted to germination tests. The results indicate the germination test as a feasible and time-saving approach to evaluate glyphosate-resistant sourgrass, with results available in seven days.

  12. Manufacturing and testing flexible microfluidic devices with optical and electrical detection mechanisms

    OpenAIRE

    Ivan, M.G.; Vivet, F.; Meinders, E.R.

    2010-01-01

    Flexible microfluidic devices made of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) were manufactured by soft lithography, and tested in detection of ionic species using optical absorption spectroscopy and electrical measurements. PDMS was chosen due to its flexibility and ease of surface modification by exposure to plasma and UV treatment, its transparency in UV-Vis regions of the light spectrum, and biocompatibility. The dual-detection mechanism allows the user more freedom in choosing the detection tool, ...

  13. Rapid Detection of the Chlamydiaceae and Other Families in the Order Chlamydiales: Three PCR Tests

    Science.gov (United States)

    Everett, Karin D. E.; Hornung, Linda J.; Andersen, Arthur A.

    1999-01-01

    Few identification methods will rapidly or specifically detect all bacteria in the order Chlamydiales, family Chlamydiaceae. In this study, three PCR tests based on sequence data from over 48 chlamydial strains were developed for identification of these bacteria. Two tests exclusively recognized the Chlamydiaceae: a multiplex test targeting the ompA gene and the rRNA intergenic spacer and a TaqMan test targeting the 23S ribosomal DNA. The multiplex test was able to detect as few as 200 inclusion-forming units (IFU), while the TaqMan test could detect 2 IFU. The amplicons produced in these tests ranged from 132 to 320 bp in length. The third test, targeting the 23S rRNA gene, produced a 600-bp amplicon from strains belonging to several families in the order Chlamydiales. Direct sequence analysis of this amplicon has facilitated the identification of new chlamydial strains. These three tests permit ready identification of chlamydiae for diagnostic and epidemiologic study. The specificity of these tests indicates that they might also be used to identify chlamydiae without culture or isolation. PMID:9986815

  14. Field Tests of a Tractor Rollover Detection and Emergency Notification System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, B; Koc, A B

    2015-04-01

    The objective of this research was to assess the feasibility of a rollover detection and emergency notification system for farm tractors using field tests. The emergency notification system was developed based on a tractor stability model and implemented on a mobile electronic device with the iOS operating system. A complementary filter was implemented to combine the data from the accelerometer and gyroscope sensors to improve their accuracies in calculating the roll and pitch angles and the roll and pitch rates. The system estimates a stability index value during tractor operation, displays feedback messages when the stability index is lower than a preset threshold value, and transmits emergency notification messages when an overturn happens. Ten tractor rollover tests were conducted on a field track. The developed system successfully monitored the stability of the tractor during all of the tests. The iOS application was able to detect rollover accidents and transmit emergency notifications in the form of a phone call and email when an accident was detected. The system can be a useful tool for training and education in safe tractor operation. The system also has potential for stability monitoring and emergency notification of other on-road and off-road motorized vehicles.

  15. Manufacturing and testing flexible microfluidic devices with optical and electrical detection mechanisms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ivan, Marius G.; Vivet, Frédéric; Meinders, Erwin R.

    2010-06-01

    Flexible microfluidic devices made of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) were manufactured by soft lithography, and tested in detection of ionic species using optical absorption spectroscopy and electrical measurements. PDMS was chosen due to its flexibility and ease of surface modification by exposure to plasma and UV treatment, its transparency in UV-Vis regions of the light spectrum, and biocompatibility. The dual-detection mechanism allows the user more freedom in choosing the detection tool, and a functional device was successfully tested. Optical lithography was employed for manufacturing templates, which were subsequently used for imprinting liquid PDMS by thermal curing. Gold electrodes having various widths and distances among them were patterned with optical lithography on the top part which sealed the microchannels, and the devices were employed for detection of ionic species in aqueous salt solutions as well as micro-electrolysis cells. Due to the transparency of PDMS in UV-Vis the microfluidics were also used as photoreactors, and the in-situ formed charged species were monitored by applying a voltage between electrodes. Upon addition of a colorimetric pH sensor, acid was detected with absorption spectroscopy.

  16. Subtle changes in the flavour and texture of a drink enhance expectations of satiety

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    McCrickerd Keri

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The consumption of liquid calories has been implicated in the development of obesity and weight gain. Energy-containing drinks are often reported to have a weak satiety value: one explanation for this is that because of their fluid texture they are not expected to have much nutritional value. It is important to consider what features of these drinks can be manipulated to enhance their expected satiety value. Two studies investigated the perception of subtle changes in a drink’s viscosity, and the extent to which thick texture and creamy flavour contribute to the generation of satiety expectations. Participants in the first study rated the sensory characteristics of 16 fruit yogurt drinks of increasing viscosity. In study two, a new set of participants evaluated eight versions of the fruit yogurt drink, which varied in thick texture, creamy flavour and energy content, for sensory and hedonic characteristics and satiety expectations. Results In study one, participants were able to perceive small changes in drink viscosity that were strongly related to the actual viscosity of the drinks. In study two, the thick versions of the drink were expected to be more filling and have a greater expected satiety value, independent of the drink’s actual energy content. A creamy flavour enhanced the extent to which the drink was expected to be filling, but did not affect its expected satiety. Conclusions These results indicate that subtle manipulations of texture and creamy flavour can increase expectations that a fruit yogurt drink will be filling and suppress hunger, irrespective of the drink’s energy content. A thicker texture enhanced expectations of satiety to a greater extent than a creamier flavour, and may be one way to improve the anticipated satiating value of energy-containing beverages.

  17. Eddy Current Testing for Detecting Small Defects in Thin Films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Obeid, Simon; Tranjan, Farid M.; Dogaru, Teodor

    2007-03-01

    Presented here is a technique of using Eddy Current based Giant Magneto-Resistance sensor (GMR) to detect surface and sub-layered minute defects in thin films. For surface crack detection, a measurement was performed on a copper metallization of 5-10 microns thick. It was done by scanning the GMR sensor on the surface of the wafer that had two scratches of 0.2 mm, and 2.5 mm in length respectively. In another experiment, metal coatings were deposited over the layers containing five defects with known lengths such that the defects were invisible from the surface. The limit of detection (resolution), in terms of defect size, of the GMR high-resolution Eddy Current probe was studied using this sample. Applications of Eddy Current testing include detecting defects in thin film metallic layers, and quality control of metallization layers on silicon wafers for integrated circuits manufacturing.

  18. A fluorescence quenching test for the detection of flavonoid transformation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schoefer, L; Braune, A; Blaut, M

    2001-11-13

    A novel fluorescence quenching test for the detection of flavonoid degradation by microorganisms was developed. The test is based on the ability of the flavonoids to quench the fluorescence of 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH). Several members of the anthocyanidins, flavones, isoflavones, flavonols, flavanones, dihydroflavanones, chalcones, dihydrochalcones and catechins were tested with regard to their quenching properties. The anthocyanidins were the most potent quenchers of DPH fluorescence, while the flavanones, dihydroflavanones and dihydrochalcones, quenched the fluorescence only weakly. The catechins had no visible impact on DPH fluorescence. The developed test allows a quick and easy differentiation between flavonoid-degrading and flavonoid-non-degrading bacteria. The investigation of individual reactions of flavonoid transformation with the developed test system is also possible.

  19. Detection of antibiotic residues in food by Charm II test

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Addali, Mohamed

    2014-01-01

    Antibiotics are used in food to: -therapy and prophylaxis, -increase the productivity of the food producing animals. The presence of antimicrobial residues: -constitutes a potential human health hazard. has significant impact on international food trade. has implications on technological process in dairy industry. Detection of antibiotic residues is of great interest. It helps protect humans against the effects of such residues, the more it can support the participation of our country in international trade. Charm II test is one of the methods of detection of antimicrobial residues. The tests utilize microbial or antibody receptor assay technology. The sample is incubated with a binding agent (microbial cells with specific receptor sites or with specific antibodies attached) and a tracer (the radio-labeled version of the antibiotic to be detected). The amount of tracer on the binding agent is measured using a scintillation counter and is compared to a pre-determined cut-off or control point. If contaminating antibiotic is present, it will prevent the binding of the tracer by occupying the receptors on the binding agent. The less labeled tracer detected, the more contaminating antibiotic there is present in the sample. This work, carried out at the Radiochemical Laboratory of the National Centre of Nuclear Science and Technology, has two parts: 1/ The first is reserved to a literature review provides an overview on antibiotics and the charm II method. 2/ The second is devoted to the experimental study and presentation of results.

  20. A fully automatic microcalcification detection approach based on deep convolution neural network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Guanxiong; Guo, Yanhui; Zhang, Yaqin; Qin, Genggeng; Zhou, Yuanpin; Lu, Yao

    2018-02-01

    Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers and has high morbidity and mortality worldwide, posing a serious threat to the health of human beings. The emergence of microcalcifications (MCs) is an important signal of early breast cancer. However, it is still challenging and time consuming for radiologists to identify some tiny and subtle individual MCs in mammograms. This study proposed a novel computer-aided MC detection algorithm on the full field digital mammograms (FFDMs) using deep convolution neural network (DCNN). Firstly, a MC candidate detection system was used to obtain potential MC candidates. Then a DCNN was trained using a novel adaptive learning strategy, neutrosophic reinforcement sample learning (NRSL) strategy to speed up the learning process. The trained DCNN served to recognize true MCs. After been classified by DCNN, a density-based regional clustering method was imposed to form MC clusters. The accuracy of the DCNN with our proposed NRSL strategy converges faster and goes higher than the traditional DCNN at same epochs, and the obtained an accuracy of 99.87% on training set, 95.12% on validation set, and 93.68% on testing set at epoch 40. For cluster-based MC cluster detection evaluation, a sensitivity of 90% was achieved at 0.13 false positives (FPs) per image. The obtained results demonstrate that the designed DCNN plays a significant role in the MC detection after being prior trained.

  1. Detection of gonococcal infection : pros and cons of a rapid test.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vickerman, Peter; Peeling, Rosanna W; Watts, Charlotte; Mabey, David

    2005-01-01

    WHO estimates that 62 million cases of gonorrhea occur annually worldwide. Untreated infection can cause serious long-term complications, especially in women. In addition, Neisseria gonorrheae infection can facilitate HIV transmission, and babies born to infected mothers are at risk of ocular infection, which can lead to blindness. Where diagnostic facilities are lacking, gonorrhea can be treated syndromically. However, this inevitably leads to over-treatment, especially in women in whom the syndrome of vaginal discharge may be due not to N. gonorrheae infection but to several other more prevalent conditions. Over-treatment is a major concern because of widespread N. gonorrheae antibiotic resistance. Moreover, a high proportion of gonorrhea cases are asymptomatic and so do not present for syndromic management. Such cases will only be detected by screening tests. The gold standard test for the detection of N. gonorrheae is culture, which has high sensitivity and specificity. However, it requires well trained staff and its performance is affected by specimen transport conditions. Other options include microscopy and tests that detect gonococcal antigen or nucleic acid. Nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) have higher sensitivity and can be used on non-invasive samples (urine). However, they can cross-react with other Neisseria species and are expensive, requiring highly trained staff and sophisticated equipment. In settings where patients are asked to return for laboratory results, some infected patients never receive treatment as they fail to return for their test results. This reduction in treatment, and the possible onward transmission of N. gonorrheae during any delay in treatment, means that a rapid test of lower sensitivity may be more effective if it results in patients being treated at the initial visit. Indeed, even with the low sensitivity of currently available rapid tests (50-70%), modeling shows that they can outperform gold standard tests in

  2. Cluster Detection Tests in Spatial Epidemiology: A Global Indicator for Performance Assessment.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aline Guttmann

    Full Text Available In cluster detection of disease, the use of local cluster detection tests (CDTs is current. These methods aim both at locating likely clusters and testing for their statistical significance. New or improved CDTs are regularly proposed to epidemiologists and must be subjected to performance assessment. Because location accuracy has to be considered, performance assessment goes beyond the raw estimation of type I or II errors. As no consensus exists for performance evaluations, heterogeneous methods are used, and therefore studies are rarely comparable. A global indicator of performance, which assesses both spatial accuracy and usual power, would facilitate the exploration of CDTs behaviour and help between-studies comparisons. The Tanimoto coefficient (TC is a well-known measure of similarity that can assess location accuracy but only for one detected cluster. In a simulation study, performance is measured for many tests. From the TC, we here propose two statistics, the averaged TC and the cumulated TC, as indicators able to provide a global overview of CDTs performance for both usual power and location accuracy. We evidence the properties of these two indicators and the superiority of the cumulated TC to assess performance. We tested these indicators to conduct a systematic spatial assessment displayed through performance maps.

  3. Cluster Detection Tests in Spatial Epidemiology: A Global Indicator for Performance Assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guttmann, Aline; Li, Xinran; Feschet, Fabien; Gaudart, Jean; Demongeot, Jacques; Boire, Jean-Yves; Ouchchane, Lemlih

    2015-01-01

    In cluster detection of disease, the use of local cluster detection tests (CDTs) is current. These methods aim both at locating likely clusters and testing for their statistical significance. New or improved CDTs are regularly proposed to epidemiologists and must be subjected to performance assessment. Because location accuracy has to be considered, performance assessment goes beyond the raw estimation of type I or II errors. As no consensus exists for performance evaluations, heterogeneous methods are used, and therefore studies are rarely comparable. A global indicator of performance, which assesses both spatial accuracy and usual power, would facilitate the exploration of CDTs behaviour and help between-studies comparisons. The Tanimoto coefficient (TC) is a well-known measure of similarity that can assess location accuracy but only for one detected cluster. In a simulation study, performance is measured for many tests. From the TC, we here propose two statistics, the averaged TC and the cumulated TC, as indicators able to provide a global overview of CDTs performance for both usual power and location accuracy. We evidence the properties of these two indicators and the superiority of the cumulated TC to assess performance. We tested these indicators to conduct a systematic spatial assessment displayed through performance maps. PMID:26086911

  4. CONFU: Configuration Fuzzing Testing Framework for Software Vulnerability Detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dai, Huning; Murphy, Christian; Kaiser, Gail

    2010-01-01

    Many software security vulnerabilities only reveal themselves under certain conditions, i.e., particular configurations and inputs together with a certain runtime environment. One approach to detecting these vulnerabilities is fuzz testing. However, typical fuzz testing makes no guarantees regarding the syntactic and semantic validity of the input, or of how much of the input space will be explored. To address these problems, we present a new testing methodology called Configuration Fuzzing. Configuration Fuzzing is a technique whereby the configuration of the running application is mutated at certain execution points, in order to check for vulnerabilities that only arise in certain conditions. As the application runs in the deployment environment, this testing technique continuously fuzzes the configuration and checks "security invariants" that, if violated, indicate a vulnerability. We discuss the approach and introduce a prototype framework called ConFu (CONfiguration FUzzing testing framework) for implementation. We also present the results of case studies that demonstrate the approach's feasibility and evaluate its performance.

  5. An incidental case of biliary fascioliasis with subtle clinical findings: US and MRCP findings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Önder, Hakan; Ekici, Faysal; Adin, Emin; Kuday, Suzan; Gümüş, Hatice; Bilici, Aslan

    2013-01-01

    Fascioliasis is a disease caused by the trematode Fasciola hepatica. Cholangitis is a common clinical manifestation. Although fascioliasis may show various radiological and clinical features, cases without biliary dilatation are rare. We present unique ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) findings of a biliary fascioliasis case which doesn’t have biliary obstruction or cholestasis. Radiologically, curvilinear parasites compatible with juvenile and mature Fasciola hepatica within the gallbladder and common bile duct were found. The parasites appear as bright echogenic structures with no acoustic shadow on US and hypo-intense curvilinear lesions on T2 weighted MRCP images. Imaging studies may significantly contribute to the diagnosis of patients with subtle clinical and laboratory findings, particularly in endemic regions

  6. Brief Report: Is Impaired Classification of Subtle Facial Expressions in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders Related to Atypical Emotion Category Boundaries?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whitaker, Lydia R.; Simpson, Andrew; Roberson, Debi

    2017-01-01

    Impairments in recognizing subtle facial expressions, in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), may relate to difficulties in constructing prototypes of these expressions. Eighteen children with predominantly intellectual low-functioning ASD (LFA, IQ <80) and two control groups (mental and chronological age matched), were assessed for…

  7. Detectability Measurement of GPR for Buried Target in Self-Designed Test Field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Son, Soo Jung; Shin, Byoung Chul

    2000-01-01

    In this paper, we were investigated the detectability on various specimen in self-designed test field using the GPR system with three antenna elements. The GPR system was constantly radiated 730MHz frequency. To examine the detectability on various condition, the test were experimented using different materials, size and buried depth. As an adjusted wave-propagation velocity, the location of hyperbolic curve pattern were displayed B-scan CRT. And the pattern was exactly positioned when it was compared to the real buried-depth. Therefore, we can confirm similarity between the wave-propagation velocity and previous results

  8. Imaging evaluation of infants with neuroblastoma detected by VMA screening spot test

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fujioka, M.; Saiki, N.; Aihara, T.; Yamamoto, K.

    1988-01-01

    In the Saitama Prefecture in Japan, VMA (vanillyl manderic acid) screening spot test for detection of neuroblastoma has been performed in 173,046 infants in the years 1981-1986 and 15 infants were found to have neuroblastoma. Two infants had mediastinal tumors and the remainder, 13, had intraabdominal tumors. Only 7 infants had palpable masses. Although CT was documented to be the best imaging procedure to provide sufficient information for treatment, conventional radiographic examinations of the chest and abdomen, and abdominal ultrasonography were able, as initial imaging procedures, to detect reasonably small neuroblastomas in infants with a positive VMA screening test. (orig.)

  9. The Subtle Balance between Lipolysis and Lipogenesis: A Critical Point in Metabolic Homeostasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saponaro, Chiara; Gaggini, Melania; Carli, Fabrizia; Gastaldelli, Amalia

    2015-11-13

    Excessive accumulation of lipids can lead to lipotoxicity, cell dysfunction and alteration in metabolic pathways, both in adipose tissue and peripheral organs, like liver, heart, pancreas and muscle. This is now a recognized risk factor for the development of metabolic disorders, such as obesity, diabetes, fatty liver disease (NAFLD), cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The causes for lipotoxicity are not only a high fat diet but also excessive lipolysis, adipogenesis and adipose tissue insulin resistance. The aims of this review are to investigate the subtle balances that underlie lipolytic, lipogenic and oxidative pathways, to evaluate critical points and the complexities of these processes and to better understand which are the metabolic derangements resulting from their imbalance, such as type 2 diabetes and non alcoholic fatty liver disease.

  10. Real time testing of intelligent relays for synchronous distributed generation islanding detection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhuang, Davy

    As electric power systems continue to grow to meet ever-increasing energy demand, their security, reliability, and sustainability requirements also become more stringent. The deployment of distributed energy resources (DER), including generation and storage, in conventional passive distribution feeders, gives rise to integration problems involving protection and unintentional islanding. Distributed generators need to be islanded for safety reasons when disconnected or isolated from the main feeder as distributed generator islanding may create hazards to utility and third-party personnel, and possibly damage the distribution system infrastructure, including the distributed generators. This thesis compares several key performance indicators of a newly developed intelligent islanding detection relay, against islanding detection devices currently used by the industry. The intelligent relay employs multivariable analysis and data mining methods to arrive at decision trees that contain both the protection handles and the settings. A test methodology is developed to assess the performance of these intelligent relays on a real time simulation environment using a generic model based on a real-life distribution feeder. The methodology demonstrates the applicability and potential advantages of the intelligent relay, by running a large number of tests, reflecting a multitude of system operating conditions. The testing indicates that the intelligent relay often outperforms frequency, voltage and rate of change of frequency relays currently used for islanding detection, while respecting the islanding detection time constraints imposed by standing distributed generator interconnection guidelines.

  11. Cochlin-tomoprotein (CTP) detection test identified perilymph leakage preoperatively in revision stapes surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kataoka, Yuko; Ikezono, Tetsuo; Fukushima, Kunihiro; Yuen, Koji; Maeda, Yukihide; Sugaya, Akiko; Nishizaki, Kazunori

    2013-08-01

    Perilymphatic fistula (PLF) is defined as an abnormal leakage between perilymph from the labyrinth to the middle ear. Symptoms include hearing loss, tinnitus, and vertigo. The standard mode of PLF detection is intraoperative visualization of perilymph leakage and fistula, which ostensibly confirms the existence of PLF. Other possible methods of diagnosis include confirmation of pneumolabyrinth via diagnostic imaging. Recently, a cochlin-tomoprotein (CTP) detection test has been developed that allows definitive diagnosis of PLF-related hearing loss. We report the case of a 45-year-old man who presented with right-sided tinnitus, hearing loss, and dizziness 30 years after stapes surgery. Middle ear lavage was performed after myringotomy. A preoperative diagnosis of PLF was reached using the CTP detection test. Intraoperative observations included a necrotic long process of the incus, displaced wire piston, and fibrous tissue in the oval window. Perilymph leakage was not evident. The oval window was closed with fascia, and vertigo disappeared within 2 weeks postoperatively. When PLF is suspected after stapes surgery, the CTP detection test can be a useful, highly sensitive, and less invasive method for preoperative diagnosis. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. CUSUM-Logistic Regression analysis for the rapid detection of errors in clinical laboratory test results.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sampson, Maureen L; Gounden, Verena; van Deventer, Hendrik E; Remaley, Alan T

    2016-02-01

    The main drawback of the periodic analysis of quality control (QC) material is that test performance is not monitored in time periods between QC analyses, potentially leading to the reporting of faulty test results. The objective of this study was to develop a patient based QC procedure for the more timely detection of test errors. Results from a Chem-14 panel measured on the Beckman LX20 analyzer were used to develop the model. Each test result was predicted from the other 13 members of the panel by multiple regression, which resulted in correlation coefficients between the predicted and measured result of >0.7 for 8 of the 14 tests. A logistic regression model, which utilized the measured test result, the predicted test result, the day of the week and time of day, was then developed for predicting test errors. The output of the logistic regression was tallied by a daily CUSUM approach and used to predict test errors, with a fixed specificity of 90%. The mean average run length (ARL) before error detection by CUSUM-Logistic Regression (CSLR) was 20 with a mean sensitivity of 97%, which was considerably shorter than the mean ARL of 53 (sensitivity 87.5%) for a simple prediction model that only used the measured result for error detection. A CUSUM-Logistic Regression analysis of patient laboratory data can be an effective approach for the rapid and sensitive detection of clinical laboratory errors. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  13. Effect of low dose Lead (Pb) administration on tail immersion test ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Effect of low dose Lead (Pb) administration on tail immersion test and ... subtle decline in cognitive function, and adverse reproductive outcome at low blood Pb level. ... Twenty adult Wistar rats of both sexes (weight 150g to 200g) were used.

  14. Evaluation of a New and Rapid Serologic Test for Detecting Brucellosis: Brucella Coombs Gel Test.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hanci, Hayrunisa; Igan, Hakan; Uyanik, Muhammet Hamidullah

    2017-01-01

    Many serological tests have been used for the diagnosis of human brucellosis. A new serological method is identified as Brucella Coombs gel test based on the principle of centrifugation gel system similar to the gel system used in blood group determination. In this system, if Brucella antibodies were present in the serum, antigen and antibody would remain as a pink complex on the gel. Otherwise, the pink Brucella antigens would precipitate at the bottom of the gel card system. In this study, we aimed to compare the Brucella Coombs gel test, a new, rapid screen and titration method for detection of non-agglutinating IgG with the Brucella Coombs test. For this study, a total of 88 serum samples were obtained from 45 healthy persons and 43 individuals who had clinical signs and symptoms of brucellosis. For each specimen, Rose Bengal test, standard agglutination test, Coombs test and Brucella Coombs gel test were carried out. Sensitivity and specificity of Brucella Coombs gel test were found as 100.0 and 82.2%, respectively. Brucella Coombs gel test can be used as a screening test with high sensitivity. By the help of pink Brucella antigen precipitation, the tests' evaluation is simple and objective. In addition, determination of Brucella antibody by rapid titration offers another important advantage.

  15. Uncovering Bugs in Distributed Storage Systems during Testing (not in Production!)

    OpenAIRE

    Deligiannis, P; McCutchen, M; Thomson, P; Chen, S; Donaldson, AF; Erickson, J; Huang, C; Lal, A; Mudduluru, R; Qadeer, S; Schulte, W

    2016-01-01

    Testing distributed systems is challenging due to multiple sources of nondeterminism. Conventional testing techniques, such as unit, integration and stress testing, are ineffective in preventing serious but subtle bugs from reaching production. Formal techniques, such as TLA+, can only verify high-level specifications of systems at the level of logic-based models, and fall short of checking the actual executable code. In this paper, we present a new methodology for testing distributed systems...

  16. Olodaterol and vilanterol detection in sport drug testing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chundela, Zdenek; Große, Joachim

    2015-01-01

    The possibility of the detection of olodaterol and vilanterol, two novel β2 -agonists, in human urine for the purpose of sport drug testing was investigated. Compounds of interest were analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) employing methods commonly used in the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accredited laboratories. For both substances, the respective parent compound was found to be a suitable target analyte for monitoring therapeutic dose administration. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  17. Detection of colorectal serrated polyps by stool DNA testing: comparison with fecal immunochemical testing for occult blood (FIT.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Russell I Heigh

    Full Text Available Precursors to 1/3 of colorectal cancer (CRC, serrated polyps have been under-detected by screening due to their inconspicuous, non-hemorrhagic, and proximal nature. A new multi-target stool DNA test (multi-target sDNA shows high sensitivity for both CRC and advanced adenomas. Screen detection of serrated polyps by this approach requires further validation. We sought to assess and compare noninvasive detection of sessile serrated polyps (SSP ≥ 1 cm by sDNA and an occult blood fecal immunochemical test (FIT.In a blinded prospective study, a single stool sample used for both tests was collected from 456 asymptomatic adults prior to screening or surveillance colonoscopy (criterion standard. All 29 patients with SSP ≥ 1 cm were included as cases and all 232 with no neoplastic findings as controls. Buffered stool samples were processed and frozen on receipt; Exact Sciences performed sDNA in batches using optimized analytical methods. The sDNA multi-marker panel targets methylated BMP3 (mBMP3 and NDRG4, mutant KRAS, β-actin, and hemoglobin. FIT (Polymedco OC-FIT Check was performed in separate lab ≤ 2 days post defecation and evaluated at cutoffs of 50 (FIT-50 and 100 ng/ml (FIT-100.MEDIAN AGES: cases 61 (range 57-77, controls 62 (52-70, p = NS. Women comprised 59% and 51%, p = NS, respectively. SSP median size was 1.2 cm (1-3 cm, 93% were proximal, and 64% had synchronous diminutive polyps. Among multi-target sDNA markers, mBMP3 proved highly discriminant for detection of SSP ≥ 1 cm (AUC = 0.87, p<0.00001; other DNA markers provided no incremental sensitivity. Hemoglobin alone showed no discrimination (AUC = 0.50, p = NS. At matched specificities, detection of SSP ≥ 1 cm by stool mBMP3 was significantly greater than by FIT-50 (66% vs 10%, p = 0.0003 or FIT-100 (63% vs 0%, p<0.0001.In a screening and surveillance setting, SSP ≥ 1 cm can be detected noninvasively by stool assay of exfoliated DNA markers, especially mBMP3. FIT appears to

  18. Ice Sheet Change Detection by Satellite Image Differencing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bindschadler, Robert A.; Scambos, Ted A.; Choi, Hyeungu; Haran, Terry M.

    2010-01-01

    Differencing of digital satellite image pairs highlights subtle changes in near-identical scenes of Earth surfaces. Using the mathematical relationships relevant to photoclinometry, we examine the effectiveness of this method for the study of localized ice sheet surface topography changes using numerical experiments. We then test these results by differencing images of several regions in West Antarctica, including some where changes have previously been identified in altimeter profiles. The technique works well with coregistered images having low noise, high radiometric sensitivity, and near-identical solar illumination geometry. Clouds and frosts detract from resolving surface features. The ETM(plus) sensor on Landsat-7, ALI sensor on EO-1, and MODIS sensor on the Aqua and Terra satellite platforms all have potential for detecting localized topographic changes such as shifting dunes, surface inflation and deflation features associated with sub-glacial lake fill-drain events, or grounding line changes. Availability and frequency of MODIS images favor this sensor for wide application, and using it, we demonstrate both qualitative identification of changes in topography and quantitative mapping of slope and elevation changes.

  19. Effectiveness of slow motion video compared to real time video in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Objective measures of canine gait quality via force plates, pressure mats or kinematic analysis are considered superior to subjective gait assessment (SGA). Despite research demonstrating that SGA does not accurately detect subtle lameness, it remains the most commonly performed diagnostic test for detecting lameness ...

  20. [Micron]ADS-B Detect and Avoid Flight Tests on Phantom 4 Unmanned Aircraft System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arteaga, Ricardo; Dandachy, Mike; Truong, Hong; Aruljothi, Arun; Vedantam, Mihir; Epperson, Kraettli; McCartney, Reed

    2018-01-01

    Researchers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California and Vigilant Aerospace Systems collaborated for the flight-test demonstration of an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast based collision avoidance technology on a small unmanned aircraft system equipped with the uAvionix Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast transponder. The purpose of the testing was to demonstrate that National Aeronautics and Space Administration / Vigilant software and algorithms, commercialized as the FlightHorizon UAS"TM", are compatible with uAvionix hardware systems and the DJI Phantom 4 small unmanned aircraft system. The testing and demonstrations were necessary for both parties to further develop and certify the technology in three key areas: flights beyond visual line of sight, collision avoidance, and autonomous operations. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration and Vigilant Aerospace Systems have developed and successfully flight-tested an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Detect and Avoid system on the Phantom 4 small unmanned aircraft system. The Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Detect and Avoid system architecture is especially suited for small unmanned aircraft systems because it integrates: 1) miniaturized Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast hardware; 2) radio data-link communications; 3) software algorithms for real-time Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast data integration, conflict detection, and alerting; and 4) a synthetic vision display using a fully-integrated National Aeronautics and Space Administration geobrowser for three dimensional graphical representations for ownship and air traffic situational awareness. The flight-test objectives were to evaluate the performance of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Detect and Avoid collision avoidance technology as installed on two small unmanned aircraft systems. In December 2016, four flight tests

  1. Subtle gray matter changes in temporo-parietal cortex associated with cardiovascular risk factors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Toledo Ferraz Alves, Tânia Corrêa; Scazufca, Márcia; Squarzoni, Paula; de Souza Duran, Fábio Luiz; Tamashiro-Duran, Jaqueline Hatsuko; Vallada, Homero P; Andrei, Anna; Wajngarten, Mauricio; Menezes, Paulo R; Busatto, Geraldo F

    2011-01-01

    Vascular risk factors may play an important role in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). While there is consistent evidence of gray matter (GM) abnormalities in earlier stages of AD, the presence of more subtle GM changes associated with vascular risk factors in the absence of clinically significant vascular events has been scarcely investigated. This study aimed to examine GM changes in elderly subjects with cardiovascular risk factors. We predicted that the presence of cardiovascular risk would be associated with GM abnormalities involving the temporal-parietal cortices and limbic structures. We recruited 248 dementia-free subjects, age range 66-75 years, from the population-based "São Paulo Ageing and Health Study", classified in accordance to their Framingham Coronary Heart Disease Risk (FCHDR) score to undergo an MRI scan. We performed an overall analysis of covariance, controlled to total GM and APOE4 status, to investigate the presence of regional GM abnormalities in association with FCHDR subgroups (high-risk, medium-risk, and low-risk), and followed by post hoc t-test. We also applied a co-relational design in order to investigate the presence of linear progression of the GM vulnerability in association with cardiovascular risk factor. Voxel-based morphometry showed that the presence of cardiovascular risk factors were associated with regional GM loss involving the temporal cortices bilaterally. Those results retained statistical significance after including APOE4 as a covariate of interest. We also observed that there was a negative correlation between FCHDR scores and rGM distribution in the parietal cortex. Subclinical cerebrovascular abnormalities involving GM loss may provide an important link between cardiovascular risk factors and AD.

  2. Analysis of brief language tests in the detection of cognitive decline and dementia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcia Radanovic

    Full Text Available Abstract Lexical access difficulties are frequent in normal aging and initial stages of dementia. Verbal fluency tests are valuable to detect cognitive decline, evidencing lexico-semantic and executive dysfunction. Objectives: To establish which language tests can contribute in detecting dementia and to verify schooling influence on subject performance. Method: 74 subjects: 33 controls, 17 Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR 0.5 and 24 (Brief Cognitive Battery - BCB e Boston Naming Test - BNT 1 were compared in tests of semantic verbal fluency (animal and fruit, picture naming (BCB and BNT and the language items of Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE. Results: There were significant differences between the control group and both CDR 0.5 and CDR 1 in all tests. Cut-off scores were: 11 and 10 for animal fluency, 8 for fruit fluency (in both, 8 and 9 for BCB naming. The CDR 0.5 group performed better than the CDR 1 group only in animal fluency. Stepwise multiple regression revealed fruit fluency, animal fluency and BCB naming as the best discriminators between patients and controls (specificity: 93.8%; sensitivity: 91.3%. In controls, comparison between illiterates and literates evidenced schooling influence in all tests, except for fruit fluency and BCB naming. In patients with dementia, only fruit fluency was uninfluenced by schooling. Conclusion: The combination of verbal fluency tests in two semantic categories along with a simple picture naming test is highly sensitive in detecting cognitive decline. Comparison between literate and illiterate subjects shows a lesser degree of influence of schooling on the selected tests, thus improving discrimination between low performance and incipient cognitive decline.

  3. Comparison and transfer testing of multiplex ligation detection methods for GM plants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ujhelyi Gabriella

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background With the increasing number of GMOs on the global market the maintenance of European GMO regulations is becoming more complex. For the analysis of a single food or feed sample it is necessary to assess the sample for the presence of many GMO-targets simultaneously at a sensitive level. Several methods have been published regarding DNA-based multidetection. Multiplex ligation detection methods have been described that use the same basic approach: i hybridisation and ligation of specific probes, ii amplification of the ligated probes and iii detection and identification of the amplified products. Despite they all have this same basis, the published ligation methods differ radically. The present study investigated with real-time PCR whether these different ligation methods have any influence on the performance of the probes. Sensitivity and the specificity of the padlock probes (PLPs with the ligation protocol with the best performance were also tested and the selected method was initially validated in a laboratory exchange study. Results Of the ligation protocols tested in this study, the best results were obtained with the PPLMD I and PPLMD II protocols and no consistent differences between these two protocols were observed. Both protocols are based on padlock probe ligation combined with microarray detection. Twenty PLPs were tested for specificity and the best probes were subjected to further evaluation. Up to 13 targets were detected specifically and simultaneously. During the interlaboratory exchange study similar results were achieved by the two participating institutes (NIB, Slovenia, and RIKILT, the Netherlands. Conclusions From the comparison of ligation protocols it can be concluded that two protocols perform equally well on the basis of the selected set of PLPs. Using the most ideal parameters the multiplicity of one of the methods was tested and 13 targets were successfully and specifically detected. In the

  4. Fractal based modelling and analysis of electromyography (EMG) to identify subtle actions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arjunan, Sridhar P; Kumar, Dinesh K

    2007-01-01

    The paper reports the use of fractal theory and fractal dimension to study the non-linear properties of surface electromyogram (sEMG) and to use these properties to classify subtle hand actions. The paper reports identifying a new feature of the fractal dimension, the bias that has been found to be useful in modelling the muscle activity and of sEMG. Experimental results demonstrate that the feature set consisting of bias values and fractal dimension of the recordings is suitable for classification of sEMG against the different hand gestures. The scatter plots demonstrate the presence of simple relationships of these features against the four hand gestures. The results indicate that there is small inter-experimental variation but large inter-subject variation. This may be due to differences in the size and shape of muscles for different subjects. The possible applications of this research include use in developing prosthetic hands, controlling machines and computers.

  5. Subtle pathological changes in neocortical temporal lobe epilepsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ochoa, Juan G; Hentgarden, Diana; Paulzak, Audrey; Ogden, Melissa; Pryson, Richard; Lamle, Markus; Rusyniak, Walter G

    2017-06-01

    This was a prospective observational study to correlate the clinical symptoms, electrophysiology, imaging, and surgical pathology of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) without hippocampal sclerosis. We selected consecutive patients with TLE and normal MRI undergoing temporal lobe resection between April and September 2015. Clinical features, imaging, and functional data were reviewed. Intracranial monitoring and language mapping were performed when it was required according to our team recommendation. Prior to hippocampal resection, intraoperative electrocorticography was performed using depth electrodes in the amygdala and the hippocampus. The resected hippocampus was sent for pathological analysis. Five patients with diagnosis with non-lesional TLE were included. We did not find distinctive clinical features that could be a characteristic of non-lesional TLE. The mean follow-up was 13.2months (11-15months); 80% of patients achieved Engel Class I outcome. There was no distinctive electrographic findings in these patients. Histopathologic analysis was negative for mesial temporal sclerosis. A second blinded independent neuropathologist with expertise in epilepsy found ILAE type I focal cortical dysplasia in the parahippocampal gyrus in all patients. A third independent neuropathologist reported changes in layer 2 with larger pyramidal neurons in 4 cases but concluded that none of these cases met the diagnostic criteria of FCD. Subtle pathological changes could be associated with a parahippocampal epileptic zone and should be investigated in patients with MRI-negative TLE. This study also highlights the lack of interobserver reliability for the diagnosis of mild cortical dysplasia. Finally, selective amygdalo-hippocampectomy or laser ablation of the hippocampus may not control intractable epilepsy in this specific population. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. An ELISA test for the detection of antibodies to Legionella pneumophila.

    OpenAIRE

    Wreghitt, T G; Nagington, J; Gray, J

    1982-01-01

    An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test has been developed to detect antibodies to Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1. There is good correlation between indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) and ELISA titres but ELISA is more sensitive.

  7. The sensitivity of tests to detect in vivo platelet activation induced by ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    No influence on the results of the platelet function tests was found. Tile only test capable of detecting limited injury to the endothelium was the measurement of plasma PF4: The mean platelet life-span (MPLS) shortened, mean platelet density decreased, the circulating platelet aggregate ratio decreased, and plasma levels ...

  8. Rapid detection of methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus isolates by the MRSA-screen latex agglutination test

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    W.B. van Leeuwen (Willem); C. van Pelt (Cindy); A. Luijendijk (Ad); H.A. Verbrugh (Henri); W.H.F. Goessens (Wil)

    1999-01-01

    textabstractThe slide agglutination test MRSA-Screen (Denka Seiken Co., Niigata, Japan) was compared with the mecA PCR ("gold standard") for the detection of methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus. The MRSA-Screen test detected the penicillin-binding protein 2a

  9. MTG infrared sounder detection chain: first radiometric test results

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dumestier, D.; Pistone, F.; Dartois, T.; Blazquez, E.

    2017-11-01

    Europe's next fleet of geostationary meteorological satellites, MeteoSat Third Generation, will introduce new functions in addition to continuity of high-resolution meteorological data. The atmosphere Infrared Sounder (IRS), as high -end instrument, is part of this challenging program. IRS principle is a Fourier Transform Interferometer, which allows recomposing atmospheric spectrum after infrared photons detection. Transmission spectrums will be used to support numerical weather prediction. IRS instrument is able to offer full disk coverage in one hour, an on-ground resolution of 4 by 4 km, in two spectral bands (MWIR: 1600 to 2175cm-1 and LWIR: 700 to 1210cm-1) with a spectral resolution of 0.6cm-1. Among critical technologies and processes, IRS detection chain shall offer outstanding characteristics in terms of radiometric performance like Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR), dynamic range and linearity. Selected detectors are HgCdTe two-dimensions arrays, cooled at 55 Kelvins, hybridized on snapshot silicon read-out circuit at 160x160 format. Video electronics present 16 bits resolution, and the whole detection chain (Detectors and electronics) permits to reach SNR between 2 000 and 10 000 as requested by the application. Radiometric onground test results performed on design representative detection chains are presented and are confirming the challenging phase A design choices.

  10. A new efficient statistical test for detecting variability in the gene expression data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mathur, Sunil; Dolo, Samuel

    2008-08-01

    DNA microarray technology allows researchers to monitor the expressions of thousands of genes under different conditions. The detection of differential gene expression under two different conditions is very important in microarray studies. Microarray experiments are multi-step procedures and each step is a potential source of variance. This makes the measurement of variability difficult because approach based on gene-by-gene estimation of variance will have few degrees of freedom. It is highly possible that the assumption of equal variance for all the expression levels may not hold. Also, the assumption of normality of gene expressions may not hold. Thus it is essential to have a statistical procedure which is not based on the normality assumption and also it can detect genes with differential variance efficiently. The detection of differential gene expression variance will allow us to identify experimental variables that affect different biological processes and accuracy of DNA microarray measurements.In this article, a new nonparametric test for scale is developed based on the arctangent of the ratio of two expression levels. Most of the tests available in literature require the assumption of normal distribution, which makes them inapplicable in many situations, and it is also hard to verify the suitability of the normal distribution assumption for the given data set. The proposed test does not require the assumption of the distribution for the underlying population and hence makes it more practical and widely applicable. The asymptotic relative efficiency is calculated under different distributions, which show that the proposed test is very powerful when the assumption of normality breaks down. Monte Carlo simulation studies are performed to compare the power of the proposed test with some of the existing procedures. It is found that the proposed test is more powerful than commonly used tests under almost all the distributions considered in the study. A

  11. The uriscreen test to detect significant asymptomatic bacteriuria during pregnancy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teppa, Roberto J; Roberts, James M

    2005-01-01

    Asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) occurs in 2-11% of pregnancies and it is a clear predisposition to the development of acute pyelonephritis, which, in turn, poses risk to mother and fetus. Treatment of bacteriuria during pregnancy reduces the incidence of pyelonephritis. Therefore, it is recommended to screen for ASB at the first prenatal visit. The gold standard for detection of bacteriuria during pregnancy is urine culture, but this test is expensive, time-consuming, and labor-intensive. To determine the reliability of an enzymatic urine screening test (Uriscreen; Savyon Diagnostics, Ashdod, Israel) for detecting ASB in pregnancy. Catheterized urine samples were collected from 150 women who had routine prenatal screening for ASB. Patients with urinary symptoms, active vaginal bleeding, or who were previously on antibiotics therapy were excluded from the study. Sensitivity, specificity, and the positive and negative predictive values for the Uriscreen were estimated using urine culture as the criterion standard. Urine cultures were considered positive if they grew >10(5) colony-forming units of a single uropathogen. Twenty-eight women (18.7%) had urine culture results indicating significant bacteriuria, and 17 of these 28 specimens had positive enzyme activity. Of 122 samples with no growth, 109 had negative enzyme activity. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for the Uriscreen test were 60.7% (+/-18.1), 89.3% (+/-5.6), 56.6%, and 90.8%, respectively. The Uriscreen test had inadequate sensitivity for rapid screening of bacteriuria in pregnancy.

  12. Accelerated detection of brown-rot decay : comparison of soil block test, chemical analysis, mechanical properties, and immunodetection

    Science.gov (United States)

    C. A. Clausen; S. N. Kartal

    2003-01-01

    Early detection of wood decay is critical because decay fungi can cause rapid structural failure. The objective of this study was to compare the sensitivity of different methods purported to detect brown-rot decay in the early stages of development. The immunodiagnostic wood decay (IWD)test, soil block test/cake pan test, mechanical property tests, and chemical...

  13. Test-day records as a tool for subclinical ketosis detection

    OpenAIRE

    Gantner Vesna; Potočnik K.; Jovanovac Sonja

    2009-01-01

    The prevalence, as well as the effect of subclinical ketosis on daily milk yield, was observed using 1.299,630 test-day records collected from January 2000 to December 2005 on 73,255 Slovenian Holstein cows. Subclinical ketosis was indicated by the fat to protein ratio (F/P ratio) higher than 1.5 in cows that yielded between 33 to 50 kg of milk per day (Eicher, 2004). The ketosis index was defined in relation to the timing of subclinical ketosis detection to the subsequent measures of test-da...

  14. Detection of IgE insulin antibody with radioallergosorbent test

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nakagawa, S; Nakayama, H; Sasaki, T; Watanabe, T; Aoki, S [Hokkaido Univ., Sapporo (Japan). 2. Dept. of Medicine; Saito, N [Sapporo Railway Hospital (Japan). Dept. of Medicine

    1978-01-01

    An in vitro method for detecting IgE insulin antibody using the principle of the radioallergosorbent test (RAST) is described. In six patients with insulin allergy, the RAST values were higher than in normal persons or insulin-treated diabetics without insulin allergy. No differences were observed between normal persons and insulin-treated diabetics without insulin allergy. Moreover, it was observed that in one patient treated with highly purified insulin, there was a gradual decrease of RAST value parallel to the radioinsulin binding activity and clinical allergic symptoms. The RAST value of insulin is slightly inhibited by non-IgE antibodies and is, therefore, a semiquantitative value. However, the RAST is simple to perform and reproducible; it is therefore very useful in the detection of IgE insulin antibodies.

  15. Detection of IgE insulin antibody with radioallergosorbent test

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakagawa, S.; Nakayama, H.; Sasaki, T.; Watanabe, T.; Aoki, S.; Saito, N.

    1978-01-01

    An in vitro method for detecting IgE insulin antibody using the principle of the radioallergosorbent test (RAST) is described. In six patients with insulin allergy, the RAST values were higher than in normal persons or insulin-treated diabetics without insulin allergy. No differences were observed between normal persons and insulin-treated diabetics without insulin allergy. Moreover, it was observed that in one patient treated with highly purified insulin, there was a gradual decrease of RAST value parallel to the radioinsulin binding activity and clinical allergic symptoms. The RAST value of insulin is slightly inhibited by non-IgE antibodies and is, therefore, a semiquantitative value. However, the RAST is simple to perform and reproducible; it is therefore very useful in the detection of IgE insulin antibodies. (orig.) [de

  16. Utility of Direct Fluorescent Antibody Test for detection of Chlamydia trachomatis and its detection in male patients with non gonococcal urethritis in New Delhi

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agrawal S

    2003-03-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was assessment of prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis and utility of Direct Fluorescent Antibody (DFA test for its detection in male patients with non gonococcal urethritis in New Delhi , India Thirty male patients with symptoms of dysuria showing polymorphs in their gram stained urethral smears with no evidence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and negative for Trichomonas vaginalis and Candida albicans by wet mount were subjected to DFA test for detection of C. trachomatis in urethral samples. Microscopic examination of gram stained urethral smears revealed 5-7 polymorphs / HPF in 90% of the patients. Evidence of C. trachomatis with DFA (MicroTrak was detected in 11 cases (36.67% when a cut off of 10 elementary bodies was considered essential. It is concluded that C. trachomatis is an important cause of non gonococcal urethritis in male patients in New Delhi and DFA test is a useful diagnostic tool in its detection. Where facilities are not available for its detection antichlamydial therapy should be recommended emperically.

  17. Highly sensitive multianalyte immunochromatographic test strip for rapid chemiluminescent detection of ractopamine and salbutamol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gao, Hongfei; Han, Jing; Yang, Shijia; Wang, Zhenxing; Wang, Lin; Fu, Zhifeng

    2014-01-01

    Graphical abstract: A multianalyte immunochromatographic test strip was developed for the rapid detection of two β 2 -agonists. Due to the application of chemiluminescent detection, this quantitative method shows much higher sensitivity. - Highlights: • An immunochromatographic test strip was developed for detection of multiple β 2 -agonists. • The whole assay process can be completed within 20 min. • The proposed method shows much higher sensitivity due to the application of CL detection. • It is a portable analytical tool suitable for field analysis and rapid screening. - Abstract: A novel immunochromatographic assay (ICA) was proposed for rapid and multiple assay of β 2 -agonists, by utilizing ractopamine (RAC) and salbutamol (SAL) as the models. Owing to the introduction of chemiluminescent (CL) approach, the proposed protocol shows much higher sensitivity. In this work, the described ICA was based on a competitive format, and horseradish peroxidase-tagged antibodies were used as highly sensitive CL probes. Quantitative analysis of β 2 -agonists was achieved by recording the CL signals of the probes captured on the two test zones of the nitrocellulose membrane. Under the optimum conditions, RAC and SAL could be detected within the linear ranges of 0.50–40 and 0.10–50 ng mL −1 , with the detection limits of 0.20 and 0.040 ng mL −1 (S/N = 3), respectively. The whole process for multianalyte immunoassay of RAC and SAL can be completed within 20 min. Furthermore, the test strip was validated with spiked swine urine samples and the results showed that this method was reliable in measuring β 2 -agonists in swine urine. This CL-based multianalyte test strip shows a series of advantages such as high sensitivity, ideal selectivity, simple manipulation, high assay efficiency and low cost. Thus, it opens up new pathway for rapid screening and field analysis, and shows a promising prospect in food safety

  18. Highly sensitive multianalyte immunochromatographic test strip for rapid chemiluminescent detection of ractopamine and salbutamol

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gao, Hongfei; Han, Jing; Yang, Shijia; Wang, Zhenxing; Wang, Lin; Fu, Zhifeng, E-mail: fuzf@swu.edu.cn

    2014-08-11

    Graphical abstract: A multianalyte immunochromatographic test strip was developed for the rapid detection of two β{sub 2}-agonists. Due to the application of chemiluminescent detection, this quantitative method shows much higher sensitivity. - Highlights: • An immunochromatographic test strip was developed for detection of multiple β{sub 2}-agonists. • The whole assay process can be completed within 20 min. • The proposed method shows much higher sensitivity due to the application of CL detection. • It is a portable analytical tool suitable for field analysis and rapid screening. - Abstract: A novel immunochromatographic assay (ICA) was proposed for rapid and multiple assay of β{sub 2}-agonists, by utilizing ractopamine (RAC) and salbutamol (SAL) as the models. Owing to the introduction of chemiluminescent (CL) approach, the proposed protocol shows much higher sensitivity. In this work, the described ICA was based on a competitive format, and horseradish peroxidase-tagged antibodies were used as highly sensitive CL probes. Quantitative analysis of β{sub 2}-agonists was achieved by recording the CL signals of the probes captured on the two test zones of the nitrocellulose membrane. Under the optimum conditions, RAC and SAL could be detected within the linear ranges of 0.50–40 and 0.10–50 ng mL{sup −1}, with the detection limits of 0.20 and 0.040 ng mL{sup −1} (S/N = 3), respectively. The whole process for multianalyte immunoassay of RAC and SAL can be completed within 20 min. Furthermore, the test strip was validated with spiked swine urine samples and the results showed that this method was reliable in measuring β{sub 2}-agonists in swine urine. This CL-based multianalyte test strip shows a series of advantages such as high sensitivity, ideal selectivity, simple manipulation, high assay efficiency and low cost. Thus, it opens up new pathway for rapid screening and field analysis, and shows a promising prospect in food safety.

  19. Detection of extended-spectrum β-lactamase in Enterobacter spp.--evaluation of six phenotypic tests.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nogueira-Miranda, Keite da Silva; Palmeiro, Jussara Kasuko; Conte, Danieli; Maia, Fernanda Valverde; Reason, Iara Taborda de Messias; Monteiro, Cristina Leise; Dalla-Costa, Libera Maria

    2012-02-01

    Extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) are plasmid-mediated enzymes that hydrolyze cephalosporins and monobactams. The lack of a standard method to detect ESBL in Enterobacter spp. has led to underestimating its frequency. The aim of this study was to evaluate ESBL detection in Enterobacter spp. By the double-disk synergy test (DDST) and combined disk test (CDT) assay using cefepime, cefotaxime, and ceftazime as substrates for ESBL, plus AmpC inhibitors in different associations. A total of 83 Enterobacter spp. ESBL and 31 non-ESBL Enterobacter spp. were tested, and a cutoff point ≥3 mm was defined using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for combined disc methods. All tests showed 100% specificity. The sensitivity was 89.2% for DDST and CDT without AmpC inibitor, 90.4% in the combined disc test in Mueller-Hinton agar containing phenylboronic acid (CDT-PBAA), and 94% in the combined disc test in Mueller-Hinton agar containing cloxacillin (CDT-CLXA). Cefepime was the best substrate, mainly when AmpC inhibitors were not used. However, superior results were achieved when all cephalosporins were evaluated together. In conclusion, to improve ESBL detection in Enterobacter spp., some modifications in phenotypic tests are needed, such as to reduce the distance between the discs to 20 mm in DDST, to use a cutoff point for ≥3 mm on the CDT, and to include a cefepime disk or an inhibitor of AmpC in all tests.

  20. Rapid antigen detection test for respiratory syncytial virus diagnosis as a diagnostic tool

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Flávio da Silva Mesquita

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the QuickVue® RSV Test Kit (QUIDEL Corp, CA, USA as a screening tool for respiratory syncytial virus in children with acute respiratory disease in comparison with the indirect immunofluorescence assay as gold standard. In Brazil, rapid antigen detection tests for respiratory syncytial virus are not routinely utilized as a diagnostic tool, except for the diagnosis of dengue and influenza. Methods: The authors retrospectively analyzed 486 nasopharyngeal aspirate samples from children under age 5 with acute respiratory infection, between December 2013 and August 2014, the samples were analyzed by indirect immunofluorescence assay and QuickVue® RSV Test kit. Samples with discordant results were analyzed by real time PCR and nucleotide sequencing. Results: From 313 positive samples by immunofluorescence assays, 282 (90% were also positive by the rapid antigen detection test, two were positive only by rapid antigen detection test, 33 were positive only by immunofluorescence assays, and 171 were positive by both methods. The 35 samples with discordant results were analyzed by real time PCR; the two samples positive only by rapid antigen detection test and the five positive only by immunofluorescence assays were also positive by real time PCR. There was no relation between the negativity by QuickVue® RSV Test and viral load or specific strain. The QuickVue® RSV Test showed sensitivity of 90%, specificity of 98.8%, predictive positive value of 99.3%, and negative predictive value of 94.6%, with accuracy of 93.2% and agreement κ index of 0.85 in comparison to immunofluorescence assay. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the QuickVue® RSV Test Kit can be effective in early detection of Respiratory syncytial virus in nasopharyngeal aspirate and is reliable for use as a diagnostic tool in pediatrics. Resumo: Objetivo: Avaliar o teste QuickVue® RSV Test Kit (QUIDEL Corp, CA, EUA para o diagn

  1. Performance of immunochromatographic and ELISA tests for detecting fallow deer infected with Mycobacterium bovis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boadella, M; Barasona, J A; Diaz-Sanchez, S; Lyashchenko, K P; Greenwald, R; Esfandiari, J; Gortazar, C

    2012-04-01

    Fallow deer (Dama dama) are widely distributed as natural or naturalised populations, as well as in game parks and deer farms. We used 157 fallow deer sampled in populations considered to be Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC) free and 73 Mycobacterium bovis-infected fallow deer confirmed postmortem by culture to evaluate the diagnostic performance of two tests for the detection of anti-mycobacterial antibodies: the dual path platform (DPP) VetTB assay and the bovine purified protein derivative (bPPD) ELISA. We also compared their sensitivity with that of the skin test, analyzed the effect of haemolysis degree on the antibody detection and described the relationship between the test readings and presence/absence of gross tuberculosis (TB) compatible lesions. Sensitivity of bPPD ELISA was 51% at a specificity of 96%. Depending on the cut-off value selected, the sensitivity of DPP VetTB ranged from 62 to 71%, while its specificity was 88-95%. In the subgroup of M. bovis-infected deer for which the skin test data were available (33 of 73); this method detected 76% of culture-positive animals, although the specificity of the intradermal test was not determined in this study. When the DPP VetTB and skin test data were combined, the resulting sensitivity obtained in this sub-group of M. bovis-infected deer increased to 97%. Gross pathology identified TB compatible lesions (TBL) in 89% culture-confirmed fallow deer. The infected animals with visible lesions had significantly higher readings in the DPP VetTB, but not in the bPPD ELISA. Only high levels of haemolysis decreased antibody test sensitivity and this effect was more evident for the bPPD ELISA. The results allowed inferring a number of management recommendations for rapid detection of MTC infection in live fallow deer and in surveys on hunter-harvested cervids. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Research Note The reliability of a field test kit for the detection and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Research Note The reliability of a field test kit for the detection and the persistence of ... Open Access DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT ... The objectives were to test a field kit for practicality and reliability, to assess the spread of the bacteria among ...

  3. Wind energy's subtle effect - habitat fragmentation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pruett, Jay

    2011-07-01

    Full text: New wind energy production facilities are being built to accommodate demands for more, renewable, emission-free energy. This development is most often in windy, remote parts of the United States, so new transmission infrastructure capacity is also needed for shipment of energy from prairies, hilltops and shorelines to distant population centres. Well known environmental effects from wind energy development have included direct mortality to birds and bats. However, there is a more subtle effect also at play. 'Habitat fragmentation' is an impact caused by the siting and presence of infrastructure features on wildlife species. Instead of direct mortality, there is behavioural avoidance of such features because of activity, noise and even simply the presence of vertical structures that are different from the original nature of the habitat. This fragmentation threatens to make some of the last remaining habitat for declining species, especially grassland birds, unusable by them. Prairie grouse such as prairie chickens and sage grouse appear to be particularly susceptible to habitat fragmentation due to the presence of vertical structures. Other species such as the grasshopper sparrow have also been shown to avoid such features. It is believed that these species have evolved to avoid any vertical structure because it can serve as a perch for bird-eating raptors, including eagles, hawks, falcons and owls. Certain life cycle stages, such as nesting and chick rearing, appear to be most vulnerable to these fragmentation influences. Some of the research contributing to concern over habitat fragmentation, along with the mechanism of such fragmentation, will be presented. Solutions will also be offered for the siting of wind energy facilities and transmission lines to avoid this negative environmental impact. (Author)

  4. Random Gap Detection Test (RGDT) performance of individuals with central auditory processing disorders from 5 to 25 years of age.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dias, Karin Ziliotto; Jutras, Benoît; Acrani, Isabela Olszanski; Pereira, Liliane Desgualdo

    2012-02-01

    The aim of the present study was to assess the auditory temporal resolution ability in individuals with central auditory processing disorders, to examine the maturation effect and to investigate the relationship between the performance on a temporal resolution test with the performance on other central auditory tests. Participants were divided in two groups: 131 with Central Auditory Processing Disorder and 94 with normal auditory processing. They had pure-tone air-conduction thresholds no poorer than 15 dB HL bilaterally, normal admittance measures and presence of acoustic reflexes. Also, they were assessed with a central auditory test battery. Participants who failed at least one or more tests were included in the Central Auditory Processing Disorder group and those in the control group obtained normal performance on all tests. Following the auditory processing assessment, the Random Gap Detection Test was administered to the participants. A three-way ANOVA was performed. Correlation analyses were also done between the four Random Gap Detection Test subtests data as well as between Random Gap Detection Test data and the other auditory processing test results. There was a significant difference between the age-group performances in children with and without Central Auditory Processing Disorder. Also, 48% of children with Central Auditory Processing Disorder failed the Random Gap Detection Test and the percentage decreased as a function of age. The highest percentage (86%) was found in the 5-6 year-old children. Furthermore, results revealed a strong significant correlation between the four Random Gap Detection Test subtests. There was a modest correlation between the Random Gap Detection Test results and the dichotic listening tests. No significant correlation was observed between the Random Gap Detection Test data and the results of the other tests in the battery. Random Gap Detection Test should not be administered to children younger than 7 years old because

  5. Rapid Quantitative Serological Test for Detection of Infection with Mycobacterium leprae, the Causative Agent of Leprosy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balagon, Marivic F.; Maghanoy, Armi; Orcullo, Florenda M.; Cang, Marjorie; Dias, Ronaldo Ferreira; Collovati, Marco; Reed, Steven G.

    2014-01-01

    Leprosy remains an important health problem in a number of regions. Early detection of infection, followed by effective treatment, is critical to reduce disease progression. New sensitive and specific tools for early detection of infection will be a critical component of an effective leprosy elimination campaign. Diagnosis is made by recognizing clinical signs and symptoms, but few clinicians are able to confidently identify these. Simple tests to facilitate referral to leprosy experts are not widely available, and the correct diagnosis of leprosy is often delayed. In this report, we evaluate the performance of a new leprosy serological test (NDO-LID). As expected, the test readily detected clinically confirmed samples from patients with multibacillary (MB) leprosy, and the rate of positive results declined with bacterial burden. NDO-LID detected larger proportions of MB and paucibacillary (PB) leprosy than the alternative, the Standard Diagnostics leprosy test (87.0% versus 81.7% and 32.3% versus 6.5%, respectively), while also demonstrating improved specificity (97.4% versus 90.4%). Coupled with a new cell phone-based test reader platform (Smart Reader), the NDO-LID test provided consistent, objective test interpretation that could facilitate wider use in nonspecialized settings. In addition, results obtained from sera at the time of diagnosis, versus at the end of treatment, indicated that the quantifiable nature of this system can also be used to monitor treatment efficacy. Taken together, these data indicate that the NDO-LID/Smart Reader system can assist in the diagnosis and monitoring of MB leprosy and can detect a significant number of earlier-stage infections. PMID:24478496

  6. Probing the Subtle Structure Modifications of Thermoelectric Materials by Variable Temperature Total Scattering

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Reardon, Hazel; Iversen, Bo Brummerstedt; Blichfeld, Anders Bank

    The complex host-guest structure of Type-I inorganic clathrates has been studied fervently within the CMC based on their low thermal conductivity and promising thermoelectric Figure of Merit (zT). We have recently been focused on understanding unusual features in the high temperature diffraction...... data collected over a number of years on Ba8Ga16Ge30 (BGG), where numerous samples have been prepared in-house using various synthesis methods. This led to a comprehensive thermal stability study of clathrate powders, where PXRD revealed amorphous components in the samples treated at high temperature...... in air. PDF measurements were performed on data collected from ex situ annealed BGG samples. This ex situ study (to be submitted), reveals that the seemingly subtle change in the clathrate structure and the emergence of a significant amorphous phase observed from PXRD data is likely to be the result...

  7. Performance of the Angio Detect™ in-clinic test kit for detection of Angiostrongylus vasorum infection in dog samples from Europe

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Liu, Jiayou; Schnyder, Manuela; Willesen, Jakob L.

    2017-01-01

    of the Angio Detect test kit by comparing Angio Detect testing results using serum or plasma samples with the results of Baermann-Wetzel testing using matched fecal samples. Samples from 214 dogs [with clinically suspected (N = 195) or diagnosed angiostrongylosis (N = 19)] were used for this evaluation......; sensitivity of the Angio Detect test was 97.1% (95%CI: 85.1%–99.9%). The Angio Detect test was negative for 177 of 179 samples that were negative by the Baermann-Wetzel test; specificity was 98.9% (95%CI: 96.0%–99.9%). In cross-reactivity testing, all 89 samples from dogs confirmed to be infected with other...... common nematodes (Dirofilaria immitis, D. repens, Crenosoma vulpis, hookworms, ascarids, or whipworms) were all negative for A. vasorum by the Angio Detect antigen test. Angio Detect provides a rapid and reliable method for diagnosis of A. vasorum in clinically suspected dogs at risk for infection...

  8. Detection of lipoarabinomannan as a diagnostic test for tuberculosis.

    OpenAIRE

    Sada, E; Aguilar, D; Torres, M; Herrera, T

    1992-01-01

    A coagglutination technique was established for the detection of lipoarabinomannan of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in human serum samples and evaluated for its utility in the diagnosis of tuberculosis at the Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias in Mexico City. The test had a sensitivity of 88% in patients with sputum-smear-positive active pulmonary tuberculosis. The sensitivity in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis negative for acid-fast bacilli in sputum was 67%. Less favo...

  9. Spot test kit for explosives detection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pagoria, Philip F; Whipple, Richard E; Nunes, Peter J; Eckels, Joel Del; Reynolds, John G; Miles, Robin R; Chiarappa-Zucca, Marina L

    2014-03-11

    An explosion tester system comprising a body, a lateral flow membrane swab unit adapted to be removeably connected to the body, a first explosives detecting reagent, a first reagent holder and dispenser operatively connected to the body, the first reagent holder and dispenser containing the first explosives detecting reagent and positioned to deliver the first explosives detecting reagent to the lateral flow membrane swab unit when the lateral flow membrane swab unit is connected to the body, a second explosives detecting reagent, and a second reagent holder and dispenser operatively connected to the body, the second reagent holder and dispenser containing the second explosives detecting reagent and positioned to deliver the second explosives detecting reagent to the lateral flow membrane swab unit when the lateral flow membrane swab unit is connected to the body.

  10. BMVC test, an improved fluorescence assay for detection of malignant pleural effusions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lin, I-Ting; Tsai, Yu-Lin; Kang, Chi-Chih; Huang, Wei-Chun; Wang, Chiung-Lin; Lin, Mei-Ying; Lou, Pei-Jen; Shih, Jin-Yuan; Wang, Hao-Chien; Wu, Huey-Dong; Tsai, Tzu-Hsiu; Jan, I-Shiow; Chang, Ta-Chau

    2014-01-01

    The diagnosis of malignant pleural effusions is an important issue in the management of malignancy patients. Generally, cytologic examination is a routine diagnostic technique. However, morphological interpretation of cytology is sometimes inconclusive. Here an ancillary method named BMVC test is developed for rapid detection of malignant pleural effusion to improve the diagnostic accuracy at low cost. A simple assay kit is designed to collect living cells from clinical pleural effusion and a fluorescence probe, 3,6-Bis(1-methyl-4-vinylpyridinium) carbazole diiodide (BMVC), is used to illuminate malignant cells. The fluorescence intensity is quantitatively analyzed by ImageJ program. This method yields digital numbers for the test results without any grey zone or ambiguities in the current cytology tests due to intra-observer and inter-observer variability. Comparing with results from double-blind cytologic examination, this simple test gives a good discrimination between malignant and benign specimens with sensitivity of 89.4% (42/47) and specificity of 93.3% (56/60) for diagnosis of malignant pleural effusion. BMVC test provides accurate results in a short time period, and the digital output could assist cytologic examination to become more objective and clear-cut. This is a convenient ancillary tool for detection of malignant pleural effusions

  11. Evaluation of the KEMRI Hep-cell II test kit for detection of hepatitis B ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    To evaluate the Hep-cell II test, blood samples were collected from blood donors and processed for detection of HBsAg using Hep-cell II based on the test principle and procedure outlined by the manufacturer. ELISA Axsym HBsAg test was used as golden standard. Of the 400 samples tested, 287 (71.8%) were positive by ...

  12. [Detection of anti-Leptospira antibodies in sera of patients in the latex agglutination test].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Volina, E G; Sarukhanova, L E; Iashina, N V; Prokopov, N I; Shkarlat, P E; Barysheva, I V

    2001-01-01

    The results of the preliminary evaluation of the sensitivity and specificity of the newly developed diagnostic test based on the determination of genus-specific antibodies to leptospires in the latex agglutination test, are presented. This test makes it possible to detect anti-Leptospira antibodies of any serogroup. The advantages of the developed test have been determined.

  13. Permeated defect detecting test method and device in reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sakurai, Yoshishige.

    1996-01-01

    The present invention provides a method of and a device capable of performing a test for entire inner surfaces of the reactor upon periodical inspection of a BWR type reactor while sufficiently taking countermeasures for radiation rays into consideration. Namely, the present invention comprises following steps. (1) A provisional step for taking a shroud head of a reactor core shroud and incore structural components above and below the shroud out of the reactor, discharging reactor water and water tightly closing openings such as reactor wall perforation holes, (2) a pretreatment step for washing exposed inner surfaces of the reactor and peeling deteriorated materials, (3) a first drying step for drying portions washed and peeled in the step (2), (4) a permeation step for applying a permeation liquid of a defect detecting medium on the exposed inner surfaces of the reactor, (5) a permeation liquid removing step for removing the an excess permeation liquid in the step (4), (6) a second drying step for drying corresponding portions after performing the step (5), and (7) a flaw detecting step for optically observing the corresponding portions after performing the step (6) and detecting flaws. (I.S.)

  14. Design of electronic measurement and quench detection equipment for the Current Lead Test facility Karlsruhe (CuLTKa)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hollik, Markus; Fietz, Walter H.; Fink, Stefan; Gehrlein, Mirko; Heller, Reinhard; Lange, Christian; Möhring, Tobias

    2013-01-01

    The Current Lead Test facility Karlsruhe (CuLTKa) is under construction at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) to perform acceptance tests of high temperature superconductor (HTS) current leads (CL). CuLTKa is in progress and present planning expects the completion in 2013. The data acquisition system is based on a modular design with electronic measurement and monitoring equipment covering a test voltage of 50 kV DC against ground. It provides plug-in units which enable temperature and voltage measurement at high voltage potential and in addition quench detection units which detect a loss of superconductivity reliably and quickly to avoid damage of the superconducting device under test. Prototype units for quench detection, temperature and voltage measurement have been successfully tested. Six temperature measurement units are already in use in the KIT test facility TOSKA and operated reliably during the acceptance tests of the HTS current leads for Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) in 2011/2012. CuLTKa will be used first for 26 current leads which will be built in KIT for the fusion experiment JT-60SA. The present paper gives an overview of the design of the electronic measurement and quench detection equipment

  15. Self administered cognitive screening test (TYM) for detection of Alzheimer’s disease: cross sectional study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pengas, George; Dawson, Kate; Clatworthy, Philip

    2009-01-01

    Objective To evaluate a cognitive test, the TYM (“test your memory”), in the detection of Alzheimer’s disease. Design Cross sectional study. Setting Outpatient departments in three hospitals, including a memory clinic. Participants 540 control participants aged 18-95 and 139 patients attending a memory clinic with dementia/amnestic mild cognitive impairment. Intervention Cognitive test designed to use minimal operator time and to be suitable for non-specialist use. Main outcome measures Performance of normal controls on the TYM. Performance of patients with Alzheimer’s disease on the TYM compared with age matched controls. Validation of the TYM with two standard tests (the mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and the Addenbrooke’s cognitive examination-revised (ACE-R)). Sensitivity and specificity of the TYM in the detection of Alzheimer’s disease. Results Control participants completed the TYM with an average score of 47/50. Patients with Alzheimer’s disease scored an average of 33/50. The TYM score shows excellent correlation with the two standard tests. A score of ≤42/50 had a sensitivity of 93% and specificity of 86% in the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. The TYM was more sensitive in detection of Alzheimer’s disease than the mini-mental examination, detecting 93% of patients compared with 52% for the mini-mental state exxamination. The negative and positive predictive values of the TYM with the cut off of ≤42 were 99% and 42% with a prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease of 10%. Thirty one patients with non-Alzheimer dementias scored an average of 39/50. Conclusions The TYM can be completed quickly and accurately by normal controls. It is a powerful and valid screening test for the detection of Alzheimer’s disease. PMID:19509424

  16. Detection of person misfit in computerized adaptive tests with polytomous items

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Krimpen-Stoop, Edith; Meijer, R.R.

    2000-01-01

    Item scores that do not fit an assumed item response theory model may cause the latent trait value to be estimated inaccurately. For computerized adaptive tests (CAT) with dichotomous items, several person-fit statistics for detecting nonfitting item score patterns have been proposed. Both for

  17. Wide area change detection with satellite imagery for locating underground nuclear testing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Canty, M.J.; Jasani, B.; Schlittenhardt, J.

    2001-01-01

    With the advent of high resolution optical imagery from commercial earth observation satellites, the use of remote sensing data for verification of nuclear non-proliferation agreements is becoming increasingly attractive. Non-governmental organizations are routinely publishing high-quality imagery of sensitive nuclear installations round the world, and international verification authorities, such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) or the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), will also want to make use, directly or indirectly, of this additional open source of information. Exact location of the sites of underground nuclear explosions is a task eminently suited to satellite imagery. Here both moderate resolutions for detecting signals in very large testing ranges as well as high resolution images for exact interpretation play important roles. We describe in our paper a particularly sensitive change detection procedure for bitemporal, multispectral satellite imagery which can be used to locate the spall zone of underground nuclear explosions with commercial satellite imagery. The method is based on the multivariate alteration detection (MAD) technique of Nielsen et al. Linear combinations of the spectral channels in two images of the same scene are chosen so as to minimize their positive correlation. This leads to a series of difference images - the so-called MAD components - which are mutually orthogonal (uncorrelated) and ordered according to decreasing variance in their pixel intensities. Since interesting changes in man-made structures may contribute minimally to the overall variance (as the latter may be dominated for instance by seasonal vegetation differences) it is often the case that such changes turn up in a higher order MAD component. This is because they will be uncorrelated with seasonal vegetation changes, stochastic image noise or other major contributions to the overall change signal. This in fact is one of the

  18. The EGG 57-CO B-12 absorption test, in the evaluation of patients with low serum B-12

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sinow, R.M.; Carmel, R.; Siegel, M.E.

    1985-01-01

    The Schilling Test (ST) is the standard test for diagnosing vitamin B-12 malabsorption (MA). However, patients with subtle gastric dysfunction may have normal ST, but impaired absorption of B-12 given with food. The authors have adapted an Egg B-12 Absorption Test (EBAT) in which 57-Co cyanocobalamin (57-Co B-12) is mixed with scrambled egg to evaluate this phenomenon in patients with low serum B-12, normal ST and possible subtle MA. Lyophilized egg yolk is reconstituted and mixed with 57-Co- B-12 of equal dose to that of ST. The authors studied 46 individuals: 13 controls, 5 patients with known pernicious anemia (PA), in addition to 28 patients with low serum B-12 levels and normal ST. ST/EBAT ratios were calculated. Twenty-eight test patients excreted 13.3% on ST and 3.5% on EBAT. Mean ST/EBAT ratio was 8.2 (1.4-35.9). Five had EBAT results in the PA range (<1%) and ST/EBAT ratios (14.4-35.9) that were significantly elevated. This group is also evaluated with pepsinogen I/II ratios, gastric analysis, deoxyuridine suppression tests, anti intrinsic factor, and antiparietal cell antibodies. The authors' results indicate that the EBAT can differentiate between PA and non PA patients, and that some patients with low serum B-12 levels and normal ST may, in fact, have subtle MA. The EBAT, combined with ST/EBAT ratio, may provide a means for identifying this group of patients

  19. Automation of diagnostic genetic testing: mutation detection by cyclic minisequencing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alagrund, Katariina; Orpana, Arto K

    2014-01-01

    The rising role of nucleic acid testing in clinical decision making is creating a need for efficient and automated diagnostic nucleic acid test platforms. Clinical use of nucleic acid testing sets demands for shorter turnaround times (TATs), lower production costs and robust, reliable methods that can easily adopt new test panels and is able to run rare tests in random access principle. Here we present a novel home-brew laboratory automation platform for diagnostic mutation testing. This platform is based on the cyclic minisequecing (cMS) and two color near-infrared (NIR) detection. Pipetting is automated using Tecan Freedom EVO pipetting robots and all assays are performed in 384-well micro plate format. The automation platform includes a data processing system, controlling all procedures, and automated patient result reporting to the hospital information system. We have found automated cMS a reliable, inexpensive and robust method for nucleic acid testing for a wide variety of diagnostic tests. The platform is currently in clinical use for over 80 mutations or polymorphisms. Additionally to tests performed from blood samples, the system performs also epigenetic test for the methylation of the MGMT gene promoter, and companion diagnostic tests for analysis of KRAS and BRAF gene mutations from formalin fixed and paraffin embedded tumor samples. Automation of genetic test reporting is found reliable and efficient decreasing the work load of academic personnel.

  20. Colorimetric test-systems for creatinine detection based on composite molecularly imprinted polymer membranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sergeyeva, T A; Gorbach, L A; Piletska, E V; Piletsky, S A; Brovko, O O; Honcharova, L A; Lutsyk, O D; Sergeeva, L M; Zinchenko, O A; El'skaya, A V

    2013-04-03

    An easy-to-use colorimetric test-system for the efficient detection of creatinine in aqueous samples was developed. The test-system is based on composite molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) membranes with artificial receptor sites capable of creatinine recognition. A thin MIP layer was created on the surface of microfiltration polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes using method of photo-initiated grafting polymerization. The MIP layer was obtained by co-polymerization of a functional monomer (e.g. 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid, itaconic acid or methacrylic acid) with N, N'-methylenebisacrylamide as a cross-linker. The choice of the functional monomer was based on the results of computational modeling. The creatinine-selective composite MIP membranes were used for measuring creatinine in aqueous samples. Creatinine molecules were selectively adsorbed by the MIP membranes and quantified using color reaction with picrates. The intensity of MIP membranes staining was proportional to creatinine concentration in an analyzed sample. The colorimetric test-system based on the composite MIP membranes was characterized with 0.25 mM detection limit and 0.25-2.5mM linear dynamic range. Storage stability of the MIP membranes was estimated as at least 1 year at room temperature. As compared to the traditional methods of creatinine detection the developed test-system is characterized by simplicity of operation, small size and low cost. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Ultrasensitive detection of cell lysing in an microfabricated semiconductor laser cavity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gourley, P.L.; French, T.; McDonald, A.E.; Shields, E.A. [Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States); Gourley, M.F. [Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC (United States)

    1998-01-01

    In this paper the authors report investigations of semiconductor laser microcavities for use in detecting changes of human blood cells during lysing. By studying the spectra before and during mixing of blood fluids with de-ionized water, they are able to quantify the cell shape and concentration of hemoglobin in real time during the dynamical process of lysing. The authors find that the spectra can detect subtle changes that are orders of magnitude smaller than can be observed by standard optical microscopy. Such sensitivity in observing cell structural changes has implications for measuring cell fragility, monitoring apoptotic events in real time, development of photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy, and in-vitro cell micromanipulation techniques.

  2. "Binary" and "non-binary" detection tasks: are current performance measures optimal?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gur, David; Rockette, Howard E; Bandos, Andriy I

    2007-07-01

    We have observed that a very large fraction of responses for several detection tasks during the performance of observer studies are in the extreme ranges of lower than 11% or higher than 89% regardless of the actual presence or absence of the abnormality in question or its subjectively rated "subtleness." This observation raises questions regarding the validity and appropriateness of using multicategory rating scales for such detection tasks. Monte Carlo simulation of binary and multicategory ratings for these tasks demonstrate that the use of the former (binary) often results in a less biased and more precise summary index and hence may lead to a higher statistical power for determining differences between modalities.

  3. Non-destructive vacuum decay method for pre-filled syringe closure integrity testing compared with dye ingress testing and high-voltage leak detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simonetti, Andrea; Amari, Filippo

    2015-01-01

    In reaction to the limitations of the traditional sterility test methods, in 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued the guidance "Container and Closure System Integrity Testing in Lieu of Sterility Testing as a Component of the Stability Protocol for Sterile Products" encouraging sterile drug manufacturers to use properly validated physical methods, apart from conventional microbial challenge testing, to confirm container closure integrity as part of the stability protocol. The case study presented in this article investigated the capability of four container closure integrity testing methods to detect simulated defects of different sizes and types on glass syringes, prefilled both with drug product intended for parenteral administration and sterile water. The drug product was a flu vaccine (Agrippal, Novartis Vaccines, Siena, Italy). Vacuum decay, pharmacopoeial dye ingress test, Novartis specific dye ingress test, and high-voltage leak detection were, in succession, the methods involved in the comparative studies. The case study execution was preceded by the preparation of two independent sets of reference prefilled syringes, classified, respectively, as examples of conforming to closure integrity requirements (negative controls) and as defective (positive controls). Positive controls were, in turn, split in six groups, three of with holes laser-drilled through the prefilled syringe glass barrel, while the other three with capillary tubes embedded in the prefilled syringe plunger. These reference populations were then investigated by means of validated equipment used for container closure integrity testing of prefilled syringe commercial production; data were collected and analyzed to determine the detection rate and the percentage of false results. Results showed that the vacuum decay method had the highest performance in terms of detection sensitivity and also ensured the best reliability and repeatability of measurements. An innovative technical

  4. Detection of laser damage by Raman microscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fauchet, P.M.; Campbell, I.H.; Adar, F.

    1988-01-01

    The authors demonstrate that Raman miroscopy is a sensitive and quantitative tool to detect and characterize laser-induced damage in solids. After damage is induced with single or multiple high power laser pulses, a Raman microprobe maps the surface of the sample with one micron spatial resolution. By performing accurate measurements of the Stokes line, the authors have been able to measure stress, strain and crystallinity in various samples which had been exposed to high intensity pulses. These results are compared to those obtained using conventional tools such as Nomarski microscopy. Major advantages of Raman microscopy include sensitivity to subtle structural modifications and the fact that it gives quantitative measurements

  5. Evaluation of the dimethylglyoxime stick test for the detection of nickel

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Menné, T; Andersen, Klaus Ejner; Kaaber, K

    1987-01-01

    The value of the dimethylglyoxime stick test for the detection of nickel was determined for 54 randomly purchased metal objects designed for prolonged skin contact, and for 15 metal alloys of known composition. Surface nickel content was determined by EDAX analysis (energy dispersive X-ray) and n...

  6. Accuracy of Clinical Tests in Detecting Disk Herniation and Nerve Root Compression in Subjects With Lumbar Radicular Symptoms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ekedahl, Harald; Jönsson, Bo; Annertz, Mårten; Frobell, Richard B

    2018-04-01

    To investigate the accuracy of 3 commonly used neurodynamic tests (slump test, straight-leg raise [SLR] test, femoral neurodynamic test) and 2 clinical assessments to determine radiculopathy (radiculopathy I, 1 neurologic sign; radiculopathy II, 2 neurologic signs corresponding to 1 specific nerve root) in detecting magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings (extrusion, subarticular nerve root compression, and foraminal nerve root compression). Validity study. Secondary care. We included subjects (N=99; mean age, 58y; 54% women) referred for epidural steroid injection because of lumbar radicular symptoms who had positive clinical and MRI findings. Positive clinical findings included the slump test (n=67), SLR test (n=50), femoral neurodynamic test (n=7), radiculopathy I (n=70), and radiculopathy II (n=33). Positive MRI findings included extrusion (n=27), subarticular nerve compression (n=14), and foraminal nerve compression (n=25). Not applicable. Accuracy of clinical tests in detecting MRI findings was evaluated using sensitivity, specificity, and receiver operating characteristics analysis with area under the curve (AUC). The slump test had the highest sensitivity in detecting extrusion (.78) and subarticular nerve compression (1.00), but the respective specificity was low (.36 and .38). Radiculopathy I was most sensitive in detecting foraminal nerve compression (.80) but with low specificity (.34). Only 1 assessment had a concurrent high sensitivity and specificity (ie, radiculopathy II) in detecting subarticular nerve compression (.71 and .73, respectively). The AUC for all tests in detecting extrusion, subarticular nerve compression, and foraminal nerve compression showed ranges of .48 to .60, .63 to .82, and .33 to .57, respectively. In general, the investigated neurodynamic tests or assessments for radiculopathy lacked diagnostic accuracy. The slump test was the most sensitive test, while radiculopathy II was the most specific test. Most interestingly, no

  7. Detecting dementia in patients with normal neuropsychological screening by Short Smell Test and Palmo-Mental Reflex Test: an observational study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Streit, Sven; Limacher, Andreas; Zeller, Andreas; Bürge, Markus

    2015-07-25

    General practitioners (GPs) are in best position to suspect dementia. Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Clock Drawing Test (CDT) are widely used. Additional neurological tests may increase the accuracy of diagnosis. We aimed to evaluate diagnostic ability to detect dementia with a Short Smell Test (SST) and Palmo-Mental Reflex (PMR) in patients whose MMSE and CDT are normal, but who show signs of cognitive dysfunction. This was a 3.5-year cross-sectional observational study in the Memory Clinic of the University Department of Geriatrics in Bern, Switzerland. Participating patients with normal MMSE (>26 points) and CDT (>5 points) were referred by GPs because they suspected dementia. All were examined according to a standardized protocol. Diagnosis of dementia was based on DSM-IV TR criteria. We used SST and PMR to determine if they accurately detected dementia. In our cohort, 154 patients suspected of dementia had normal MMSE and CDT test results. Of these, 17 (11%) were demented. If SST or PMR were abnormal, sensitivity was 71% (95% CI 44-90%), and specificity 64% (95% CI 55-72%) for detecting dementia. If both tests were abnormal, sensitivity was 24% (95% CI 7-50%), but specificity increased to 93% (95% CI 88-97%). Patients suspected of dementia, but with normal MMSE and CDT results, may benefit if SST and PMR are added as diagnostic tools. If both SST and PMR are abnormal, this is a red flag to investigate these patients further, even though their negative neuropsychological screening results.

  8. The detection limits of antimicrobial agents in cow's milk by a simple Yoghurt Culture Test.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohsenzadeh, M; Bahrainipour, A

    2008-09-15

    The aim of this study was to study performance of Yoghurt Culture Test (YCT) in the detection of antimicrobial residues in milk. For this purpose, the sensitivity of YCT for 15 antibiotics were determined. For each drug, 8 concentrations were tested. The detection limits of YCT at 2.5 h and 4 h incubation were determined (microg kg(-1)): 15 and 37.5, penicillin G; 4 and 5, ampicillin; 5 and 7.5, amoxycillin; 100 and 200, cephalexin; 80 and 100, cefazoline; 100 and 200, oxytetracycline; 500 and 100, chlortetracycline; 100 and 200, tetracycline; 150 and 200, doxycycline; 200 and 400, sulphadimidine; 500 and 1000, gentamycin; 1000 and 1500, spectinomycin; 400 and 500, erythromycin; 50 and 100, tylosin; 5000 and 10000, chloramphenicol. The YCT detection limits at 2.5 h incubation for ampicillin, cephalexin, tetracycline, oxytetracycline and tylosin are similar to those obtained as Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) according to Regulation 2377/90 EEC as set out by the European Union. In addition the detection limits of YCT for some antibiotics were lower than some of microbial inhibitor test.

  9. Field Test Kit for Gun Residue Detection; TOPICAL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    WALKER, PAMELA K.; RODACY, PHILIP J.

    2002-01-01

    One of the major needs of the law enforcement field is a product that quickly, accurately, and inexpensively identifies whether a person has recently fired a gun--even if the suspect has attempted to wash the traces of gunpowder off. The Field Test Kit for Gunshot Residue Identification based on Sandia National Laboratories technology works with a wide variety of handguns and other weaponry using gunpowder. There are several organic chemicals in small arms propellants such as nitrocellulose, nitroglycerine, dinitrotoluene, and nitrites left behind after the firing of a gun that result from the incomplete combustion of the gunpowder. Sandia has developed a colorimetric shooter identification kit for in situ detection of gunshot residue (GSR) from a suspect. The test kit is the first of its kind and is small, inexpensive, and easily transported by individual law enforcement personnel requiring minimal training for effective use. It will provide immediate information identifying gunshot residue

  10. Characterization of subtle brain abnormalities in a mouse model of Hedgehog pathway antagonist-induced cleft lip and palate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lipinski, Robert J; Holloway, Hunter T; O'Leary-Moore, Shonagh K; Ament, Jacob J; Pecevich, Stephen J; Cofer, Gary P; Budin, Francois; Everson, Joshua L; Johnson, G Allan; Sulik, Kathleen K

    2014-01-01

    Subtle behavioral and cognitive deficits have been documented in patient cohorts with orofacial clefts (OFCs). Recent neuroimaging studies argue that these traits are associated with structural brain abnormalities but have been limited to adolescent and adult populations where brain plasticity during infancy and childhood may be a confounding factor. Here, we employed high resolution magnetic resonance microscopy to examine primary brain morphology in a mouse model of OFCs. Transient in utero exposure to the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway antagonist cyclopamine resulted in a spectrum of facial dysmorphology, including unilateral and bilateral cleft lip and palate, cleft of the secondary palate only, and a non-cleft phenotype marked by midfacial hypoplasia. Relative to controls, cyclopamine-exposed fetuses exhibited volumetric differences in several brain regions, including hypoplasia of the pituitary gland and olfactory bulbs, hyperplasia of the forebrain septal region, and expansion of the third ventricle. However, in affected fetuses the corpus callosum was intact and normal division of the forebrain was observed. This argues that temporally-specific Hh signaling perturbation can result in typical appearing OFCs in the absence of holoprosencephaly--a condition classically associated with Hh pathway inhibition and frequently co-occurring with OFCs. Supporting the premise that some forms of OFCs co-occur with subtle brain malformations, these results provide a possible ontological basis for traits identified in clinical populations. They also argue in favor of future investigations into genetic and/or environmental modulation of the Hh pathway in the etiopathogenesis of orofacial clefting.

  11. A graphene-based electrochemical sensor for sensitive detection of paracetamol

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kang, Xinhuang; Wang, Jun; Wu, Hong; Liu, Jun; Aksay, Ilhan A.; Lin, Yuehe

    2010-05-15

    An electrochemical sensor based on the electrocatalytic activity of functionalized graphene for sensitive detection of paracetamol is presented. The electrochemical behaviors of paracetamol on graphene-modified glassy carbon electrodes (GCEs) were investigated by cyclic voltammetry and square-wave voltammetry. The results showed that the graphene-modified electrode exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity to paracetamol. A quasi-reversible redox process of paracetamol at the modified electrode was obtained, and the over-potential of paracetamol decreased significantly compared with that at the bare GCE. Such electrocatalytic behavior of graphene is attributed to its unique physical and chemical properties, e.g., subtle electronic characteristics, attractive π–π interaction, and strong adsorptive capability. The sensor shows great promise for simple, sensitive, and quantitative detection of paracetamol.

  12. The detection of tightly closed flaws by nondestructive testing (NDT) methods. [fatigue crack formation in aluminum alloy test specimens

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rummel, W. D.; Rathke, R. A.; Todd, P. H., Jr.; Mullen, S. J.

    1975-01-01

    Liquid penetrant, ultrasonic, eddy current and X-radiographic techniques were optimized and applied to the evaluation of 2219-T87 aluminum alloy test specimens in integrally stiffened panel, and weld panel configurations. Fatigue cracks in integrally stiffened panels, lack-of-fusion in weld panels, and fatigue cracks in weld panels were the flaw types used for evaluation. A 2319 aluminum alloy weld filler rod was used for all welding to produce the test specimens. Forty seven integrally stiffened panels containing a total of 146 fatigue cracks, ninety three lack-of-penetration (LOP) specimens containing a total of 239 LOP flaws, and one-hundred seventeen welded specimens containing a total of 293 fatigue cracks were evaluated. Nondestructive test detection reliability enhancement was evaluated during separate inspection sequences in the specimens in the 'as-machined or as-welded', post etched and post proof loaded conditions. Results of the nondestructive test evaluations were compared to the actual flaw size obtained by measurement of the fracture specimens after completing all inspection sequences. Inspection data were then analyzed to provide a statistical basis for determining the flaw detection reliability.

  13. Bronchial provocation testing does not detect exercise-induced laryngeal obstruction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walsted, Emil Schwarz; Hull, James H; Sverrild, Asger; Porsbjerg, Celeste; Backer, Vibeke

    2017-01-02

    Exercise-induced laryngeal obstruction (EILO) is a key differential diagnosis for asthma in the presence of exertional respiratory symptoms. Continuous laryngoscopy during exercise (CLE), the current gold standard diagnostic test for EILO, has practical limitations. We aimed to establish if inspiratory flow data obtained during standard bronchoprovocation testing, to establish the presence of extra-thoracic hyper-responsiveness, may prove diagnostic for EILO and thus preclude requirement for CLE testing. We consecutively evaluated 37 adult subjects with exertional dyspnea and possible asthma referred over 6 months. All subjects received comprehensive assessment including a detailed clinical evaluation; pulmonary function testing, indirect and direct bronchial provocation testing, and CLE testing. Out of 37 subjects, moderate or severe EILO was diagnosed in 8 subjects (22%, all female) while 5 (14%) had both asthma and EILO. There was no correlation between degree of EILO during CLE and mean decrease in forced inspiratory flow (%FIF 50 ) obtained during neither the Methacholine (r = -0.15; p = 0.38) nor Mannitol (r = 0.04; p = 0.84) provocation tests. Inspiratory flow parameters obtained during bronchoprovocation tests did not reliably detect EILO. It remains that CLE is an important and key investigation modality in establishing a secure diagnosis of EILO.

  14. Noninvasive Prenatal Testing and Incidental Detection of Occult Maternal Malignancies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bianchi, Diana W; Chudova, Darya; Sehnert, Amy J; Bhatt, Sucheta; Murray, Kathryn; Prosen, Tracy L; Garber, Judy E; Wilkins-Haug, Louise; Vora, Neeta L; Warsof, Stephen; Goldberg, James; Ziainia, Tina; Halks-Miller, Meredith

    2015-07-14

    Understanding the relationship between aneuploidy detection on noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) and occult maternal malignancies may explain results that are discordant with the fetal karyotype and improve maternal clinical care. To evaluate massively parallel sequencing data for patterns of copy-number variations that might prospectively identify occult maternal malignancies. Case series identified from 125,426 samples submitted between February 15, 2012, and September 30, 2014, from asymptomatic pregnant women who underwent plasma cell-free DNA sequencing for clinical prenatal aneuploidy screening. Analyses were conducted in a clinical laboratory that performs DNA sequencing. Among the clinical samples, abnormal results were detected in 3757 (3%); these were reported to the ordering physician with recommendations for further evaluation. NIPT for fetal aneuploidy screening (chromosomes 13, 18, 21, X, and Y). Detailed genome-wide bioinformatics analysis was performed on available sequencing data from 8 of 10 women with known cancers. Genome-wide copy-number changes in the original NIPT samples and in subsequent serial samples from individual patients when available are reported. Copy-number changes detected in NIPT sequencing data in the known cancer cases were compared with the types of aneuploidies detected in the overall cohort. From a cohort of 125,426 NIPT results, 3757 (3%) were positive for 1 or more aneuploidies involving chromosomes 13, 18, 21, X, or Y. From this set of 3757 samples, 10 cases of maternal cancer were identified. Detailed clinical and sequencing data were obtained in 8. Maternal cancers most frequently occurred with the rare NIPT finding of more than 1 aneuploidy detected (7 known cancers among 39 cases of multiple aneuploidies by NIPT, 18% [95% CI, 7.5%-33.5%]). All 8 cases that underwent further bioinformatics analysis showed unique patterns of nonspecific copy-number gains and losses across multiple chromosomes. In 1 case, blood was

  15. Advanced Behavioral Analyses Show that the Presence of Food Causes Subtle Changes in C. elegans Movement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Angstman, Nicholas B; Frank, Hans-Georg; Schmitz, Christoph

    2016-01-01

    As a widely used and studied model organism, Caenorhabditis elegans worms offer the ability to investigate implications of behavioral change. Although, investigation of C. elegans behavioral traits has been shown, analysis is often narrowed down to measurements based off a single point, and thus cannot pick up on subtle behavioral and morphological changes. In the present study videos were captured of four different C. elegans strains grown in liquid cultures and transferred to NGM-agar plates with an E. coli lawn or with no lawn. Using an advanced software, WormLab, the full skeleton and outline of worms were tracked to determine whether the presence of food affects behavioral traits. In all seven investigated parameters, statistically significant differences were found in worm behavior between those moving on NGM-agar plates with an E. coli lawn and NGM-agar plates with no lawn. Furthermore, multiple test groups showed differences in interaction between variables as the parameters that significantly correlated statistically with speed of locomotion varied. In the present study, we demonstrate the validity of a model to analyze C. elegans behavior beyond simple speed of locomotion. The need to account for a nested design while performing statistical analyses in similar studies is also demonstrated. With extended analyses, C. elegans behavioral change can be investigated with greater sensitivity, which could have wide utility in fields such as, but not limited to, toxicology, drug discovery, and RNAi screening.

  16. Advanced behavioral analyses show that the presence of food causes subtle changes in C. elegans movement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nicholas eAngstman

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available As a widely used and studied model organism, C. elegans worms offer the ability to investigate implications of behavioral change. Although investigation of C. elegans behavioral traits has been shown, analysis is often narrowed down to measurements based off a single point, and thus cannot pick up on subtle behavioral and morphological changes. In the present study videos were captured of four different C. elegans strains grown in liquid cultures and transferred to NGM-agar plates with an E. coli lawn or with no lawn. Using an advanced software, WormLab, the full skeleton and outline of worms were tracked to determine whether the presence of food affects behavioral traits. In all seven investigated parameters, statistically significant differences were found in worm behavior between those moving on NGM-agar plates with an E. coli lawn and NGM-agar plates with no lawn. Furthermore, multiple test groups showed differences in interaction between variables as the parameters that significantly correlated statistically with speed of locomotion varied. In the present study, we demonstrate the validity of a model to analyze C. elegans behavior beyond simple speed of locomotion. The need to account for a nested design while performing statistical analyses in similar studies is also demonstrated. With extended analyses, C. elegans behavioral change can be investigated with greater sensitivity, which could have wide utility in fields such as, but not limited to, toxicology, drug discovery, and RNAi screening.

  17. A porous silicon optical microcavity for sensitive bacteria detection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Sha; Huang Jianfeng; Cai Lintao

    2011-01-01

    A porous silicon microcavity (PSM) is highly sensitive to subtle interface changes due to its high surface area, capillary condensation ability and a narrow resonance peak (∼10 nm). Based on the well-defined optical properties of a PSM, we successfully fabricated a bacteria detection chip for molecular or subcellular analysis by surface modification using undecylenic acid (UA), and the specific recognition binding of vancomycin to the D-alanyl-D-alanine of bacteria. The red shift of the PSM resonance peak showed a good linear relationship with bacteria concentration ranging from 100 to 1000 bacteria ml -1 at the level of relative standard deviation of 0.994 and detection limit of 20 bacteria ml -1 . The resulting PSM sensors demonstrated high sensitivity, good reproducibility, fast response and low cost for biosensing.

  18. A porous silicon optical microcavity for sensitive bacteria detection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Sha; Huang, Jianfeng; Cai, Lintao

    2011-10-01

    A porous silicon microcavity (PSM) is highly sensitive to subtle interface changes due to its high surface area, capillary condensation ability and a narrow resonance peak (~10 nm). Based on the well-defined optical properties of a PSM, we successfully fabricated a bacteria detection chip for molecular or subcellular analysis by surface modification using undecylenic acid (UA), and the specific recognition binding of vancomycin to the D-alanyl-D-alanine of bacteria. The red shift of the PSM resonance peak showed a good linear relationship with bacteria concentration ranging from 100 to 1000 bacteria ml - 1 at the level of relative standard deviation of 0.994 and detection limit of 20 bacteria ml - 1. The resulting PSM sensors demonstrated high sensitivity, good reproducibility, fast response and low cost for biosensing.

  19. A porous silicon optical microcavity for sensitive bacteria detection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li Sha; Huang Jianfeng; Cai Lintao, E-mail: lt.cai@siat.ac.cn [CAS Key Lab of Health Informatics, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Cancer Nanotechnology, Institute of Biomedical and Health Engineering, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055 (China)

    2011-10-21

    A porous silicon microcavity (PSM) is highly sensitive to subtle interface changes due to its high surface area, capillary condensation ability and a narrow resonance peak ({approx}10 nm). Based on the well-defined optical properties of a PSM, we successfully fabricated a bacteria detection chip for molecular or subcellular analysis by surface modification using undecylenic acid (UA), and the specific recognition binding of vancomycin to the D-alanyl-D-alanine of bacteria. The red shift of the PSM resonance peak showed a good linear relationship with bacteria concentration ranging from 100 to 1000 bacteria ml{sup -1} at the level of relative standard deviation of 0.994 and detection limit of 20 bacteria ml{sup -1}. The resulting PSM sensors demonstrated high sensitivity, good reproducibility, fast response and low cost for biosensing.

  20. False star detection and isolation during star tracking based on improved chi-square tests.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Hao; Niu, Yanxiong; Lu, Jiazhen; Yang, Yanqiang; Su, Guohua

    2017-08-01

    The star sensor is a precise attitude measurement device for a spacecraft. Star tracking is the main and key working mode for a star sensor. However, during star tracking, false stars become an inevitable interference for star sensor applications, which may result in declined measurement accuracy. A false star detection and isolation algorithm in star tracking based on improved chi-square tests is proposed in this paper. Two estimations are established based on a Kalman filter and a priori information, respectively. The false star detection is operated through adopting the global state chi-square test in a Kalman filter. The false star isolation is achieved using a local state chi-square test. Semi-physical experiments under different trajectories with various false stars are designed for verification. Experiment results show that various false stars can be detected and isolated from navigation stars during star tracking, and the attitude measurement accuracy is hardly influenced by false stars. The proposed algorithm is proved to have an excellent performance in terms of speed, stability, and robustness.

  1. Gaps-in-Noise test: gap detection thresholds in 9-year-old normal-hearing children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marculino, Carolina Finetti; Rabelo, Camila Maia; Schochat, Eliane

    2011-12-01

    To establish the standard criteria for the Gaps-in-Noise (GIN) test in 9-year-old normal-hearing children; to obtain the mean gap detection thresholds; and to verify the influence of the variables gender and ear on the gap detection thresholds. Forty normal-hearing individuals, 20 male and 20 female, with ages ranging from 9 years to 9 years and 11 months, were evaluated. The procedures performed were: anamnesis, audiological evaluation, acoustic immittance measures (tympanometry and acoustic reflex), Dichotic Digits Test, and GIN test. The results obtained were statistically analyzed. The results revealed similar performance of right and left ears in the population studied. There was also no difference regarding the variable gender. In the subjects evaluated, the mean gap detection thresholds were 4.4 ms for the right ear, and 4.2 ms for the left ear. The values obtained for right and left ear, as well as their standard deviations, can be used as standard criteria for 9-year-old children, regardless of ear or gender.

  2. Predicament in detection and reporting of extended spectrum beta lactamase production in routine antibiotic susceptibility testing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Butt, T.; Butt, E.; Raza, S.

    2017-01-01

    This descriptive and cross-sectional study was planned to determine the dilemma of inadvertent detection of extended spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL) production in Enterobacteriaceaewhen using inhibition zone size of antibiotic disks of Cefotaxime or Aztreonam in routine antibiotic susceptibility testing as recommended by Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). Screening and double disk tests were adopted as per CLSI. Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 was used as control strain. Among total specimens of 5346, there were 348 isolates of Escherichia coli(n=235), Klebsiella pneumonia (n=92), Klebsiella oxytoca(n=3) or Proteus mirabilus(n=18). The screening method recommended by CLSI significantly falsely detected ESBL production in 79 (32.3%) isolates (p<0.0001). ESBL detection is important as its frequency is high and treatment of the infection varies with the presence and absence of ESBL. To avoid false reporting, proper phenotypic detection of ESBL confirmatory method-like double-disk synergy test, should be used routinely. (author)

  3. Review: Diagnostic accuracy of PCR-based detection tests for Helicobacter Pylori in stool samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khadangi, Fatemeh; Yassi, Maryam; Kerachian, Mohammad Amin

    2017-12-01

    Although different methods have been established to detect Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, identifying infected patients is an ongoing challenge. The aim of this meta-analysis was to provide pooled diagnostic accuracy measures for stool PCR test in the diagnosis of H. pylori infection. In this study, a systematic review and meta-analysis were carried out on various sources, including MEDLINE, Web of Sciences, and the Cochrane Library from April 1, 1999, to May 1, 2016. This meta-analysis adheres to the guidelines provided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses report (PRISMA Statement). The clinical value of DNA stool PCR test was based on the pooled false positive, false negative, true positive, and true negative of different genes. Twenty-six of 328 studies identified met the eligibility criteria. Stool PCR test had a performance of 71% (95% CI: 68-73) sensitivity, 96% (95% CI: 94-97) specificity, and 65.6 (95% CI: 30.2-142.5) diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) in diagnosis of H. pylori. The DOR of genes which showed the highest performance of stool PCR tests was as follows: 23S rRNA 152.5 (95% CI: 55.5-418.9), 16S rRNA 67.9 (95%CI: 6.4-714.3), and glmM 68.1 (95%CI: 20.1-231.7). The sensitivity and specificity of stool PCR test are relatively in the same spectrum of other diagnostic methods for the detection of H. pylori infection. In descending order of significance, the most diagnostic candidate genes using PCR detection were 23S rRNA, 16S rRNA, and glmM. PCR for 23S rRNA gene which has the highest performance could be applicable to detect H. pylori infection. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  4. A novel automatic molecular test for detection of multidrug resistance tuberculosis in sputum specimen: A case control study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Qiang; Ou, Xi C; Pang, Yu; Xia, Hui; Huang, Hai R; Zhao, Bing; Wang, Sheng F; Zhao, Yan L

    2017-07-01

    MiniLab tuberculosis (ML TB) assay is a new automatic diagnostic tool for diagnosis of multidrug resistance tuberculosis (MDR-TB). This study was conducted with aims to know the performance of this assay. Sputum sample from 224 TB suspects was collected from tuberculosis suspects seeking medical care at Beijing Chest hospital. The sputum samples were directly used for smear and ML TB test. The left sputum sample was used to conduct Xpert MTB/RIF, Bactec MGIT culture and drug susceptibility test (DST). All discrepancies between the results from DST, molecular and phenotypic methods were confirmed by DNA Sequencing. The sensitivity and specificity of ML TB test for detecting MTBC from TB suspects were 95.1% and 88.9%, respectively. The sensitivity for smear negative TB suspects was 64.3%. For detection of RIF resistance, the sensitivity and specificity of ML TB test were 89.2% and 95.7%, respectively. For detection of INH resistance, the sensitivity and specificity of ML TB test were 78.3% and 98.1%, respectively. ML TB test showed similar performance to Xpert MTB/RIF for detection of MTBC and RIF resistance. In addition, ML TB also had good performance for INH resistance detection. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  5. Manufacturing and testing flexible microfluidic devices with optical and electrical detection mechanisms

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ivan, M.G.; Vivet, F.; Meinders, E.R.

    2010-01-01

    Flexible microfluidic devices made of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) were manufactured by soft lithography, and tested in detection of ionic species using optical absorption spectroscopy and electrical measurements. PDMS was chosen due to its flexibility and ease of surface modification by exposure

  6. Application of functional IDDQ testing in a VLIW processor towards detection of aging degradation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kerkhoff, Hans G.; Zhao, Yong

    2015-01-01

    In this paper, functional IDDQ testing has been applied for a 90nm VLIW processor to effectively detect aging degradation. This technique can provide health data for reliability evaluation as used in e.g. prognostic software for lifetime prediction. The test environment for validation, implementing

  7. The subtle signs of Wolfram (DIDMOAD) syndrome: not all juvenile diabetes is type 1 diabetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boettcher, Claudia; Brosig, Burkhard; Zimmer, Klaus P; Wudy, Stefan A

    2011-01-01

    Wolfram syndrome (also known as DIDMOAD = diabetes insipidus, diabetes mellitus, optic atrophy, deafness) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by the association of childhood non-immune insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (DM) with progressive bilateral optic atrophy. Additional symptoms including signs of severe neurodegeneration and psychiatric illness are likely to evolve over time resulting in premature death. We report on two siblings of Turkish origin from our diabetes clinic who were diagnosed with Wolfram syndrome after 6 years and 2 years duration of DM, respectively. Subtle symptoms such as attitude changes, growing reading difficulties in the history of children or adolescents with antibody negative and ketone negative DM should alert the treating physician and lead to re-evaluation of the diagnosis, keeping in mind that not all juvenile DM is type 1 DM.

  8. Using an alternate light source to detect electrically singed feathers and hair in a forensic setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viner, Tabitha C; Kagan, Rebecca A; Johnson, Jennifer L

    2014-01-01

    Mortality due to electrical injury in wildlife may occur in the form of lightning strike or power line contact. Evidence of electrical contact may be grossly obvious, with extensive singeing, curling, and blackening of feathers, fur, or skin. Occasionally, changes may be subtle, owing to lower current or reduced conductivity, making a definitive diagnosis of electrocution more difficult. We describe the use of an alternate light source in the examination of cases of lightning strike and power line contact in wildlife, and the enhanced detection of changes due to electrical currents in the hair and feathers of affected animals. Subtle changes in the wing feathers of 12 snow geese and 1 wolf that were struck by separate lightning events were made obvious by the use of an alternate light source. Similarly, this technique can be used to strengthen the evidence for power line exposure in birds. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

  9. Preventive testing and leakage detection in pipe-lines of steam condensers and generators of a PWR type reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Canalini, A.; Carvalho, N.C. de

    1985-01-01

    The non-destructive methods: Spum, Helium and Hydrostatic used in leakage detection in condenser pipelines for PWR type reactors are presented. The time, costs, sensitivity, resources necessary and personnel development factors are considered to choose adequated method, in function of nuclear power plant conditions. The leakage tests are applied in pressurized systems or vacuum. Eddy Current testing is used in condensers and steam generators aiming to avoid leakage in these equipments. The spume testing for leakage detection in condenser pipelines - which operation - and hydrostatic testing for leakage detection through reaming with shutdown - were most efficients. The Helium testing applied in pressurized systems or submitted to vacuum systems presented satisfactory results. The Eddy Current testing in condenser and steam generator pipelines reached desired objective, reducing leakage in the first and preserving the integrity in the second. (M.C.K.) [pt

  10. DYNAMIC SOFTWARE TESTING MODELS WITH PROBABILISTIC PARAMETERS FOR FAULT DETECTION AND ERLANG DISTRIBUTION FOR FAULT RESOLUTION DURATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. D. Khomonenko

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Subject of Research.Software reliability and test planning models are studied taking into account the probabilistic nature of error detection and discovering. Modeling of software testing enables to plan the resources and final quality at early stages of project execution. Methods. Two dynamic models of processes (strategies are suggested for software testing, using error detection probability for each software module. The Erlang distribution is used for arbitrary distribution approximation of fault resolution duration. The exponential distribution is used for approximation of fault resolution discovering. For each strategy, modified labeled graphs are built, along with differential equation systems and their numerical solutions. The latter makes it possible to compute probabilistic characteristics of the test processes and states: probability states, distribution functions for fault detection and elimination, mathematical expectations of random variables, amount of detected or fixed errors. Evaluation of Results. Probabilistic characteristics for software development projects were calculated using suggested models. The strategies have been compared by their quality indexes. Required debugging time to achieve the specified quality goals was calculated. The calculation results are used for time and resources planning for new projects. Practical Relevance. The proposed models give the possibility to use the reliability estimates for each individual module. The Erlang approximation removes restrictions on the use of arbitrary time distribution for fault resolution duration. It improves the accuracy of software test process modeling and helps to take into account the viability (power of the tests. With the use of these models we can search for ways to improve software reliability by generating tests which detect errors with the highest probability.

  11. Development of molecular tests for the detection of ILAR and latent viruses in fruit trees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roussel, S; Kummert, J; Dutrecq, O; Lepoivre, P; Jijakli, M H

    2004-01-01

    The detection throughout the year of latent and ILAR viruses in fruit tress by classical serological tests appear to be unreliable. We have developed RT-PCR tests for a reliable detection of latent and ILAR viruses in fruit trees. These assays were then simplified to allow the direct use of crude plant extracts instead of total RNA preparations, and the analyses of pooled samples. In this way, such RT-PCR protocols are suitable for a routine diagnosis of latent and ILAR viruses in fruit tree certification.

  12. Comparative study of three screening tests, two microbiological tube tests, and a multi-sulphonamide ELISA kit for the detection of antimicrobial and sulphonamide residues in eggs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaudin, V; Hedou, C; Rault, A; Sanders, P; Verdon, E

    2009-04-01

    The screening of antimicrobial residues in eggs is an especially important subject. Three different commercial kits for the screening of sulphonamides and other antimicrobials in eggs were validated in accordance with Decision 2002/657/EC: one enzyme-linked immunoabsorbant assay (ELISA) kit multi-sulphonamides (from RAISIO Diagnostics) and two microbiological tests (a Premi test from DSM and an Explorer kit from Zeu-Inmunotec). The false-positive rates were lower than 2% for all kits. The detection capabilities (CCbeta) have to be as low as possible for banned substances and lower than the maximum residue limit (MRL) when MRLs have been set. The sensitivity of the Premi test was better than that of the Explorer test, probably because of the dilution of the eggs before the Explorer test was used. The CCbeta values towards most of the tested sulphonamides were satisfactory with the Premi test (amoxicillin, neomycin, tylosin and erythromycin were lower than their respective MRLs. Detection capabilities for sulphonamides were much lower for the ELISA kit than for microbiological tests. The ELISA kit could be recommended for the targeted screening of sulphonamides in eggs. On the other hand, the Explorer and Premi tests could be used as wide screening tests allowing the detection of most of the antimicrobial families.

  13. Rapid detection of fumonisin B1 using a colloidal gold immunoassay strip test in corn samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ling, Sumei; Wang, Rongzhi; Gu, Xiaosong; Wen, Can; Chen, Lingling; Chen, Zhibin; Chen, Qing-Ai; Xiao, Shiwei; Yang, Yanling; Zhuang, Zhenhong; Wang, Shihua

    2015-12-15

    Fumonisin B1 (FB1) is the most common and highest toxic of fumonisins species, exists frequently in corn and corn-based foods, leading to several animal and human diseases. Furthermore, FB1 was reported that it was associated with the human esophageal cancer. In view of the harmful of FB1, it is urgent to develop a feasible and accuracy method for rapid detection of FB1. In this study, a competitive immunoassay for FB1 detection was developed based on colloidal gold-antibody conjugate. The FB1-keyhole limpet hemoeyanin (FB1-KLH) conjugate was embedded in the test line, and goat anti-mouse IgG antibody embedded in the control line. The color density of the test line correlated with the concentration of FB1 in the range from 2.5 to 10 ng/mL, and the visual limit detection of test for FB1 was 2.5 ng/mL. The results indicated that the test strip is specific for FB1, and no cross-reactivity to other toxins. The quantitative detection for FB1 was simple, only needing one step without complicated assay performance and expensive equipment, and the total time of visual evaluation was less than 5 min. Hence, the developed colloidal gold-antibody assay can be used as a feasible method for FB1 rapid and quantitative detection in corn samples. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Phase 2 testing of ENDF/B-VI shielding data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ingersoll, D.T.; Wright, R.Q.; Slater, C.O.

    1992-01-01

    Version 6 of the US Evaluated Nuclear Data File (ENDF/B-VI) was released in early 1990 and is currently undergoing phase 2 testing. In Phase 2 testing, the evaluated data are approximately processed and used in an integral manner to predict the solution of previously specified benchmark experiments. Results are presented for the initial testing of several light elements and structural materials which are important for shielding applications. These initial tests indicate that the relatively subtle changes made to the iron data and the major modernization of the boron-11 data in Version 6 both represent significant and positive advancements in the quality of the evaluated data files

  15. Fast microwave detection system for coherent synchrotron radiation study at KEK: Accelerator test facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aryshev, A.; Araki, S.; Karataev, P.; Naito, T.; Terunuma, N.; Urakawa, J.

    2007-01-01

    A fast room temperature microwave detection system based on the Schottky Barrier-diode detector was created at the KEK ATF (Accelerator Test Facility). It was tested using Coherent Synchrotron Radiation (CSR) generated by the 1.28 GeV electron beam in the damping ring. The speed performance of the detection system was checked by observing the CSR from a multi-bunch (2.8 ns bunch separation time) beam. The theoretical estimations of CSR power yield from an edge of bending magnet as well as new injection tuning method are presented. A very high sensitivity of CSR power yield to the longitudinal electron distribution in a bunch is discussed

  16. Digital breast tomosynthesis: observer performance of clustered microcalcification detection on breast phantom images acquired with an experimental system using variable scan angles, angular increments, and number of projection views.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chan, Heang-Ping; Goodsitt, Mitchell M; Helvie, Mark A; Zelakiewicz, Scott; Schmitz, Andrea; Noroozian, Mitra; Paramagul, Chintana; Roubidoux, Marilyn A; Nees, Alexis V; Neal, Colleen H; Carson, Paul; Lu, Yao; Hadjiiski, Lubomir; Wei, Jun

    2014-12-01

    To investigate the dependence of microcalcification cluster detectability on tomographic scan angle, angular increment, and number of projection views acquired at digital breast tomosynthesis ( DBT digital breast tomosynthesis ). A prototype DBT digital breast tomosynthesis system operated in step-and-shoot mode was used to image breast phantoms. Four 5-cm-thick phantoms embedded with 81 simulated microcalcification clusters of three speck sizes (subtle, medium, and obvious) were imaged by using a rhodium target and rhodium filter with 29 kV, 50 mAs, and seven acquisition protocols. Fixed angular increments were used in four protocols (denoted as scan angle, angular increment, and number of projection views, respectively: 16°, 1°, and 17; 24°, 3°, and nine; 30°, 3°, and 11; and 60°, 3°, and 21), and variable increments were used in three (40°, variable, and 13; 40°, variable, and 15; and 60°, variable, and 21). The reconstructed DBT digital breast tomosynthesis images were interpreted by six radiologists who located the microcalcification clusters and rated their conspicuity. The mean sensitivity for detection of subtle clusters ranged from 80% (22.5 of 28) to 96% (26.8 of 28) for the seven DBT digital breast tomosynthesis protocols; the highest sensitivity was achieved with the 16°, 1°, and 17 protocol (96%), but the difference was significant only for the 60°, 3°, and 21 protocol (80%, P .99). The conspicuity of subtle and medium clusters with the 16°, 1°, and 17 protocol was rated higher than those with other protocols; the differences were significant for subtle clusters with the 24°, 3°, and nine protocol and for medium clusters with 24°, 3°, and nine; 30°, 3°, and 11; 60°, 3° and 21; and 60°, variable, and 21 protocols (P tomosynthesis provided higher sensitivity and conspicuity than wide-angle DBT digital breast tomosynthesis for subtle microcalcification clusters. © RSNA, 2014.

  17. Statistical Hypothesis Testing using CNN Features for Synthesis of Adversarial Counterexamples to Human and Object Detection Vision Systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Raj, Sunny [Univ. of Central Florida, Orlando, FL (United States); Jha, Sumit Kumar [Univ. of Central Florida, Orlando, FL (United States); Pullum, Laura L. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Ramanathan, Arvind [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

    2017-05-01

    Validating the correctness of human detection vision systems is crucial for safety applications such as pedestrian collision avoidance in autonomous vehicles. The enormous space of possible inputs to such an intelligent system makes it difficult to design test cases for such systems. In this report, we present our tool MAYA that uses an error model derived from a convolutional neural network (CNN) to explore the space of images similar to a given input image, and then tests the correctness of a given human or object detection system on such perturbed images. We demonstrate the capability of our tool on the pre-trained Histogram-of-Oriented-Gradients (HOG) human detection algorithm implemented in the popular OpenCV toolset and the Caffe object detection system pre-trained on the ImageNet benchmark. Our tool may serve as a testing resource for the designers of intelligent human and object detection systems.

  18. Detecting Chloride Contamination of Objects and Buildings – Evaluating a New Testing Process

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lynda Skipper

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Soluble salts play a key factor in damage to a variety of materials, including stone, ceramics and metals. Particularly, salt contamination can lead to weakening of porous materials through salt crystallisation events, and increases the rate of metal corrosion. Over time, this results in physical damage to affected objects and buildings. It is therefore important to be able to monitor the salt content of materials, in order to understand levels of salt contamination and the potential for damage to occur. This research discusses the further development of the testing method for surface chlorides originally proposed by Piechota and Drake Piechota (2016 in their article “A simple survey kit for chloride detection on cuneiform tablets and other collections”. It introduces new and revised steps into the original protocol in order to make the achieved results semi-quantifiable, as well as identifying the limits of detection of the test kit. A comparison to alternative testing methods showed that comparable results were achievable using this methodology. The revised methodology was tested for efficacy on a range of salt contaminated objects, as well as on samples from buildings.

  19. Intraoperative imaging for patient safety and QA: detection of intracranial hemorrhage using C-arm cone-beam CT

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schafer, Sebastian; Wang, Adam; Otake, Yoshito; Stayman, J. W.; Zbijewski, Wojciech; Kleinszig, Gerhard; Xia, Xuewei; Gallia, Gary L.; Siewerdsen, Jeffrey H.

    2013-03-01

    Intraoperative imaging could improve patient safety and quality assurance (QA) via the detection of subtle complications that might otherwise only be found hours after surgery. Such capability could therefore reduce morbidity and the need for additional intervention. Among the severe adverse events that could be more quickly detected by high-quality intraoperative imaging is acute intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), conventionally assessed using post-operative CT. A mobile C-arm capable of high-quality cone-beam CT (CBCT) in combination with advanced image reconstruction techniques is reported as a means of detecting ICH in the operating room. The system employs an isocentric C-arm with a flat-panel detector in dual gain mode, correction of x-ray scatter and beam-hardening, and a penalized likelihood (PL) iterative reconstruction method. Performance in ICH detection was investigated using a quantitative phantom focusing on (non-contrast-enhanced) blood-brain contrast, an anthropomorphic head phantom, and a porcine model with injection of fresh blood bolus. The visibility of ICH was characterized in terms of contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and qualitative evaluation of images by a neurosurgeon. Across a range of size and contrast of the ICH as well as radiation dose from the CBCT scan, the CNR was found to increase from ~2.2-3.7 for conventional filtered backprojection (FBP) to ~3.9-5.4 for PL at equivalent spatial resolution. The porcine model demonstrated superior ICH detectability for PL. The results support the role of high-quality mobile C-arm CBCT employing advanced reconstruction algorithms for detecting subtle complications in the operating room at lower radiation dose and lower cost than intraoperative CT scanners and/or fixedroom C-arms. Such capability could present a potentially valuable aid to patient safety and QA.

  20. A fluorescent immunochromatographic strip test using Quantum Dots for fumonisins detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Di Nardo, F; Anfossi, L; Giovannoli, C; Passini, C; Goftman, V V; Goryacheva, I Y; Baggiani, C

    2016-04-01

    A fluorescent immunochromatographic strip test (ICST) based on the use of Quantum Dots (QD) was developed and applied to detect fumonisins in maize samples. A limit of detection for fumonisin B1 of 2.8 µg L(-1) was achieved, with an analytical working range of 3-350 µg L(-1), corresponding to 30-3500 µg kg(-1) in maize flour samples, according with the extraction procedure. The time required to perform the analysis was 22 min, including sample preparation. Recovery values in the range from 91.4% to 105.4% with coefficients of variation not exceeding 5% were obtained for fortified and naturally contaminated maize flour samples. To evaluate the possible improvements due to the use of QD for ICST technology, we performed a direct comparison of the proposed QD-ICST to a gold nanoparticles- and a chemiluminescent-ICST previously developed for fumonisins detection, in which the same immunoreagents were employed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Distance-based microfluidic quantitative detection methods for point-of-care testing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tian, Tian; Li, Jiuxing; Song, Yanling; Zhou, Leiji; Zhu, Zhi; Yang, Chaoyong James

    2016-04-07

    Equipment-free devices with quantitative readout are of great significance to point-of-care testing (POCT), which provides real-time readout to users and is especially important in low-resource settings. Among various equipment-free approaches, distance-based visual quantitative detection methods rely on reading the visual signal length for corresponding target concentrations, thus eliminating the need for sophisticated instruments. The distance-based methods are low-cost, user-friendly and can be integrated into portable analytical devices. Moreover, such methods enable quantitative detection of various targets by the naked eye. In this review, we first introduce the concept and history of distance-based visual quantitative detection methods. Then, we summarize the main methods for translation of molecular signals to distance-based readout and discuss different microfluidic platforms (glass, PDMS, paper and thread) in terms of applications in biomedical diagnostics, food safety monitoring, and environmental analysis. Finally, the potential and future perspectives are discussed.

  2. Use of whole body CT to detect patterns of CPR-related injuries after sudden cardiac arrest.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dunham, Gregor M; Perez-Girbes, Alexandre; Bolster, Ferdia; Sheehan, Kellie; Linnau, Ken F

    2017-11-09

    We have recently implemented a dedicated sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) - whole-body computed tomography (WBCT) protocol to evaluate SCA patients with return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) following cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The aim of this study is to evaluate the number and pattern of CPR-related injuries in ROSC patients with SCA-WBCT. Single-centre retrospective review of 39 patients (13 female; 20 male, mean age 51.8 years) with non-traumatic, out-of-hospital SCA and ROSC and evaluation with dedicated SCA-WBCT over a 10-month period. In-hospital mortality was 54%. CPR-related injuries were detected in 85% (33/39). Chest injuries were most common on WBCT: 85% (33) subjects had rib fractures (mean of 8.5 fractures/subject); 31% (12) sternal fractures; 13% (5) mediastinal haematoma; 10% (4) pneumothorax; 8% (3) pneumomediastinum and 3% (1) haemothorax. Three subjects (8%) had abdominal injuries on WBCT, including one hepatic haematoma with active haemorrhage. CPR-related injuries on WBCT after ROSC are common, with serial rib fractures detected most commonly. An unexpectedly high rate of abdominal injuries was detected on SCA-WBCT. Radiologists need to be attuned to the spectrum of CPR-related injuries in WBCT, including abdominal injuries and subtle rib fractures. • CPR frequently causes injuries. • Radiologists should be aware of the spectrum of CPR related injuries. • Rib fractures are frequent and radiologic findings often subtle. • Clinically unexpected abdominal injuries may be present.

  3. Final report on the UKAEA defect detection trials on test pieces 3 and 4. December 1982

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lock, D.L.; Cowburn, K.J.

    1983-03-01

    The report follows ND-R-845(R) which described the scope, inspection procedures and results of the defect detection trials on test pieces 3 and 4. The work has been aimed at assessing the ability of non-destructive testing techniques, to detect and size defects near the clad/base metal interface of a flat piece and the inner radius of a PWR inlet nozzle. Following the destructive examination of the test pieces at Ispra, the true sizes of the intended defects are now known. These sizes are compared with that intended and the performance of the inspection teams reviewed. (author)

  4. Toothpick test: a methodology for the detection of RR soybean plants1

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fabiana Mota da Silva

    Full Text Available Due to the large increase in the area cultivated with genetically modified soybean in Brazil, it has become necessary to determine methods that are fast and efficient for detecting these cultivars. The aim of this work was to test the efficiency of the toothpick method in the detection of RR soybean plants, as well as to distinguish between cultivars, for sensitivity caused by herbicide. Ten transgenic soybean cultivars, resistant to the active ingredient glyphosate, and ten conventional soybean cultivars were used. Toothpicks soaked in glyphosate were applied to all the plants at stage V6 and evaluations were made at 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 days after application (DAA. The effects of the glyphosate on the cultivars, and the symptoms of phytotoxicity caused in the transgenic plants were evaluated by means of grading scales. The toothpick test is effective in identifying RR soybean cultivars and also in separating them into groups by sensitivity to the symptoms caused by the glyphosate.

  5. AFNOR validation of Premi Test, a microbiological-based screening tube-test for the detection of antimicrobial residues in animal muscle tissue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaudin, Valerie; Juhel-Gaugain, Murielle; Morétain, Jean-Pierre; Sanders, Pascal

    2008-12-01

    Premi Test contains viable spores of a strain of Bacillus stearothermophilus which is sensitive to antimicrobial residues, such as beta-lactams, tetracyclines, macrolides and sulphonamides. The growth of the strain is inhibited by the presence of antimicrobial residues in muscle tissue samples. Premi Test was validated according to AFNOR rules (French Association for Normalisation). The AFNOR validation was based on the comparison of reference methods (French Official method, i.e. four plate test (FPT) and the STAR protocol (five plate test)) with the alternative method (Premi Test). A preliminary study was conducted in an expert laboratory (Community Reference Laboratory, CRL) on both spiked and incurred samples (field samples). Several method performance criteria (sensitivity, specificity, relative accuracy) were estimated and are discussed, in addition to detection capabilities. Adequate agreement was found between the alternative method and the reference methods. However, Premi Test was more sensitive to beta-lactams and sulphonamides than the FPT. Subsequently, a collaborative study with 11 laboratories was organised by the CRL. Blank and spiked meat juice samples were sent to participants. The expert laboratory (CRL) statistically analysed the results. It was concluded that Premi Test could be used for the routine determination of antimicrobial residues in muscle of different animal origin with acceptable analytical performance. The detection capabilities of Premi Test for beta-lactams (amoxicillin, ceftiofur), one macrolide (tylosin) and tetracycline were at the level of the respective maximum residue limits (MRL) in muscle samples or even lower.

  6. Airborne Turbulence Detection and Warning ACLAIM Flight Test Results

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hannon, Stephen M.; Bagley, Hal R.; Soreide, Dave C.; Bowdle, David A.; Bogue, Rodney K.; Ehernberger, L. Jack

    1999-01-01

    The Airborne Coherent Lidar for Advanced Inflight Measurements (ACLAIM) is a NASA/Dryden-lead program to develop and demonstrate a 2 micrometers pulsed Doppler lidar for airborne look-ahead turbulence detection and warning. Advanced warning of approaching turbulence can significantly reduce injuries to passengers and crew aboard commercial airliners. The ACLAIM instrument is a key asset to the ongoing Turbulence component of NASA's Aviation Safety Program, aimed at reducing the accident rate aboard commercial airliners by a factor of five over the next ten years and by a factor of ten over the next twenty years. As well, the advanced turbulence warning capability can prevent "unstarts" in the inlet of supersonic aircraft engines by alerting the flight control computer which then adjusts the engine to operate in a less fuel efficient, and more turbulence tolerant, mode. Initial flight tests of the ACLAIM were completed in March and April of 1998. This paper and presentation gives results from these initial flights, with validated demonstration of Doppler lidar wind turbulence detection several kilometers ahead of the aircraft.

  7. Rapid antigen detection test for respiratory syncytial virus diagnosis as a diagnostic tool

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Flávio da Silva Mesquita

    2017-05-01

    Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the QuickVue® RSV Test Kit can be effective in early detection of Respiratory syncytial virus in nasopharyngeal aspirate and is reliable for use as a diagnostic tool in pediatrics.

  8. Point Based Emotion Classification Using SVM

    OpenAIRE

    Swinkels, Wout

    2016-01-01

    The detection of emotions is a hot topic in the area of computer vision. Emotions are based on subtle changes in the face that are intuitively detected and interpreted by humans. Detecting these subtle changes, based on mathematical models, is a great challenge in the area of computer vision. In this thesis a new method is proposed to achieve state-of-the-art emotion detection performance. This method is based on facial feature points to monitor subtle changes in the face. Therefore the c...

  9. Laser-induced fluorescence detection platform for point-of-care testing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berner, Marcel; Hilbig, Urs; Schubert, Markus B.; Gauglitz, Günter

    2017-08-01

    Point-of-care testing (POCT) devices for continuous low-cost monitoring of critical patient parameters require miniaturized and integrated setups for performing quick high-sensitivity analyses, away from central clinical laboratories. This work presents a novel and promising laser-induced fluorescence platform for measurements in direct optical test formats that leads towards such powerful POCT devices based on fluorescence-labeled immunoassays. Ultimate sensitivity of thin film photodetectors, integrated with microfluidics, and a comprehensive optimization of all system components aim at low-level signal detection in the targeted biosensor application. The setup acquires fluorescence signals from the volume of a microfluidic channel. An innovative sandwiching process forms a flow channel in the microfluidic chips by embedding laser-cut double-sided adhesive tapes. The custom fit of amorphous silicon based photodiode arrays to the geometry of the flow channel enables miniaturization, fully adequate for POCT devices. A free-beam laser excitation with line focus provides excellent alignment stability, allows for easy and reliable swapping of the disposable microfluidic chips, and therewith greatly improves the ease of use of the resulting integrated device. As a proof-of-concept of this novel in-volume measurement approach, the limit of detection for the dye DY636-COOH in pure water as a model fluorophore is examined and found to be 26 nmol l-1 .

  10. A Robust Semi-Parametric Test for Detecting Trait-Dependent Diversification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rabosky, Daniel L; Huang, Huateng

    2016-03-01

    Rates of species diversification vary widely across the tree of life and there is considerable interest in identifying organismal traits that correlate with rates of speciation and extinction. However, it has been challenging to develop methodological frameworks for testing hypotheses about trait-dependent diversification that are robust to phylogenetic pseudoreplication and to directionally biased rates of character change. We describe a semi-parametric test for trait-dependent diversification that explicitly requires replicated associations between character states and diversification rates to detect effects. To use the method, diversification rates are reconstructed across a phylogenetic tree with no consideration of character states. A test statistic is then computed to measure the association between species-level traits and the corresponding diversification rate estimates at the tips of the tree. The empirical value of the test statistic is compared to a null distribution that is generated by structured permutations of evolutionary rates across the phylogeny. The test is applicable to binary discrete characters as well as continuous-valued traits and can accommodate extremely sparse sampling of character states at the tips of the tree. We apply the test to several empirical data sets and demonstrate that the method has acceptable Type I error rates. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press, on behalf of the Society of Systematic Biologists. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  11. Detection of foreign objects using bobbin probe eddy current test

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jung, Hee Sung; Kweon, Young Ho; Lee, Dong Ha; Shin, Wook Jo; Yim, Chan Ki [ECT Group, Sae-An Engineering Corporation, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-08-15

    Residual foreign objects at the secondary side (top of the tubesheet and tube support plates) of a steam generator are likely to cause a leak by causing wear in the tube. The extent of wear is significantly affected by the material, shape, and size of the foreign object, and the corrosion properties of the tube. The presence of foreign objects at the top of the tubesheet and tube support plates has been identified using remote visual inspection methods such as the foreign object search and retrieval and eddy current test (ECT). The detection of the residual foreign object at the secondary side of a steam generator has limitations that depend on the material properties and the condition of contact with the tube. In this study, which is vertical and horizontal from the upper tubesheet, the corresponding bobbin ECT signals were collected and analyzed to measure its ability to detect foreign objects.

  12. Strategies for detection of transfusion-transmitted viruses eluding identification by conventional serologic tests. I

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Neurath, A.R.; Strick, N.

    1983-01-01

    The unavailability of serological tests for detection of several not yet characterized infectious agents transmitted by blood transfusion or by blood products prompted the development of alternative tests based on utilization of labeled nucleic acid probes specific for genomes of each of these agents. The prerequisite for the preparation of such probes is the demonstration in human plasma of nucleic acid sequences distinct from those present in host DNA or in genes of already characterized viruses occurring in plasma of infected individuals. To accomplish this, ultrasensitive tests for nucleic acids not dependent on their base sequence are needed. The authors describe a radioimmunoassay (RIA) for picogram quantities of DNA. Plasma (serum) specimens are treated with proteinase K in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate and extracted with phenol. Nucleic acids are precipitated with ethanol in the presence of dextran (mol.wt. approx. 5X10 5 ) as carrier. Subsequently, DNA from the redissolved samples is adsorbed onto polylysine-coated wells of microtiter plates and detected by a double-antibody RIA using anti-DNA autoantibodies from NZB/NZW mice and 125 I-labelled antibodies to mouse immunoglobulins. DNA which did not hybridize with human DNA was detected by this method in sera containing hepatitis B virus used as a model system. (Auth.)

  13. Change Detection in High-Resolution Remote Sensing Images Using Levene-Test and Fuzzy Evaluation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, G. H.; Wang, H. B.; Fan, W. F.; Liu, Y.; Liu, H. J.

    2018-04-01

    High-resolution remote sensing images possess complex spatial structure and rich texture information, according to these, this paper presents a new method of change detection based on Levene-Test and Fuzzy Evaluation. It first got map-spots by segmenting two overlapping images which had been pretreated, extracted features such as spectrum and texture. Then, changed information of all map-spots which had been treated by the Levene-Test were counted to obtain the candidate changed regions, hue information (H component) was extracted through the IHS Transform and conducted change vector analysis combined with the texture information. Eventually, the threshold was confirmed by an iteration method, the subject degrees of candidate changed regions were calculated, and final change regions were determined. In this paper experimental results on multi-temporal ZY-3 high-resolution images of some area in Jiangsu Province show that: Through extracting map-spots of larger difference as the candidate changed regions, Levene-Test decreases the computing load, improves the precision of change detection, and shows better fault-tolerant capacity for those unchanged regions which are of relatively large differences. The combination of Hue-texture features and fuzzy evaluation method can effectively decrease omissions and deficiencies, improve the precision of change detection.

  14. Chromium(VI) release from leather and metals can be detected with a diphenylcarbazide spot test.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bregnbak, David; Johansen, Jeanne D; Jellesen, Morten S; Zachariae, Claus; Thyssen, Jacob P

    2015-11-01

    Along with chromium, nickel and cobalt are the clinically most important metal allergens. However, unlike for nickel and cobalt, there is no validated colorimetric spot test that detects chromium. Such a test could help both clinicians and their patients with chromium dermatitis to identify culprit exposures. To evaluate the use of diphenylcarbazide (DPC) as a spot test reagent for the identification of chromium(VI) release. A colorimetric chromium(VI) spot test based on DPC was prepared and used on different items from small market surveys. The DPC spot test was able to identify chromium(VI) release at 0.5 ppm without interference from other pure metals, alloys, or leather. A market survey using the test showed no chromium(VI) release from work tools (0/100). However, chromium(VI) release from metal screws (7/60), one earring (1/50), leather shoes (4/100) and leather gloves (6/11) was observed. We found no false-positive test reactions. Confirmatory testing was performed with X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and spectrophotometrically on extraction fluids. The use of DPC as a colorimetric spot test reagent appears to be a good and valid test method for detecting the release of chromium(VI) ions from leather and metal articles. The spot test has the potential to become a valuable screening tool. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  15. Comparison of IRT Likelihood Ratio Test and Logistic Regression DIF Detection Procedures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atar, Burcu; Kamata, Akihito

    2011-01-01

    The Type I error rates and the power of IRT likelihood ratio test and cumulative logit ordinal logistic regression procedures in detecting differential item functioning (DIF) for polytomously scored items were investigated in this Monte Carlo simulation study. For this purpose, 54 simulation conditions (combinations of 3 sample sizes, 2 sample…

  16. DNA double-strand break repair of blood lymphocytes and normal tissues analysed in a preclinical mouse model: implications for radiosensitivity testing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rübe, Claudia E; Grudzenski, Saskia; Kühne, Martin; Dong, Xiaorong; Rief, Nicole; Löbrich, Markus; Rübe, Christian

    2008-10-15

    Radiotherapy is an effective cancer treatment, but a few patients suffer severe radiation toxicities in neighboring normal tissues. There is increasing evidence that the variable susceptibility to radiation toxicities is caused by the individual genetic predisposition, by subtle mutations, or polymorphisms in genes involved in cellular responses to ionizing radiation. Double-strand breaks (DSB) are the most deleterious form of radiation-induced DNA damage, and DSB repair deficiencies lead to pronounced radiosensitivity. Using a preclinical mouse model, the highly sensitive gammaH2AX-foci approach was tested to verify even subtle, genetically determined DSB repair deficiencies known to be associated with increased normal tissue radiosensitivity. By enumerating gammaH2AX-foci in blood lymphocytes and normal tissues (brain, lung, heart, and intestine), the induction and repair of DSBs after irradiation with therapeutic doses (0.1-2 Gy) was investigated in repair-proficient and repair-deficient mouse strains in vivo and blood samples irradiated ex vivo. gammaH2AX-foci analysis allowed to verify the different DSB repair deficiencies; even slight impairments caused by single polymorphisms were detected similarly in both blood lymphocytes and solid tissues, indicating that DSB repair measured in lymphocytes is valid for different and complex organs. Moreover, gammaH2AX-foci analysis of blood samples irradiated ex vivo was found to reflect repair kinetics measured in vivo and, thus, give reliable information about the individual DSB repair capacity. gammaH2AX analysis of blood and tissue samples allows to detect even minor genetically defined DSB repair deficiencies, affecting normal tissue radiosensitivity. Future studies will have to evaluate the clinical potential to identify patients more susceptible to radiation toxicities before radiotherapy.

  17. Tests for detecting overdispersion in models with measurement error in covariates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Yingsi; Wong, Man Yu

    2015-11-30

    Measurement error in covariates can affect the accuracy in count data modeling and analysis. In overdispersion identification, the true mean-variance relationship can be obscured under the influence of measurement error in covariates. In this paper, we propose three tests for detecting overdispersion when covariates are measured with error: a modified score test and two score tests based on the proposed approximate likelihood and quasi-likelihood, respectively. The proposed approximate likelihood is derived under the classical measurement error model, and the resulting approximate maximum likelihood estimator is shown to have superior efficiency. Simulation results also show that the score test based on approximate likelihood outperforms the test based on quasi-likelihood and other alternatives in terms of empirical power. By analyzing a real dataset containing the health-related quality-of-life measurements of a particular group of patients, we demonstrate the importance of the proposed methods by showing that the analyses with and without measurement error correction yield significantly different results. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  18. A brain stress test: Cerebral perfusion during memory encoding in mild cognitive impairment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Long; Dolui, Sudipto; Das, Sandhitsu R; Stockbower, Grace E; Daffner, Molly; Rao, Hengyi; Yushkevich, Paul A; Detre, John A; Wolk, David A

    2016-01-01

    Arterial spin labeled perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (ASL MRI) provides non-invasive quantification of cerebral blood flow, which can be used as a biomarker of brain function due to the tight coupling between cerebral blood flow (CBF) and brain metabolism. A growing body of literature suggests that regional CBF is altered in neurodegenerative diseases. Here we examined ASL MRI CBF in subjects with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (n = 65) and cognitively normal healthy controls (n = 62), both at rest and during performance of a memory-encoding task. As compared to rest, task-enhanced ASL MRI improved group discrimination, which supports the notion that physiologic measures during a cognitive challenge, or "stress test", may increase the ability to detect subtle functional changes in early disease stages. Further, logistic regression analysis demonstrated that ASL MRI and concomitantly acquired structural MRI provide complementary information of disease status. The current findings support the potential utility of task-enhanced ASL MRI as a biomarker in early Alzheimer's disease.

  19. Recall Tests Are Effective to Detect Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of 108 Diagnostic Studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsoi, Kelvin K F; Chan, Joyce Y C; Hirai, Hoyee W; Wong, Adrian; Mok, Vincent C T; Lam, Linda C W; Kwok, Timothy C Y; Wong, Samuel Y S

    2017-09-01

    Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a prevalent symptom associated with the increased risk of dementia. There are many cognitive tests available for detection of MCI, and investigation of the diagnostic performance of the tests is deemed necessary. This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic performance of different cognitive tests used for MCI detection. A list of cognitive tests was identified in previous reviews and from online search engines. Literature searches were performed on each of the cognitive tests in MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO from the earliest available dates of individual databases to December 31, 2016. Google Scholar was used as a supplementary search tool. Studies that were used to assess the diagnostic performance of the cognitive tests were extracted with inclusion and exclusion criteria. Each test's performance was compared with the standard diagnostic criteria. Bivariate random effects models were used to summarize the test performance as a point estimate for sensitivity and specificity, and presented in a summary receiver operating characteristic curve. Reporting quality and risk of bias were evaluated. A total of 108 studies with 23,546 participants were selected to evaluate 9 cognitive tests for MCI detection. Most of the studies used the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) (n = 58) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) (n = 35). The combined diagnostic performance of the MMSE in MCI detection was 0.71 sensitivity [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.66-0.75] and 0.74 specificity (95% CI: 0.70-0.78), and of the MoCA in MCI detection was 0.83 sensitivity (95% CI: 0.80-0.86) and 0.75 specificity (95% CI: 0.69-0.80). Among the 9 cognitive tests, recall tests showed the best diagnostic performance with 0.89 sensitivity (95% CI: 0.86-0.92) and 0.84 specificity (95% CI, 0.79-0.89). In subgroup analyses, long- or short-delay recall tests have shown better performance than immediate recall tests. Recall tests were shown to be the most

  20. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) test for specific and rapid detection of Brucella abortus in cattle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karthik, K; Rathore, Rajesh; Thomas, Prasad; Arun, T R; Viswas, K N; Agarwal, R K; Manjunathachar, H V; Dhama, Kuldeep

    2014-01-01

    Brucella abortus, the major causative agent of abortion in cattle and a zoonotic pathogen, needs to be diagnosed at an early stage. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) test is easy to perform and also promising to be adapted at field level. To develop a LAMP assay for specific and rapid detection of B. abortus from clinical samples of cattle. LAMP primers were designed targeting BruAb2_0168 region using specific software tool and LAMP was optimized. The developed LAMP was tested for its specificity with 3 Brucella spp. and 11 other non-Brucella spp. Sensitivity of the developed LAMP was also carried out with known quantity of DNA. Cattle whole blood samples and aborted fetal stomach contents were collected and used for testing with developed LAMP assay and results were compared with polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The developed LAMP assay works at 61 °C for 60 min and the detection limit was observed to be 100-fold more than the conventional PCR that is commonly used for diagnosis of B. abortus. Clinical sensitivity and specificity of the developed LAMP assay was 100% when compared with Rose Bengal plate test and standard tube agglutination test. SYB® green dye I was used to visualize the result with naked eye. The novelty of the developed LAMP assay for specifically detecting B. abortus infection in cattle along with its inherent rapidness and high sensitivity can be employed for detecting this economically important pathogen of cattle at field level as well be exploited for screening of human infections.

  1. Damage detection of simply supported reinforced concrete beam by S transform

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Ning; Xi, Jiaxin; Zhang, Xuebing; Liu, Zhenzhou

    2017-08-01

    Signal processing is the key component of vibration-based structural damage detection. The S transform is variable window of short time Fourier transform (STFT) or an extension of wavelet transform (WT). The goal of using S transform is to extract subtle changes in the vibration signals in order to detect and quantify the damage in the structure. This paper presents the concentrated load is applied to the simply supported reinforced concrete beam and adopting the stepwise loading method, the vibration signals of each loading and unloading state is obtained by using the hammer impact. Then the vibration data of the reinforced concrete beam pre-damage and post-damage is analysed by S transform. Experimental result shows the potential ability of S transform in identifying peak energy changes and multiple reflections with different loading force state.

  2. Development and Testing of an Air Fluorescence Imaging System for the Detection of Radiological Contamination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Inrig, Elizabeth; Koslowsky, Vern; Andrews, Bob; Dick, Michael; Forget, Patrick; Ing, Harry; Hugron, Roger; Wong, Larry

    2011-01-01

    Detection of radionuclides emitting short-range radiation, such as α and low-energy β particles, has always presented a challenge, particularly when such radionuclides are dispersed over a wide area. In this situation, conventional detection methods require the area of interest to be surveyed using a fragile probe at very close range--a slow, error-prone, and potentially dangerous process that may take many hours for a single room. The instrument under development uses a novel approach by imaging radiation-induced fluorescence in the air surrounding a contaminated area, rather than detecting the radiation directly. A robust and portable system has been designed and built that will allow contaminated areas to be rapidly detected and delineated. The detector incorporates position-sensitive photo-multiplier tubes, UV filters, a fast electronic shutter and an aspherical phase mask that significantly increases the depth-of-field. Preliminary tests have been conducted using sealed 241 Am sources of varying activities and surface areas. The details of the instrument design will be described and the results of recent testing will be presented.

  3. EFFECTIVENESS OF TUBERCULOUS RECOMBINANT ALLERGEN SKIN TESTS FOR DETECTING TUBERCULOSIS IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS OF MOSCOW IN 2013

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. V. Slogotskaya

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Explanation. Mantoux test is used to detect the tuberculous infection; however, low specificity of this method results in a high rate of false positive responses due to cross-reactions of PPD (protein purified derivate antigens contained in many mycobacterial species and Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG strains. New drug Diaskintest (DST — recombinant protein CFP10-ESAT6 produced by Escherichia coli BL21(DE3/pCFP-ESAT proved to be the best acceptable diagnostic drug. The article was aimed at studying effectiveness of tuberculous recombinant allergen tests for detecting tuberculosis in the children and adolescents, who were registered in Moscow in 2013. Methods. Mantoux tests were used to examine 1,420,100 persons; positive reactions were observed in 1,020,000 children and adolescents (71,8%; 131,361 (12.9% of them were examined using DSTs. Results. Positive reactions to DST were observed in 3,304 persons (2.5% of the persons with positive reactions to Mantoux test. The tuberculosis detection rate among the persons with positive reactions to Mantoux tests using 2TU PPD-L (Leningrad Research Institute of Vaccines and Serums is 0.13%, among the persons with positive reactions to DSTs — 4.9%, i.e. 40 times more often (p = 0.000. Post-tuberculosis alterations were detected in 169 persons: in 0.13% of the persons with positive reactions to Mantoux tests using 2TU PPD-L and in 5.1% of the persons with positive reactions to DSTs (p = 0.000. Conclusion. Cohort studies conducted in Moscow demonstrated high effectiveness of Diaskintests for detecting tuberculosis in children and adolescents. High sensitivity of the method helps to detect the overwhelming majority of the persons with tuberculosis.

  4. Comparative Evaluation of Seven Commercial Tests for Detection of Heterophile Antibody in Infectious Mononucleosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martin Skulnick

    1992-01-01

    Full Text Available Detection of heterophile antibodies in infectious mononucleosis is the most rapid and cost-effective method for confirming the clinical diagnosis of the disease. This study compared seven commercial test kits (the Oxoid Infectious Mononucleosis Kit [Oxoid Ltd], Immunoscan Im-Latex [Baxter Travenol], Mono-Latex [Wampole Laboratories], Monospot and Im Screen Test [Ortho Diagnostics], Immunoscan Im-RBC Test [Baxter Travenol], and Infectious Mononucleosis Test [NCS Diagnostics] to the Davidsohn differential test. All of the kits were shown to be acceptable for use, with specificities and sensitivities greater than 96.5% and 95.5%, respectively.

  5. Double-blind test program for astrometric planet detection with Gaia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Casertano, S.; Lattanzi, M. G.; Sozzetti, A.; Spagna, A.; Jancart, S.; Morbidelli, R.; Pannunzio, R.; Pourbaix, D.; Queloz, D.

    2008-05-01

    Aims: The scope of this paper is twofold. First, it describes the simulation scenarios and the results of a large-scale, double-blind test campaign carried out to estimate the potential of Gaia for detecting and measuring planetary systems. The identified capabilities are then put in context by highlighting the unique contribution that the Gaia exoplanet discoveries will be able to bring to the science of extrasolar planets in the next decade. Methods: We use detailed simulations of the Gaia observations of synthetic planetary systems and develop and utilize independent software codes in double-blind mode to analyze the data, including statistical tools for planet detection and different algorithms for single and multiple Keplerian orbit fitting that use no a priori knowledge of the true orbital parameters of the systems. Results: 1) Planets with astrometric signatures α≃ 3 times the assumed single-measurement error σ_ψ and period P≤ 5 yr can be detected reliably and consistently, with a very small number of false positives. 2) At twice the detection limit, uncertainties in orbital parameters and masses are typically 15-20%. 3) Over 70% of two-planet systems with well-separated periods in the range 0.2≤ P≤ 9 yr, astrometric signal-to-noise ratio 2≤α/σ_ψ≤ 50, and eccentricity e≤ 0.6 are correctly identified. 4) Favorable orbital configurations (both planets with P≤ 4 yr and α/σ_ψ≥ 10, redundancy over a factor of 2 in the number of observations) have orbital elements measured to better than 10% accuracy > 90% of the time, and the value of the mutual inclination angle i_rel determined with uncertainties ≤ 10°. 5) Finally, nominal uncertainties obtained from the fitting procedures are a good estimate of the actual errors in the orbit reconstruction. Extrapolating from the present-day statistical properties of the exoplanet sample, the results imply that a Gaia with σ_ψ = 8 μas, in its unbiased and complete magnitude-limited census of

  6. Performance of blue-yellow screening test for antimicrobial detection in ovine milk.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Linage, B; Gonzalo, C; Carriedo, J A; Asensio, J A; Blanco, M A; De La Fuente, L F; San Primitivo, F

    2007-12-01

    Drug residues in milk are important because of public health and industrial implications. The detection limits of 25 antimicrobial agents were determined by the blue-yellow screening method in ovine milk. For each drug, 8 concentrations were tested on 20 ovine milk samples from individual ewes in midlactation. Detection limits determined by means of logistic regression were below European Union maximum residue limits (EU-MRL) for penicillin G (3 to 4 microg/kg), ceftiofur (96 to 107 microg/kg), framycetin (720 to 781 microg/kg), neomycin (915 to 1,084 microg/kg), and tylosin (44 to 51 microg/kg). Detection limits for ampicillin (5 to 6 microg/kg), cloxacillin (33 to 42 microg/kg), cefoperazone (73 to 82 microg/kg), cefalexin (160 to 202 microg/kg), gentamycin (355 to 382 microg/kg), streptomycin (3,063 to 3,593 microg/kg), tilmicosin (109 to 131 microg/kg), erythromycin (444 to 522 microg/kg), spyramicin (1,106 to 1,346 microg/kg), sulfadimethoxine (101 to 119 microg/kg), sulfathiazole (122 to 151 microg/kg), sulfamethazine (309 to 328 microg/kg), sulfanilamide (1,750 to 2,674 microg/kg), tetracycline (233 to 257 microg/kg), oxytetracycline (398 to 501 microg/kg), doxycycline (323 to 419 microg/kg), chlortetracycline (3,331 to 3,989 microg/kg), danofloxacin (4.7 to 5.5 mg/kg), enrofloxacin (41 to 46 mg/kg), and flumequin (63 to 71 mg/kg) were higher than the EU-MRL. Although the blue-yellow method showed improved sensitivity compared with other tests studied in ovine milk, the performance of screening methods for detecting antimicrobial agents in milk of this species should be improved.

  7. Modified forelimb grip strength test detects aging-associated physiological decline in skeletal muscle function in male mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takeshita, Hikari; Yamamoto, Koichi; Nozato, Satoko; Inagaki, Tadakatsu; Tsuchimochi, Hirotsugu; Shirai, Mikiyasu; Yamamoto, Ryohei; Imaizumi, Yuki; Hongyo, Kazuhiro; Yokoyama, Serina; Takeda, Masao; Oguro, Ryosuke; Takami, Yoichi; Itoh, Norihisa; Takeya, Yasushi; Sugimoto, Ken; Fukada, So-Ichiro; Rakugi, Hiromi

    2017-02-08

    The conventional forelimb grip strength test is a widely used method to assess skeletal muscle function in rodents; in this study, we modified this method to improve its variability and consistency. The modified test had lower variability among trials and days than the conventional test in young C57BL6 mice, especially by improving the variabilities in male. The modified test was more sensitive than the conventional test to detect a difference in motor function between female and male mice, or between young and old male mice. When the modified test was performed on male mice during the aging process, reduction of grip strength manifested between 18 and 24 months of age at the group level and at the individual level. The modified test was similar to the conventional test in detecting skeletal muscle dysfunction in young male dystrophic mice. Thus, the modified forelimb grip strength test, with its improved validity and reliability may be an ideal substitute for the conventional method.

  8. Diagnostic Value of ELISA Tests for the Detection of Specific Antibodies in Cats and Rabbits with Dermatophytosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marinka Drobnič-Košorok

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available Two indirect ELISA tests developed for the detection of specific IgG in cats and rabbits, infected with M. canis and T. mentagrophytes, respectively, were evaluated and compared. The levels of specific antibodies were determined in sera of 20 cats and 25 rabbits naturally infected with M. canis and T. mentagrophytes, respectively. Infection was confirmed by the results of fungal culture. Blood samples from 12 cats and 17 rabbits, previously unexposed to dermatophytes, served as negative controls. A significant increase in the level of specific antibodies in groups of infected animals was demonstrated. Sensitivity, specificity and predictive values of a positive and a negative test were determined to evaluate the diagnostic potential. ELISA for the detection of specific antibodies in cats infected with M. canis (ELISA-cats test exhibited 75.0 % of sensitivity at 91.7 % of specificity, whereas the test for the detection of specific antibodies in rabbits, infected with T. mentagrophytes (ELISA-rabbits test is highly sensitive (96.0 % and highly specific (94.1 %, confirming its encouraging diagnostic potential. The cross-reactivity of fungal antigens was tested by performing the assays with antigens M. canis, T. mentagrophytes, M. pachydermatis and A. fumigatus. There were no significant indications of cross-reactions in the test T. mentagrophytes-rabbits, whereas strong cross-reaction between dermatophyte antigens was observed in the test M. canis-cats.

  9. Nucleic acid tests for the detection of alpha human papillomaviruses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poljak, Mario; Cuzick, Jack; Kocjan, Boštjan J; Iftner, Thomas; Dillner, Joakim; Arbyn, Marc

    2012-11-20

    Testing for high-risk types of alpha human papillomaviruses (HPV) is an invaluable part of clinical guidelines for cervical carcinoma screening, management and treatment. In this comprehensive inventory of commercial tests for detection of alpha-HPV, we identified at least 125 distinct HPV tests and at least 84 variants of the original tests. However, only a small subset of HPV tests has documented clinical performance for any of the standard HPV testing indications. For more than 75% of HPV tests currently on the market, no single publication in peer-reviewed literature can be identified. HPV tests that have not been validated and lack proof of reliability, reproducibility and accuracy should not be used in clinical management. Once incorporated in the lab, it is essential that the whole procedure of HPV testing is subject to continuous and rigorous quality assurance to avoid sub-optimal, potentially harmful practices. Manufacturers of HPV tests are urged to put more effort into evaluating their current and future products analytically, using international standards, and for clinical applications, using clinically validated endpoints. To assist with analytical validation, the World Health Organization is developing international standards for HPV types other than HPV16 and HPV18 and is planning development of external quality control panels specifically designed to be used for performance evaluation of current and future HPV tests. There is a need for more competitively priced HPV tests, especially for resource-poor countries, and uniform test validation criteria based on international standards should enable issuing more competitive and fair tender notices for purchasing. Automation systems allowing large-scale testing, as well as further increases in clinical performance, are the main needs in the further improvement of HPV tests. This article forms part of a special supplement entitled "Comprehensive Control of HPV Infections and Related Diseases" Vaccine

  10. Development of a fast agglutination screening test (FAST) for the detection of anti-Leishmania antibodies in dogs

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schallig, H. D. F. H.; Schoone, G. J.; Beijer, E. G. M.; Kroon, C. C. M.; Hommers, M.; Ozbel, Y.; Ozensoy, S.; da Silva, E. S.; Cardoso, L. M.; da Silva, E. D.

    2002-01-01

    A fast agglutination screening test (FAST) for the detection of anti-Leishinania antibodies in serum samples from dogs with visceral leishmamosis was developed. The test is based on the direct agglutination test (DAT), but combines a higher parasite concentration with a smaller test volume. In

  11. Design and test of a capacitance detection circuit based on a transimpedance amplifier

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mu Linfeng; Zhang Wendong; He Changde; Zhang Rui; Song Jinlong; Xue Chenyang

    2015-01-01

    This paper presents a transimpedance amplifier (TIA) capacitance detection circuit aimed at detecting micro-capacitance, which is caused by ultrasonic stimulation applied to the capacitive micro-machined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT). In the capacitance interface, a TIA is adopted to amplify the received signal with a center frequency of 400 kHz, and finally detect ultrasound pressure. The circuit has a strong anti-stray property and this paper also studies the calculation of compensation capacity in detail. To ensure high resolution, noise analysis is conducted. After optimization, the detected minimum ultrasound pressure is 2.1 Pa, which is two orders of magnitude higher than the former. The test results showed that the circuit was sensitive to changes in ultrasound pressure and the distance between the CMUT and stumbling block, which also successfully demonstrates the functionality of the developed TIA of the analog-front-end receiver. (paper)

  12. Detecting Malaria Hotspots: A Comparison of Rapid Diagnostic Test, Microscopy, and Polymerase Chain Reaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mogeni, Polycarp; Williams, Thomas N; Omedo, Irene; Kimani, Domtila; Ngoi, Joyce M; Mwacharo, Jedida; Morter, Richard; Nyundo, Christopher; Wambua, Juliana; Nyangweso, George; Kapulu, Melissa; Fegan, Gregory; Bejon, Philip

    2017-11-27

    Malaria control strategies need to respond to geographical hotspots of transmission. Detection of hotspots depends on the sensitivity of the diagnostic tool used. We conducted cross-sectional surveys in 3 sites within Kilifi County, Kenya, that had variable transmission intensities. Rapid diagnostic test (RDT), microscopy, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were used to detect asymptomatic parasitemia, and hotspots were detected using the spatial scan statistic. Eight thousand five hundred eighty-one study participants were surveyed in 3 sites. There were statistically significant malaria hotspots by RDT, microscopy, and PCR for all sites except by microscopy in 1 low transmission site. Pooled data analysis of hotspots by PCR overlapped with hotspots by microscopy at a moderate setting but not at 2 lower transmission settings. However, variations in degree of overlap were noted when data were analyzed by year. Hotspots by RDT were predictive of PCR/microscopy at the moderate setting, but not at the 2 low transmission settings. We observed long-term stability of hotspots by PCR and microscopy but not RDT. Malaria control programs may consider PCR testing to guide asymptomatic malaria hotspot detection once the prevalence of infection falls. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

  13. Aircraft control surface failure detection and isolation using the OSGLR test. [orthogonal series generalized likelihood ratio

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonnice, W. F.; Motyka, P.; Wagner, E.; Hall, S. R.

    1986-01-01

    The performance of the orthogonal series generalized likelihood ratio (OSGLR) test in detecting and isolating commercial aircraft control surface and actuator failures is evaluated. A modification to incorporate age-weighting which significantly reduces the sensitivity of the algorithm to modeling errors is presented. The steady-state implementation of the algorithm based on a single linear model valid for a cruise flight condition is tested using a nonlinear aircraft simulation. A number of off-nominal no-failure flight conditions including maneuvers, nonzero flap deflections, different turbulence levels and steady winds were tested. Based on the no-failure decision functions produced by off-nominal flight conditions, the failure detection and isolation performance at the nominal flight condition was determined. The extension of the algorithm to a wider flight envelope by scheduling on dynamic pressure and flap deflection is examined. Based on this testing, the OSGLR algorithm should be capable of detecting control surface failures that would affect the safe operation of a commercial aircraft. Isolation may be difficult if there are several surfaces which produce similar effects on the aircraft. Extending the algorithm over the entire operating envelope of a commercial aircraft appears feasible.

  14. Impact of the rapid antigen detection test in diagnosis and treatment of acute pharyngotonsillitis in a pediatric emergency room.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cardoso, Débora Morais; Gilio, Alfredo Elias; Hsin, Shieh Huei; Machado, Beatriz Marcondes; de Paulis, Milena; Lotufo, João Paulo B; Martinez, Marina Baquerizo; Grisi, Sandra Josefina E

    2013-01-01

    To evaluate the impact of the routine use of rapid antigen detection test in the diagnosis and treatment of acute pharyngotonsillitis in children. This is a prospective and observational study, with a protocol compliance design established at the Emergency Unit of the University Hospital of Universidade de São Paulo for the care of children and adolescents diagnosed with acute pharyngitis. 650 children and adolescents were enrolled. Based on clinical findings, antibiotics would be prescribed for 389 patients (59.8%); using the rapid antigen detection test, they were prescribed for 286 patients (44.0%). Among the 261 children who would not have received antibiotics based on the clinical evaluation, 111 (42.5%) had positive rapid antigen detection test. The diagnosis based only on clinical evaluation showed 61.1% sensitivity, 47.7% specificity, 44.9% positive predictive value, and 57.5% negative predictive value. The clinical diagnosis of streptococcal pharyngotonsillitis had low sensitivity and specificity. The routine use of rapid antigen detection test led to the reduction of antibiotic use and the identification of a risk group for complications of streptococcal infection, since 42.5% positive rapid antigen detection test patients would not have received antibiotics based only on clinical diagnosis.

  15. A comparison of in vitro tests and a faecal egg count reduction test in detecting anthelmintic resistance in horse strongyles

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Craven, J.; Bjørn, H.; Barnes, E.H.

    1999-01-01

    This study reports a comparison between faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT), egg hatch assay (EHA) and larval development assay (LDA) for detecting anthelmintic resistance in equine strongyles. Resistance to benzimidazoles was demonstrated in 33 of 42 (79%) farms tested by FECRT and in 32 (62......%) of the 52 farms tested by EHA. As the reference strain used was not fully susceptible to benzimidazoles it was not possible to determine the level of resistance by LDA. Pyrantel resistance was indicated on three of 15 farms by faecal egg count reduction. Resistance was also indicated by LDA for one...

  16. Test of a detection structure for a high-resolution vertex chamber

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gruenewald, M.W.

    1988-01-01

    For the LEP experiment L3 a self-supporting detection structure in the TEC principle for the central vertex chamber was tested both with particles and with laser beams. The main topic of this thesis lied thereby on the determination of the coordinate of the particle passage along the signal-wire axis. Two different methods for the determination of this coordinate along the signal wire were studied. (orig./HSI) [de

  17. Can the Bruckner test be used as a rapid screening test to detect significant refractive errors in children?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kothari Mihir

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: To assess the suitability of Brückner test as a screening test to detect significant refractive errors in children. Materials and Methods: A pediatric ophthalmologist prospectively observed the size and location of pupillary crescent on Brückner test as hyperopic, myopic or astigmatic. This was compared with the cycloplegic refraction. Detailed ophthalmic examination was done for all. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of Brückner test were determined for the defined cutoff levels of ametropia. Results: Ninety-six subjects were examined. Mean age was 8.6 years (range 1 to 16 years. Brückner test could be completed for all; the time taken to complete this test was 10 seconds per subject. The ophthalmologist identified 131 eyes as ametropic, 61 as emmetropic. The Brückner test had sensitivity 91%, specificity 72.8%, positive predictive value 85.5% and negative predictive value 83.6%. Of 10 false negatives four had compound hypermetropic astigmatism and three had myopia. Conclusions: Brückner test can be used to rapidly screen the children for significant refractive errors. The potential benefits from such use may be maximized if programs use the test with lower crescent measurement cutoffs, a crescent measurement ruler and a distance fixation target.

  18. 14C-urea breath test in the detection of Helicobacter pylori infection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Artiko, V.M.; Obradovic, V.B.; Petrovic, N.S.; Davidovic, B.M.; Grujic-Adanja, G.S.; Nastic-Miric, D.R.; Milosavljevic, T.N.

    2001-01-01

    Helicobacter pylori infection is supposed to be one of the major causes of digestive and other diseases. Among a lot of invasive and non-invasive methods for its detection, none is ideal. The aim is an assessment of the Helicobacter pylori infection in the stomach using breath test and comparison to other diagnostic methods, as well as following up the effects of therapy. In 17 patients with digestive discomfort, breath test, rapid urease test and histology were performed, while in 47 patients with proven HP infection the effect of therapy was followed up using breath test and clinical findings. Breath test was performed after per oral administration of the capsule of 14 C urea (37 kBq). Findings of the breath and urease tests were in accordance in 14/17 patients (83%) while breath test and histology in 16/17 patients (94%). During follow-up of the therapeutic effects, breath test and clinical findings were in accordance in 43/47 patients (98%). Breath test can be useful in diagnosis but is a method of choice in following up the patients after therapy for H. pylori infection, because it is non-invasive, fast and precise. (author)

  19. Detecting a Weak Association by Testing its Multiple Perturbations: a Data Mining Approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lo, Min-Tzu; Lee, Wen-Chung

    2014-05-01

    Many risk factors/interventions in epidemiologic/biomedical studies are of minuscule effects. To detect such weak associations, one needs a study with a very large sample size (the number of subjects, n). The n of a study can be increased but unfortunately only to an extent. Here, we propose a novel method which hinges on increasing sample size in a different direction-the total number of variables (p). We construct a p-based `multiple perturbation test', and conduct power calculations and computer simulations to show that it can achieve a very high power to detect weak associations when p can be made very large. As a demonstration, we apply the method to analyze a genome-wide association study on age-related macular degeneration and identify two novel genetic variants that are significantly associated with the disease. The p-based method may set a stage for a new paradigm of statistical tests.

  20. A Novel Computerized Test for Detecting and Monitoring Visual Attentional Deficits and Delirium in the ICU.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Green, Cameron; Hendry, Kirsty; Wilson, Elizabeth S; Walsh, Timothy; Allerhand, Mike; MacLullich, Alasdair M J; Tieges, Zoë

    2017-07-01

    Delirium in the ICU is associated with poor outcomes but is under-detected. Here we evaluated performance of a novel, graded test for objectively detecting inattention in delirium, implemented on a custom-built computerized device (Edinburgh Delirium Test Box-ICU). A pilot study was conducted, followed by a prospective case-control study. Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh General ICU. A pilot study was conducted in an opportunistic sample of 20 patients. This was followed by a validation study in 30 selected patients with and without delirium (median age, 63 yr; range, 23-84) who were assessed with the Edinburgh Delirium Test Box-ICU on up to 5 separate days. Presence of delirium was assessed using the Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU. The Edinburgh Delirium Test Box-ICU involves a behavioral assessment and a computerized test of attention, requiring patients to count slowly presented lights. Thirty patients were assessed a total of 79 times (n = 31, 23, 15, 8, and 2 for subsequent assessments; 38% delirious). Edinburgh Delirium Test Box-ICU scores (range, 0-11) were lower for patients with delirium than those without at the first (median, 0 vs 9.5), second (median, 3.5 vs 9), and third (median, 0 vs 10.5) assessments (all p Delirium Test Box-ICU score less than or equal to 5 was 100% sensitive and 92% specific to delirium across assessments. Longitudinally, participants' Edinburgh Delirium Test Box-ICU performance was associated with delirium status. These findings suggest that the Edinburgh Delirium Test Box-ICU has diagnostic utility in detecting ICU delirium in patients with Richmond Agitation and Sedation Scale Score greater than -3. The Edinburgh Delirium Test Box-ICU has potential additional value in longitudinally tracking attentional deficits because it provides a range of scores and is sensitive to change.

  1. Simultaneous quantitative detection of multiple tumor markers with a rapid and sensitive multicolor quantum dots based immunochromatographic test strip.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Chunying; Hou, Fei; Ma, Yicai

    2015-06-15

    A novel multicolor quantum dots (QDs) based immunochromatographic test strip (ICTS) was developed for simultaneous quantitative detection of multiple tumor markers, by utilizing alpha fetoprotein (AFP) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) as models. The immunosensor could realize simultaneous quantitative detection of tumor markers with only one test line and one control line on the nitrocellulose membrane (NC membrane) due to the introduction of multicolor QDs. In this method, a mixture of mouse anti-AFP McAb and mouse anti-CEA McAb was coated on NC membrane as test line and goat anti-mouse IgG antibody was coated as control line. Anti-AFP McAb-QDs546 conjugates and anti-CEA McAb-QDs620 conjugates were mixed and applied to the conjugate pad. Simultaneous quantitative detection of multiple tumor markers was achieved by detecting the fluorescence intensity of captured QDs labels on test line and control line using a test strip reader. Under the optimum conditions, AFP and CEA could be detected as low as 3 ng/mL and 2 ng/mL in 15 min with a sample volume of 80 μL, and no obvious cross-reactivity was observed. The immunosensor was validated with 130 clinical samples and in which it exhibited high sensitivity (93% for AFP and 87% for CEA) and specificity (94% for AFP and 97% for CEA). The immunosensor also demonstrated high recoveries (87.5-113% for AFP and 90-97.3% for CEA) and low relative standard deviations (RSDs) (2.8-6.2% for AFP and 4.9-9.6% for CEA) when testing spiked human serum. This novel multicolor QDs based ICTS provides an easy and rapid, simultaneous quantitative detecting strategy for point-of-care testing of tumor markers. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Subtle learning and memory impairment in an idiopathic rat model of Alzheimer's disease utilizing cholinergic depletions and β-amyloid.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deibel, S H; Weishaupt, N; Regis, A M; Hong, N S; Keeley, R J; Balog, R J; Bye, C M; Himmler, S M; Whitehead, S N; McDonald, R J

    2016-09-01

    Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a disease of complex etiology, involving multiple risk factors. When these risk factors are presented concomitantly, cognition and brain pathology are more severely compromised than if those risk factors were presented in isolation. Reduced cholinergic tone and elevated amyloid-beta (Aβ) load are pathological hallmarks of AD. The present study sought to investigate brain pathology and alterations in learning and memory when these two factors were presented together in rats. Rats received either sham surgeries, cholinergic depletions of the medial septum, intracerebroventricular Aβ25-35 injections, or both cholinergic depletion and Aβ25-35 injections (Aβ+ACh group). The Aβ+ACh rats were unimpaired in a striatal dependent visual discrimination task, but had impaired acquisition in the standard version of the Morris water task. However, these rats displayed normal Morris water task retention and no impairment in acquisition of a novel platform location during a single massed training session. Aβ+ACh rats did not have exacerbated brain pathology as indicated by activated astroglia, activated microglia, or accumulation of Aβ. These data suggest that cholinergic depletions and Aβ injections elicit subtle cognitive deficits when behavioural testing is conducted shortly after the presentation of these factors. These factors might have altered hippocampal synaptic plasticity and thus resemble early AD pathology. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Antigen spot test (AST): a highly sensitive assay for the detection of antibodies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Herbrink, P; van Bussel, F J; Warnaar, S O [Rijksuniversiteit Leiden (Netherlands)

    1982-02-12

    A method is described for detection of antibodies by means of nitrocellulose or diazobenzyloxymethyl (DBM) paper on which various antigens have been spotted. The sensitivity of this antigen spot test (AST) is comparable with that of RIA and ELISA. The method requires only nanogram amounts of antigen. Since a variety of antigens can be spotted on a single piece of nitrocellulose or DBM paper, this antigen spot test is especially useful for specificity controls on antibodies.

  4. Visual and quantitative anaysis of cisternography for the detection of cerebrospinal fluid leakage

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Choi, Eun Kyoung; Oh, Jin Kyoung; Yoo, Ik Dong; Kim, Dong Hyun; Chung, Yong An [College of Medicine, Incheon St. Mary' s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Incheon (Korea, Republic of); Park, Sonya Young Ju [Dept. of Radiology, College of Medicine, Seoul St. Mary' s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2017-06-15

    We herein present a case of a 29-year-old man with clear rhinorrhea, which persisted for 8 years following a myringotomy. After cotton pledgets were placed in several different regions of the nasal cavity, cisternography using Tc-99m DTPA was performed to measure the radioactivity of each pledget. Cisternography showed subtle uptake in the nasal cavity. However, intense uptake was detected in the pledget placed in the right eustachian tube orifice, where the pledget:serum count ratio was 10.3:1. The patient underwent duroplasty and cranioplasty, and the rhinorrhea resolved.

  5. Visual and Quantitative Analysis of Cisternography for the Detection of Cerebrospinal Fluid Leakage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Eun Kyoung; Oh, Jin Kyoung; Park, Sonya Youngju; Yoo, Ikdong; Kim, Dong-Hyun; Chung, Yong-An

    2017-06-01

    We herein present a case of a 29-year-old man with clear rhinorrhea, which persisted for 8 years following a myringotomy. After cotton pledgets were placed in several different regions of the nasal cavity, cisternography using Tc-99m DTPA was performed to measure the radioactivity of each pledget. Cisternography showed subtle uptake in the nasal cavity. However, intense uptake was detected in the pledget placed in the right eustachian tube orifice, where the pledget:serum count ratio was 10.3:1. The patient underwent duroplasty and cranioplasty, and the rhinorrhea resolved.

  6. Prospective audit of a one-centre combined nuchal translucency and triple test programme for the detection of trisomy 21.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Babbur, Vijayalakshmi; Lees, Christoph C; Goodburn, Sandra F; Morris, Nigel; Breeze, Andrew C G; Hackett, Gerald A

    2005-06-01

    To determine detection and false-positive rates for trisomy 21 using two-stage combined nuchal translucency (NT) and triple testing, whilst disclosing abnormal nuchal measurements at the scan. A prospective audit in a UK women's hospital, of 3188 women with singleton pregnancies, requesting screening for trisomy 21. Median age was 37 years (range 19-46). Women were offered NT screening at 11 to 14 weeks. Those with NT > or =3 mm were offered chorionic villus sampling. Those declining CVS, and those with NT risk of trisomy 21 > or = 1:250, based on age, NT, and triple test results were offered amniocentesis. Using a 3-mm NT 'cut-off' identified 16/25 cases of trisomy 21 (64%; 95% CI 38.8, 78.9). Of 2725 women who had a combined nuchal plus triple test assessment, 79 (2.6%) had a > or = 1:250 term risk of trisomy 21. Forty (1.3%) had amniocentesis identifying 6/9 remaining cases (67%:95% CI:27.9, 92.5). Overall, the detection rate was 88% (95% CI:68.8, 97.5) for a 4.8% FPR. For the screened population, to achieve an 88% detection rate using the triple test alone, the predicted FPR would be 20%. Conversely, for an FPR of 4.8% using the triple test alone, the detection rate would be only 60%. In a high-risk group, the combination of NT with triple test offers detection of trisomy 21 at least equivalent to either test, while allowing disclosure of an abnormal NT at the scan and reducing the FPR. Importantly, the FPR is less than 5%, considerably lower than expected for triple test alone for this population.

  7. Memory detection 2.0: The first web-based memory detection test

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kleinberg, B.; Verschuere, B.

    2015-01-01

    There is accumulating evidence that reaction times (RTs) can be used to detect recognition of critical (e.g., crime) information. A limitation of this research base is its reliance upon small samples (average n = 24), and indications of publication bias. To advance RT-based memory detection, we

  8. Evaluation of three commercial rapid tests for detecting antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ng, K P; Saw, T L; Baki, A; Kamarudin, R

    2003-08-01

    Determine HIV-1/2, Chembio HIV-1/2 STAT-PAK and PenTest are simple/rapid tests for the detection of antibodies to HIV-1 and HIV-2 in human whole blood, serum and plasma samples. The assay is one step and the result is read visually within 15 minutes. Using 92 known HIV-1 reactive sera and 108 known HIV-1 negative sera, the 3 HIV tests correctly identified all the known HIV-1 reactive and negative samples. The results indicated that Determine HIV-1/2, Chembio HIV-1/2 STAT-PAK and PenTest HIV are as sensitive and specific (100% concordance) as Microparticle Enzyme Immunoassay. The data indicated that these 3 HIV tests are effective testing systems for diagnosis of HIV infection in a situation when the conventional Enzyme Immunoassay is not suitable.

  9. Destructive examination of test plates 1 and 2 of the defects detection trials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Crutzen, S.; Buergers, W.; Violin, F.; Di Piazza, L.; Cowburn, K.; Sargent, T.

    1983-01-01

    A further phase of the UKAEA defect detection trials (described previously) with PWR pressure vessel steels is reported. The evaluation of NDT exercise results must be based on destructive examination of the plates used during the exercise. Tests are described and results given. (U.K.)

  10. How reliable are the sup 14 C-urea breath test and specific serology for the detection of gastric campylobacter

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Husebye, E; O' Leary, D; Skar, V; Melby, K [Ullevaal Sykehus, Oslo (Norway)

    1990-01-01

    Detection of gastric campylobacter by the {sup 14}C-urea breath test and serology were correlated to biopsy culture in 25 unselected outpatients referred for gastroscopy. All the 17 culture-positive patients had positive {sup 14}C-urea breath test, and 16 had positive serology. Of eight culture-negative patients, six patients had negative breath test and seven negative serology. A high degree of reproducibility was found when two subsequent breath tests were performed in 11 healthy volunteers. The breath test values obtained at 10 min showed a strong correlation to the accumulated values within 30 min. Breath sampling once, 10 min after intake of 2.5 {mu}Ci {sup 14}C-urea, seems sufficient for the detection of gastric campylobacter. The {sup 14}C-urea breath test correlates well with biopsy culture and provides a sensitive tool for the detection of gastric campylobacter. Serology also corresponds well with biopsy culture and should provide a useful tool for epidemiologic studies. 22 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab.

  11. Subtle effect of Xenos vesparum (Xenidae, Strepsiptera) on the reproductive apparatus of its male host: Parasite or parasitoid?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beani, L; Marchini, D; Cappa, F; Petrocelli, I; Gottardo, M; Manfredini, F; Giusti, F; Dallai, R

    2017-08-01

    Parasitic castration is an adaptive strategy where parasites usurp the hosts' reproductive physiology to complete their life cycle. The alterations in the host traits vary in their magnitude, from subtle changes in the host morpho-physiology and behaviour to the production of complex aberrant phenotypes, which often depend on the host gender. The strepsipteran macroparasite Xenos vesparum induces dramatic behavioural and physiological changes in its female host, the paper wasp Polistes dominula, while its effect on the male phenotype is largely unknown. In this study we investigated how a single X. vesparum parasite influences the functional morphology of P. dominula male reproductive apparatus. We performed morphometry and ultrastructure characterization of corpora allata, testes, seminal vesicles and accessory glands in parasitized and unparasitized males, and also in young and old males to control for the effect of age on the natural deterioration of these organs. Our results show that age significantly affects the development of male reproductive apparatus. A low parasite load - one parasite per host is the common prevalence in the field - has only a marginal impact on the reproductive morphology of P. dominula males, affecting quantitatively but not qualitatively the protein content of male accessory glands. Thus, in male P. dominula wasps, X. vesparum appears to behave as a true "parasite", in clear opposition to the role of "parasitoid" that it takes in female hosts where castration causes the reproductive death. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Analysis of CFRP Joints by Means of T-Pull Mechanical Test and Ultrasonic Defects Detection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Caterina Casavola

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Defects detection within a composite component, with the aim of understanding and predicting its mechanical behavior, is of great importance in the aeronautical field because the irregularities of the composite material could compromise functionality. The aim of this paper is to detect defects by means of non-destructive testing (NDT on T-pull samples made by carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP and to evaluate their effect on the mechanical response of the material. Samples, obtained from an industrial stringer having an inclined web and realized with a polymeric filler between cap and web, were subjected to ultrasonic monitoring and then to T-pull mechanical tests. All samples were tested with the same load mode and the same test configuration. An experimental set-up consisting of a semiautomatic C-scan ultrasonic mapping system with a phased array probe was designed and developed, optimizing control parameters and implementing image processing software. The present work is carried out on real composites parts that are characterized by having their intrinsic defectiveness, as opposed to the previous similar results in the literature mainly obtained on composite parts with artificially produced defects. In fact, although samples under study were realized free from defects, ultrasonic mapping found defectiveness inside the material. Moreover, the ultrasonic inspection could be useful in detecting both the location and size of defects. Experimental data were critically analyzed and qualitatively correlated with results of T-pull mechanical tests in order to better understand and explain mechanical behavior in terms of fracture mode.

  13. Analysis of CFRP Joints by Means of T-Pull Mechanical Test and Ultrasonic Defects Detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Casavola, Caterina; Palano, Fania; De Cillis, Francesco; Tati, Angelo; Terzi, Roberto; Luprano, Vincenza

    2018-04-18

    Defects detection within a composite component, with the aim of understanding and predicting its mechanical behavior, is of great importance in the aeronautical field because the irregularities of the composite material could compromise functionality. The aim of this paper is to detect defects by means of non-destructive testing (NDT) on T-pull samples made by carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP) and to evaluate their effect on the mechanical response of the material. Samples, obtained from an industrial stringer having an inclined web and realized with a polymeric filler between cap and web, were subjected to ultrasonic monitoring and then to T-pull mechanical tests. All samples were tested with the same load mode and the same test configuration. An experimental set-up consisting of a semiautomatic C-scan ultrasonic mapping system with a phased array probe was designed and developed, optimizing control parameters and implementing image processing software. The present work is carried out on real composites parts that are characterized by having their intrinsic defectiveness, as opposed to the previous similar results in the literature mainly obtained on composite parts with artificially produced defects. In fact, although samples under study were realized free from defects, ultrasonic mapping found defectiveness inside the material. Moreover, the ultrasonic inspection could be useful in detecting both the location and size of defects. Experimental data were critically analyzed and qualitatively correlated with results of T-pull mechanical tests in order to better understand and explain mechanical behavior in terms of fracture mode.

  14. Accuracy of non-invasive 13C-urea breath test compared to invasive tests for helicobacter pylori detection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bilal, R.; Khaar, B.; Omar, M.; Qureshi, T.Z.; Ahmed, T.; Latif, Z.; Jaffery, I.; Omar, M.

    2007-01-01

    To compare the sensitivity, specificity and Positive Predictive Value (PPV) of histology, Campylobacter-Like Organism (CLO) test, culture and 13C-Urea Breath Test (UBT) for the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection. District Headquarter Hospital, Rawalpindi, Military Hospital, Rawalpindi and Pakistan Institute of Science and Technology (PINSTECH), Nilore, Islamabad from June 2002 to 2003. Three mucosal biopsy specimens were obtained during endoscopy of 90 symptomatic patients. Histology, CLO test and culture were performed on these specimens. Breath samples for 13C-UBT were collected and sent to RIAD, PINSTECH on the same day for isotope ratio mass spectrometry. For analysis purpose, each of the tests was fixed as the gold standard in turn and the others were then compared against it. In addition, any two as well as any three positive tests were then set as the gold standard and the other tests compared against them to calculate the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and PPV of other tests. Urea breath test had the highest sensitivity, ranging from 95 to 100%, against all the gold standards with specificity ranging from 55 to 100%, whereas the sensitivity of histological examination was around 98% but it had comparatively lower specificity (49-89%). The CLO test had a sensitivity range of 86-100% and specificity of 67-100%. Culture had the minimum sensitivity (59-70%) but had highest specificity (96-100%) against all the gold standards. Age and gender had no effect on p-value of each test or in combination. The urea breath test has shown the highest ability to detect the organism with 95-100% sensitivity in symptomatic individuals and specificity, which is comparable to other tests. (author)

  15. A quench detection/logging system for the SSCL Magnet Test Laboratory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, K.; Coles, M.; Dryer, J.; Lambert, D.

    1994-01-01

    The quench in a magnet describes a process which occurs while the superconductivity state goes to the normal resistive state. The consequence of a quench is the conversion of the stored electromagnetic energy into heat. During this process the initiating point will reach a high temperature, which will char the insulation or melt the conductor and thereby destroy the magnet. To prevent the magnet from being lost, it is standard practice to observe several resistance and/or inductance voltages across the magnet as quench signatures - Detection. When a quench symptom is detected, protection operations are initiated: proper shutdown of the magnet excitation systems and treatment to dilute the heat energy at a spot - Protection. The temperature rise is diluted by firing heaters along the length of the magnet to ensure that the dissipated energy is spread. It is interesting that there is not a significant amount of published research on detection. To afford a more reliable quench detection system, two distinct approaches have been tried in the past: (i) Understanding of the Noise Mechanism and Sub-system Optimization, and (ii) Escaping from the Known Electromagnetic Noises by Observing Optical Waves or Acoustic Waves. The MTL of SSCL confronts a mass-measurement of about 10,000 production magnets. To meet the testing schedule, the false quench detection rate needs to be further optimized while the true quench detection rate remains secure for the magnet measurement safety. To meet these requirements, the authors followed an iterative top-down approach. First they defend the signal and noise characteristics of the quench phenomena by using existing software tools to build a rapid prototype system incorporating all proven functionality of the existing system. Then they further optimize the system through iterative upgrading based on their signal and noise character findings

  16. Nuclear Power Plant Thermocouple Sensor-Fault Detection and Classification Using Deep Learning and Generalized Likelihood Ratio Test

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mandal, Shyamapada; Santhi, B.; Sridhar, S.; Vinolia, K.; Swaminathan, P.

    2017-06-01

    In this paper, an online fault detection and classification method is proposed for thermocouples used in nuclear power plants. In the proposed method, the fault data are detected by the classification method, which classifies the fault data from the normal data. Deep belief network (DBN), a technique for deep learning, is applied to classify the fault data. The DBN has a multilayer feature extraction scheme, which is highly sensitive to a small variation of data. Since the classification method is unable to detect the faulty sensor; therefore, a technique is proposed to identify the faulty sensor from the fault data. Finally, the composite statistical hypothesis test, namely generalized likelihood ratio test, is applied to compute the fault pattern of the faulty sensor signal based on the magnitude of the fault. The performance of the proposed method is validated by field data obtained from thermocouple sensors of the fast breeder test reactor.

  17. Correlation of phenotypic tests with the presence of the blaZ gene for detection of beta-lactamase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferreira, Adriano Martison; Martins, Katheryne Benini; Silva, Vanessa Rocha da; Mondelli, Alessandro Lia; Cunha, Maria de Lourdes Ribeiro de Souza da

    Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus saprophyticus are the most common and most important staphylococcal species associated with urinary tract infections. The objective of the present study was to compare and to evaluate the accuracy of four phenotypic methods for the detection of beta-lactamase production in Staphylococcus spp. Seventy-three strains produced a halo with a diameter ≤28mm (penicillin resistant) and all of them were positive for the blaZ gene. Among the 28 susceptible strain (halo ≥29mm), 23 carried the blaZ gene and five did not. The zone edge test was the most sensitive (90.3%), followed by MIC determination (85.5%), but the specificity of the former was low (40.0%). The nitrocefin test was the least sensitive (28.9%). However, the nitrocefin test together with the disk diffusion method showed the highest specificity (100%). The present results demonstrated that the zone edge test was the most sensitive phenotypic test for detection of beta-lactamase, although it is still not an ideal test to detect this type of resistance since its specificity was low. However, the inhibition halo diameter of the penicillin disk can be used together with the zone edge test since the same disk is employed in the two tests. Combined analysis of the two tests shows a sensitivity of 90.3% and specificity of 100%, proving better sensitivity, especially for S. saprophyticus. This is a low-cost test of easy application and interpretation that can be used in small and medium-sized laboratories where susceptibility testing is usually performed by the disk diffusion method. Copyright © 2016 Sociedade Brasileira de Microbiologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

  18. Correlation of phenotypic tests with the presence of the blaZ gene for detection of beta-lactamase

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adriano Martison Ferreira

    Full Text Available Abstract Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus saprophyticus are the most common and most important staphylococcal species associated with urinary tract infections. The objective of the present study was to compare and to evaluate the accuracy of four phenotypic methods for the detection of beta-lactamase production in Staphylococcus spp. Seventy-three strains produced a halo with a diameter ≤28 mm (penicillin resistant and all of them were positive for the blaZ gene. Among the 28 susceptible strain (halo ≥29 mm, 23 carried the blaZ gene and five did not. The zone edge test was the most sensitive (90.3%, followed by MIC determination (85.5%, but the specificity of the former was low (40.0%. The nitrocefin test was the least sensitive (28.9%. However, the nitrocefin test together with the disk diffusion method showed the highest specificity (100%. The present results demonstrated that the zone edge test was the most sensitive phenotypic test for detection of beta-lactamase, although it is still not an ideal test to detect this type of resistance since its specificity was low. However, the inhibition halo diameter of the penicillin disk can be used together with the zone edge test since the same disk is employed in the two tests. Combined analysis of the two tests shows a sensitivity of 90.3% and specificity of 100%, proving better sensitivity, especially for S. saprophyticus. This is a low-cost test of easy application and interpretation that can be used in small and medium-sized laboratories where susceptibility testing is usually performed by the disk diffusion method.

  19. Development of a one-step immunochromatographic strip test for the detection of sennosides A and B.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Putalun, Waraporn; Morinaga, Osamu; Tanaka, Hiroyuki; Shoyama, Yukihiro

    2004-01-01

    An immunochromatographic strip test was developed to detect sennoside A (1) and sennoside B (2) using anti-1 and anti-2 monoclonal antibodies. The qualitative assay was based on a competitive immunoassay in which the detector reagent consisted of colloidal gold particles coated with the respective sennoside antibodies. The capture reagents were 1- and 2-human serum albumin (HSA) conjugates immobilised on a nitrocellulose membrane on the test strip. The sample containing 1 and 2, together with detector reagent, passed over the zone where the capture reagents had been immobilised. The analytes in the sample competed for binding to the limited amount of antibodies in the detector reagent with the immobilised 1- and 2-HSA conjugates on the membrane and hence positive samples showed no colour in the capture spot zone. Detection limits for the strip test were 125 ng/mL for both sennosides. The assay system is useful as a rapid and simple screening method for the detection of 1 and 2 in plants, drugs and body fluids.

  20. 14C-urea breath test as a method to detect Campylobacter pylori colonization

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rauws, E. A.; van Royen, E. A.; Tytgat, G. N.

    1989-01-01

    Campylobacter pylori may cause type B gastritis. C. pylori produces urease, and the presence of this enzyme in gastric mucosal biopsies is a marker for colonization with the microorganism. The value of a breath test to detect C. pylori colonization in non-ulcer dyspepsia patients was investigated.

  1. Land-cover change detection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Xuexia; Giri, Chandra; Vogelmann, James

    2012-01-01

    Land cover is the biophysical material on the surface of the earth. Land-cover types include grass, shrubs, trees, barren, water, and man-made features. Land cover changes continuously.  The rate of change can be either dramatic and abrupt, such as the changes caused by logging, hurricanes and fire, or subtle and gradual, such as regeneration of forests and damage caused by insects (Verbesselt et al., 2001).  Previous studies have shown that land cover has changed dramatically during the past sevearal centuries and that these changes have severely affected our ecosystems (Foody, 2010; Lambin et al., 2001). Lambin and Strahlers (1994b) summarized five types of cause for land-cover changes: (1) long-term natural changes in climate conditions, (2) geomorphological and ecological processes, (3) human-induced alterations of vegetation cover and landscapes, (4) interannual climate variability, and (5) human-induced greenhouse effect.  Tools and techniques are needed to detect, describe, and predict these changes to facilitate sustainable management of natural resources.

  2. Urine and bladder washing cytology for detection of urothelial carcinoma: standard test with new possibilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Flezar, Margareta Strojan

    2010-01-01

    Light microscopic evaluation of cell morphology in preparations from urine or bladder washing containing exfoliated cells is a standard and primary method for the detection of bladder cancer and also malignancy from other parts of the urinary tract. The cytopathologic examination is a valuable method to detect an early recurrence of malignancy or new primary carcinoma during the follow-up of patients after the treatment of bladder cancer. Characteristic cellular and nuclear signs of malignancy indicate invasive or in situ urothelial carcinoma or high-grade papillary urothelial carcinoma. However, low sensitivity of the method reflects the unreliable cytopathologic diagnosis of low-grade urothelial neoplasms as cellular and nuclear signs of malignancy in these neoplasms are poorly manifested. Many different markers were developed to improve the diagnosis of bladder carcinoma on urinary samples. UroVysion™ test is among the newest and most promising tests. By the method of in situ hybridization one can detect specific cytogenetic changes of urothelial carcinoma

  3. Detection of surface deformation and ionospheric perturbation by the North Korea nuclear test

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, S. C.; Lee, W. J.; Sohn, D. H.; Lee, D. K.; Jung, H. S.

    2017-12-01

    We used remote sensing data to detect the changes on surface and ionosphere due to the North Korea nuclear test. To analyze the surface deformation before and after the 6th North Korea (NK) nuclear test, we used Satellite Aperture Radar (SAR) images. It was reported that there were some surface deformation with about 10 cm by the 4th test (Wei, 2017) and the 5th test (Jo, 2017) using Interferometric SAR (InSAR) technique. However we could not obtain surface deformation by the 6th test using InSAR with Advanced Land Observation Satellite 2 (ALOS-2) data because of low coherence in the area close to the epicenter. Although the low coherence can be occurred due to several reasons, the main reason may be large deformation in this particular case. Therefore we applied pixel offset method to measure the amount of surface deformation in the area with low coherence. Pixel offset method calculates the deformation in the directions along track and Line-of-Sight (LOS) using cross correlation of intensity of two SAR images before and after the event for a pixel and is used frequently to obtain large deformation of glacier (e.g. Lee et al., 2015). Applying pixel offset method to the area of the 6th NK nuclear test, we obtained about 3 m surface deformation in maximum. It seems that the larger deformation occurs as the mountain slope is steeper.We then analyzed ionospheric perturbation using Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) data. If acoustic wave by a nuclear test goes up to the ionosphere and disturbs electron density, then the changes in slant total electron content (STEC) may be detected by GNSS satellites. STEC perturbation has been reported in the previous NK nuclear tests (e.g. Park et al., 2011). We analyzed the third order derivatives of STEC for 51 GNSS stations in South Korea and found that some perturbation were appeared at 4 stations about 20 40 minutes after the test.

  4. Familiarization, validity and smallest detectable difference of the isometric squat test in evaluating maximal strength.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drake, David; Kennedy, Rodney; Wallace, Eric

    2018-02-06

    Isometric multi-joint tests are considered reliable and have strong relationships with 1RM performance. However, limited evidence is available for the isometric squat in terms of effects of familiarization and reliability. This study aimed to assess, the effect of familiarization, stability reliability, determine the smallest detectible difference, and the correlation of the isometric squat test with 1RM squat performance. Thirty-six strength-trained participants volunteered to take part in this study. Following three familiarization sessions, test-retest reliability was evaluated with a 48-hour window between each time point. Isometric squat peak, net and relative force were assessed. Results showed three familiarizations were required, isometric squat had a high level of stability reliability and smallest detectible difference of 11% for peak and relative force. Isometric strength at a knee angle of ninety degrees had a strong significant relationship with 1RM squat performance. In conclusion, the isometric squat is a valid test to assess multi-joint strength and can discriminate between strong and weak 1RM squat performance. Changes greater than 11% in peak and relative isometric squat performance should be considered as meaningful in participants who are familiar with the test.

  5. Development and testing of incident detection algorithms. Vol. 2, research methodology and detailed results.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1976-04-01

    The development and testing of incident detection algorithms was based on Los Angeles and Minneapolis freeway surveillance data. Algorithms considered were based on times series and pattern recognition techniques. Attention was given to the effects o...

  6. Development of a multiplex lateral flow strip test for foot-and-mouth disease virus detection using monoclonal antibodies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Ming; Caterer, Nigel R; Xu, Wanhong; Goolia, Melissa

    2015-09-01

    Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is one of the world's most highly contagious animal diseases with tremendous economic consequences. A rapid and specific test for FMD diagnosis at the site of a suspected outbreak is crucial for the implementation of control measures. This project developed a multiplex lateral flow immunochromatographic strip test (multiplex-LFI) for the rapid detection and serotyping of FMD viruses. The monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against serotypes O, A, and Asia 1 were used as capture mAbs. The mAbs were conjugated with fluorescein, rhodamine or biotin for serotype O, A and Asia 1, respectively. The detection mAbs which consisted of a serotype-independent mAb in combination with one serotype A-specific mAb and one Asia 1-specific mAb, were each colloidal gold-conjugated. The strips used in this study contained one control line and three test lines, which corresponded to one of the three serotypes, O, A or Asia 1. The newly developed multiplex-LFI strip test specifically identified serotype O (n=46), A (n=45) and Asia 1 (n=17) in all tested field isolates. The sensitivity of this strip test was comparable to the double antibody sandwich ELISA for serotypes O and A, but lower than the ELISA for serotype Asia 1. The multiplex-LFI strip test identified all tissue suspensions from animals that were experimentally inoculated with serotypes O, A or Asia 1. FMD viruses were detected in 38% and 50% of the swab samples from the lesion areas of experimentally inoculated sheep for serotypes O and A, respectively. The capability of the multiplex-LFI strip tests to produce rapid results with high specificity for FMD viruses of multiple serotypes makes this test a valuable tool to detect FMD viruses at outbreak sites. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Early detection of Haemonchus contortus infection in sheep using three different faecal occult blood tests

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A.V. Rodríguez

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Haemonchus contortus is a blood-sucking parasite causing the presence of faecal occult blood (FOB. The objective was to study three different FOB tests in order to have a new indicator of H. contortus infection in sheep that could be included in the genetic evaluation system as an alternative selection criterion to faecal worm egg count (FEC. A total of 29 Corriedale lambs were experimentally infected with 10.000 larvae of H. contortus. Stool samples were recorded for FEC and FOB tests (Hexagon, Hematest® and Multistix®, blood for packed cell volume (PCV, haemoglobin, white and red blood cell count (RBC, and FAMACHA© for scoring anaemia. At the end of the experiment lambs were slaughtered to worm burden count. Field infection was achieved in 309 Merino lambs under natural parasite challenge. FEC data were normalized through logarithmic transformation (LnFEC. Pearson correlation was estimated to examine the relationship between all traits. The three tests were able to detect the presence of FOB at day 11. FEC, PCV and RBC decreased to sub-normal values from day 18. FAMACHA© score 3 was considered to be indicative of anaemia. Most of the correlations were of high magnitude, with the exception of Multistix® test that was moderately correlated with haematological parameters, LnFEC and FEC. In field infection, most samples were negative to FOB tests and the correlations were lower than those calculated under experimental infection. In conclusion, FOB tests were able to detect haemonchosis earlier than FEC under high experimental parasite challenge. However, they were not able to detect FOB under natural mixed parasite challenge. FAMACHA© and PCV demonstrated to be good indicators of Haemonchosis, having moderate to high correlations with FEC.

  8. A network based covariance test for detecting multivariate eQTL in saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Huili; Li, Zhenye; Tang, Nelson L S; Deng, Minghua

    2016-01-11

    Expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) analysis has been widely used to understand how genetic variations affect gene expressions in the biological systems. Traditional eQTL is investigated in a pair-wise manner in which one SNP affects the expression of one gene. In this way, some associated markers found in GWAS have been related to disease mechanism by eQTL study. However, in real life, biological process is usually performed by a group of genes. Although some methods have been proposed to identify a group of SNPs that affect the mean of gene expressions in the network, the change of co-expression pattern has not been considered. So we propose a process and algorithm to identify the marker which affects the co-expression pattern of a pathway. Considering two genes may have different correlations under different isoforms which is hard to detect by the linear test, we also consider the nonlinear test. When we applied our method to yeast eQTL dataset profiled under both the glucose and ethanol conditions, we identified a total of 166 modules, with each module consisting of a group of genes and one eQTL where the eQTL regulate the co-expression patterns of the group of genes. We found that many of these modules have biological significance. We propose a network based covariance test to identify the SNP which affects the structure of a pathway. We also consider the nonlinear test as considering two genes may have different correlations under different isoforms which is hard to detect by linear test.

  9. Laboratory Tests of Multiplex Detection of PCR Amplicons Using the Luminex 100 Flow Analyzer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Venkateswaran, K.S.; Nasarabadi, S.; Langlois, R.G.

    2000-05-05

    Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) demonstrated the power of flow cytometry in detecting the biological agents simulants at JFT III. LLNL pioneered in the development of advanced nucleic acid analyzer (ANM) for portable real time identification. Recent advances in flow cytometry provide a means for multiplexed nucleic acid detection and immunoassay of pathogenic microorganisms. We are presently developing multiplexed immunoassays for the simultaneous detection of different simulants. Our goal is to build an integrated instrument for both nucleic acid analysis and immuno detection. In this study we evaluated the Luminex LX 100 for concurrent identification of more than one PCR amplified product. ANAA has real-time Taqman fluorescent detection capability for rapid identification of field samples. However, its multiplexing ability is limited by the combination of available fluorescent labels. Hence integration of ANAA with flow cytometry can give the rapidity of ANAA amplification and the multiplex capability of flow cytometry. Multiplexed flow cytometric analysis is made possible using a set of fluorescent latex microsphere that are individually identified by their red and infrared fluorescence. A green fluorochrome is used as the assay signal. Methods were developed for the identification of specific nucleic acid sequences from Bacillus globigii (Bg), Bacillus thuringensis (Bt) and Erwinia herbicola (Eh). Detection sensitivity using different reporter fluorochromes was tested with the LX 100, and also different assay formats were evaluated for their suitability for rapid testing. A blind laboratory trial was carried out December 22-27, 1999 to evaluate bead assays for multiplex identification of Bg and Bt PCR products. This report summarizes the assay development, fluorochrome comparisons, and the results of the blind trial conducted at LLNL for the laboratory evaluation of the LX 100 flow analyzer.

  10. A Test for Cluster Bias: Detecting Violations of Measurement Invariance across Clusters in Multilevel Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jak, Suzanne; Oort, Frans J.; Dolan, Conor V.

    2013-01-01

    We present a test for cluster bias, which can be used to detect violations of measurement invariance across clusters in 2-level data. We show how measurement invariance assumptions across clusters imply measurement invariance across levels in a 2-level factor model. Cluster bias is investigated by testing whether the within-level factor loadings…

  11. EU-approved rapid tests for bovine spongiform encephalopathy detect atypical forms: a study for their sensitivities.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniela Meloni

    Full Text Available Since 2004 it become clear that atypical bovine spongiform encephalopthies (BSEs exist in cattle. Whenever their detection has relied on active surveillance plans implemented in Europe since 2001 by rapid tests, the overall and inter-laboratory performance of these diagnostic systems in the detection of the atypical strains has not been studied thoroughly to date. To fill this gap, the present study reports on the analytical sensitivity of the EU-approved rapid tests for atypical L- and H-type and classical BSE in parallel. Each test was challenged with two dilution series, one created from a positive pool of the three BSE forms according to the EURL standard method of homogenate preparation (50% w/v and the other as per the test kit manufacturer's instructions. Multilevel logistic models and simple logistic models with the rapid test as the only covariate were fitted for each BSE form analyzed as directed by the test manufacturer's dilution protocol. The same schemes, but excluding the BSE type, were then applied to compare test performance under the manufacturer's versus the water protocol. The IDEXX HerdChek ® BSE-scrapie short protocol test showed the highest sensitivity for all BSE forms. The IDEXX® HerdChek BSE-scrapie ultra short protocol, the Prionics®--Check WESTERN and the AJ Roboscreen® BetaPrion tests showed similar sensitivities, followed by the Roche® PrionScreen, the Bio-Rad® TeSeE™ SAP and the Prionics®--Check PrioSTRIP in descending order of analytical sensitivity. Despite these differences, the limit of detection of all seven rapid tests against the different classes of material set within a 2 log(10 range of the best-performing test, thus meeting the European Food Safety Authority requirement for BSE surveillance purposes. These findings indicate that not many atypical cases would have been missed surveillance since 2001 which is important for further epidemiological interpretations of the sporadic character of

  12. On the infrasound detected from the 2013 and 2016 DPRK's underground nuclear tests

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Assink, J. D.; Averbuch, G.; Smets, P.S.M.; Evers, L.G.

    2016-01-01

    The underground nuclear tests by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) generated atmospheric infrasound both in 2013 and 2016. Clear detections were made in the Russian Federation (I45RU) and Japan (I30JP) in 2013 at stations from the International Monitoring System. Both tropospheric

  13. Rapid and quantitative detection of C-reactive protein using quantum dots and immunochromatographic test strips

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cheng X

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Xianglin Cheng,1,* Xu Pu,2,* Pen Jun,3 XiaoBo Zhu,3 Di Zhu,4 Ming Chen1 1Department of Laboratory Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Yangtze University, Jingzhou, 2Department of Laboratory Medicine, RenMin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 3Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Biology and Medicine (Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA *These authors contributed equally to this study and share first authorship Background: Rapid immunochromatographic tests can detect disease markers in 10–15 minutes, which facilitates clinical diagnosis and treatment programs. However, most immunochromatographic tests employ gold nanoparticles as reporters, and these have only moderate sensitivity and act as qualitative methods for analyzing high biomarker concentrations. Methods: In this study, we introduce quantum dots (QDs as fluorescent probes and immunochromatographic strips to develop quantitative fluorescence point-of-care tests (QF-POCT to analyze C-reactive protein (CRP levels. Goat anti-rabbit IgG and rabbit IgG were used as control antibodies, and mouse monoclonal CRP antibody pairs were used for disease marker detection. One monoclonal CRP antibody was conjugated with QDs and served as a signal antibody, and the other monoclonal CRP antibody was dispensed onto the nitrocellulose membrane and served as a capturing antibody. In the presence of CRP, the fluorescence intensity of the monoclonal antibody-CRP-monoclonal antibody sandwich complex captured on the nitrocellulose membrane was determined using the fluorescence strip reader. Results: QF-POCT assays could quantitatively analyze the concentration of CRP in 15 minutes had a detection limit of 0.25 mg/L, and had a wide detection linearity range (0.5–300 mg/L. The intra-assay and interassay

  14. Evaluation of a rapid immunodiagnostic test kit for detection of African lyssaviruses from brain material

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    W. Markotter

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available Rapid immunodiagnostic test kit was evaluated against a selection of isolates of lyssavirus genotypes occurring in Africa. The test was carried out in parallel comparison with the fluorescent antibody test (FAT and isolates representing previously established phylogenetic groups from each genotype were included. The specificity of the rapid immunodiagnostic test compared favourably with the FAT and was found to detect all representatives of genotypes 1, 2, 3 and 4 in brain samples of either field cases or suckling mouse brain inoculates.

  15. Combined use of the modified Hodge test and carbapenemase inhibition test for detection of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae and metallo-β-lactamase-producing Pseudomonas spp.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Wonkeun; Hong, Seong Geun; Yong, Dongeun; Jeong, Seok Hoon; Kim, Hyun Soo; Kim, Han-Sung; Kim, Jae-Seok; Bae, Il Kwon

    2015-03-01

    We evaluated the combined use of the modified Hodge test (MHT) and carbapenemase inhibition test (CIT) using phenylboronic acid (PBA) and EDTA to detect carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) and metallo-β-lactamase (MBL)-producing Pseudomonas spp. A total of 49 isolates of CPE (15 Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase [KPC], 5 Guiana extended-spectrum β-lactamase [GES]-5, 9 New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase [NDM]-1, 5 Verona integron-encoded metallo-β-lactamase [VIM]-2, 3 imipenem-hydrolyzing β-lactamase [IMP], and 12 oxacillinase [OXA]-48-like), 25 isolates of MBL-producing Pseudomonas spp. (14 VIM-2 and 11 IMP), and 35 carbapenemase-negative controls were included. The MHT was performed for all isolates as recommended by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. Enhanced growth of the indicator strain was measured in mm with a ruler. The CIT was performed by directly dripping PBA and EDTA solutions onto carbapenem disks that were placed on Mueller-Hinton agar plates seeded with the test strain. Considering the results of the MHT with the ertapenem disk in Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas spp., the CIT with the meropenem disk in Enterobacteriaceae, and the imipenem disk in Pseudomonas spp., three combined disk tests, namely MHT-positive plus PBA-positive, EDTA-positive, and MHT-positive plus PBA-negative plus EDTA-negative, had excellent sensitivity and specificity for the detection of KPC- (100% sensitivity and 100% specificity), MBL- (94% sensitivity and 100% specificity), and OXA-48-like-producing isolates (100% sensitivity and 100% specificity), respectively. Combined use of the MHT and CIT with PBA and EDTA, for the detection of CPE and MBL-producing Pseudomonas spp., is effective in detecting and characterizing carbapenemases in routine laboratories.

  16. An integrated electrochemical device based on immunochromatographic test strip and enzyme labels for sensitive detection of disease-related biomarkers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zou, Zhexiang; Wang, Jun; Wang, Hua; Li, Yao Q.; Lin, Yuehe

    2012-05-30

    A novel electrochemical biosensing device that integrates an immunochromatographic test strip and a screen-printed electrode (SPE) connected to a portable electrochemical analyzer was presented for rapid, sensitive, and quantitative detection of disease-related biomarker in human blood samples. The principle of the sensor is based on sandwich immunoreactions between a biomarker and a pair of its antibodies on the test strip, followed by highly sensitive square-wave voltammetry (SWV) detection. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was used as a signal reporter for electrochemical readout. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was employed as a model protein biomarker to demonstrate the analytical performance of the sensor in this study. Some critical parameters governing the performance of the sensor were investigated in detail. The sensor was further utilized to detect HBsAg in human plasma with an average recovery of 91.3%. In comparison, a colorimetric immunochromatographic test strip assay (ITSA) was also conducted. The result shows that the SWV detection in the electrochemical sensor is much more sensitive for the quantitative determination of HBsAg than the colorimetric detection, indicating that such a sensor is a promising platform for rapid and sensitive point-of-care testing/screening of disease-related biomarkers in a large population

  17. A quench detection/logging system for the SSCL Magnet Test Laboratory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, K.; Coles, M.; Dryer, J.; Lambert, D.

    1993-05-01

    The quench in a magnet describes a process which occurs while the superconductivity state goes to the normal resistive state. The consequence of a quench is the conversion of the stored electromagnetic energy into heat. During this process the initiating point will reach a high temperature, which will char the insulation or melt the conductor and thereby destroy the magnet. To prevent the magnet from being lost, it is standard practice to observe several resistance and/or inductance voltages across the magnet as quench signatures -- detection. When a quench symptom is detected, protection operations are initiated: proper shutdown of the magnet excitation systems and treatment to dilute the heat energy at a spot -- protection. The temperature rise is diluted by firing heaters along the length of the magnet to insure that the dissipated energy is spread. To develop a reliable quench detection system, two distinct approaches have been tried in the past: (i) Understanding of the Noise Mechanism and Sub-system Optimization, and (ii) Escaping from the Known Electromagnetic Noises by Observing Optical Waves or Acoustic Waves. The MTL of SSCL confronts a mass-measurement of about 10,000 production magnets. To meet the testing schedule, the false quench detection rate needs to be further optimized while the true quench detection rate remains secure for the magnet measurement safety. To meet these requirements, we followed an iterative top-down approach. First we defined the signal and noise characteristics of the quench phenomena by using existing software tools to build a rapid prototype system incorporating all proven functionality of the existing system. Then we further optimize the system through iterative upgrading based on our signal and noise character findings

  18. Comparison between the Counter Immunoelectrophoresis Test and Mouse Neutralization Test for the Detection of Antibodies against Rabies Virus in Dog Sera

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luzia Helena Queiroz da Silva

    2002-03-01

    Full Text Available The detection of rabies antibodies is extremely valuable for epidemiological studies, determination of immune status in man, animals, and for the diagnosis of the disease. Several serological procedures have been described for this purpose. The present study reports a comparison between counterimmunoelectrophoresis test (CIET and mouse neutralization test (MNT in the detection of antibodies against rabies virus from 212 serum samples of vaccinated dogs. The agreement between both techniques was 79.7% and a significative association was demonstrated. The correlation coefficients between MNT and the CIET titers was determined considering 88 samples showing positive results in both techniques [CIET = 2 and MNT = 5 (0.13 IU/ml] and resulted r² = 0.7926 (p < 0.001. The performance of CIET system was technically simple, cheap and rapid, and thereby it could be useful for serological monitoring of dog vaccination campaigns as well as for individual analysis.

  19. Deterrence by risk of detection? An inquiry into how elite athletes perceive the deterrent effect of the doping testing regime in their sport

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Overbye, Marie Birch

    2017-01-01

    Aims: A central paradigm of global anti-doping policy is detection-based deterrence, i.e. the risk of testing and exclusion from sport are effective doping deterrents. This paper investigates how elite athletes perceive the deterrent effect of the testing strategy in their sport and explores...... the likelihood of testing nor detection as deterrents. 8% did not consider the likelihood of testing and detection nor the ban from sport as deterrents.  Conclusions: Testing programmes–as a strategy to detect and deter doping–are no great deterrent for many athletes. The results highlight the limitations...... whether and how specific factors such as the frequency of testing influence athletes’ perceptions of testing as a deterrent.  Methods: 645 Danish elite athletes completed a web-based questionnaire about their perceptions of testing efforts in their sport.  Findings: 75% of the athletes considered...

  20. Highly selective and reversible chemosensor for Pd(2+) detected by fluorescence, colorimetry, and test paper.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Mian; Liu, Xiaomei; Lu, Huizhe; Wang, Hongmei; Qin, Zhaohai

    2015-01-21

    A "turn-on" fluorescent and colorimetric chemosensor (RBS) for Pd(2+) has been designed and synthesized through introduction of sulfur as a ligand atom to Rhodamine B. RBS exhibits high selectivity (freedom from the interference of Hg(2+ )in particular) and sensitivity toward Pd(2+) with a detection limit as low as 2.4 nM. RBS is also a reversible sensor, and it can be made into test paper to detect Pd(2+) in pure water. Compared to the chemosensors that introduced phosphorus to Rhodamine to detect Pd(2+), RBS can be synthesized more simply and economically.

  1. Chromium(VI) release from leather and metals can be detected with a diphenylcarbazide spot test

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bregnbak, David; Johansen, Jeanne D.; Jellesen, Morten Stendahl

    2015-01-01

    Along with chromium, nickel and cobalt are the clinically most important metal allergens. However, unlike for nickel and cobalt, there is no validated colorimetric spot test that detects chromium. Such a test could help both clinicians and their patients with chromium dermatitis to identify culprit...... exposures. To evaluate the use of diphenylcarbazide (DPC) as a spot test reagent for the identification of chromium(VI) release. A colorimetric chromium(VI) spot test based on DPC was prepared and used on different items from small market surveys. The DPC spot test was able to identify chromium(VI) release...

  2. Dual-focus Magnification, High-Definition Endoscopy Improves Pathology Detection in Direct-to-Test Diagnostic Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bond, Ashley; Burkitt, Michael D; Cox, Trevor; Smart, Howard L; Probert, Chris; Haslam, Neil; Sarkar, Sanchoy

    2017-03-01

    In the UK, the majority of diagnostic upper gastrointestinal (UGI) endoscopies are a result of direct-to-test referral from the primary care physician. The diagnostic yield of these tests is relatively low, and the burden high on endoscopy services. Dual-focus magnification, high-definition endoscopy is expected to improve detection and classification of UGI mucosal lesions and also help minimize biopsies by allowing better targeting. This is a retrospective study of patients attending for direct-to-test UGI endoscopy from January 2015 to June 2015. The primary outcome of interest was the identification of significant pathology. Detection of significant pathology was modelled using logistic regression. 500 procedures were included. The mean age of patients was 61.5 (±15.6) years; 60.8% of patients were female. Ninety-four gastroscopies were performed using dual-focus magnification high-definition endoscopy. Increasing age, male gender, type of endoscope, and type of operator were all identified as significant factors influencing the odds of detecting significant mucosal pathology. Use of dual-focus magnification, high-definition endoscopy was associated with an odds ratio of 1.87 (95%CI 1.11-3.12) favouring the detection of significant pathology. Subsequent analysis suggested that the increased detection of pathology during dual-focus magnification, high-definition endoscopy also influenced patient follow-up and led to a 3.0 fold (p=0.04) increase in the proportion of patients entered into an UGI endoscopic surveillance program. Dual-focus magnification, high-definition endoscopy improved the diagnostic yield for significant mucosal pathology in patients referred for direct-to-test endoscopy. If this finding is recapitulated elsewhere it will have substantial impact on the provision of UGI endoscopic services.

  3. Immunochromatographic Strip Test for Rapid Detection of Diphtheria Toxin: Description and Multicenter Evaluation in Areas of Low and High Prevalence of Diphtheria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Engler, K. H.; Efstratiou, A.; Norn, D.; Kozlov, R. S.; Selga, I.; Glushkevich, T. G.; Tam, M.; Melnikov, V. G.; Mazurova, I. K.; Kim, V. E.; Tseneva, G. Y.; Titov, L. P.; George, R. C.

    2002-01-01

    An immunochromatographic strip (ICS) test was developed for the detection of diphtheria toxin by using an equine polyclonal antibody as the capture antibody and colloidal gold-labeled monoclonal antibodies specific for fragment A of the diphtheria toxin molecule as the detection antibody. The ICS test has been fully optimized for the detection of toxin from bacterial cultures; the limit of detection was approximately 0.5 ng of diphtheria toxin per ml within 10 min. In a comparative study with 915 pure clinical isolates of Corynebacterium spp., the results of the ICS test were in complete agreement with those of the conventional Elek test. The ICS test was also evaluated for its ability to detect toxigenicity from clinical specimens (throat swabs) in two field studies conducted within areas of the former USSR where diphtheria is epidemic. Eight hundred fifty throat swabs were examined by conventional culture and by use of directly inoculated broth cultures for the ICS test. The results showed 99% concordance (848 of 850 specimens), and the sensitivity and specificity of the ICS test were 98% (95% confidence interval, 91 to 99%) and 99% (95% confidence interval, 99 to 100%), respectively. PMID:11773096

  4. Detection of anti neutrophil antibodies by radio-iodinated protein A binding test

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cartron, J.; Muller, J.Y.; Tchernia, G.; Paule, B.; Varet, B.

    1983-01-01

    The granulocyte associated IgG in normal and neutropenic subjects has been determined by a direct quantitative assay using radiolabeled staphylococcal protein A. This assay allows to postulate an immunological mechanism to explain the neutropenia in 19 cases of neutropenias associated with malfunctions of the immune system and in 4 cases of idiopathic neutropenias. Discussed in this report is the possible interaction of immune complexes bound in vivo to the granulocytes. By an immunofluorescence test, it has been possible to detect IgG or IgM antibodies in only 52% of patients with a positive direct assay. The determination of granulocyte-associated IgG is therefore a better indicator for defining an auto-immune neutropenia than the detection of free antibodies in the sera [fr

  5. Validation of the shake test for detecting freeze damage to adsorbed vaccines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kartoglu, Umit; Ozgüler, Nejat Kenan; Wolfson, Lara J; Kurzatkowski, Wiesław

    2010-08-01

    To determine the validity of the shake test for detecting freeze damage in aluminium-based, adsorbed, freeze-sensitive vaccines. A double-blind crossover design was used to compare the performance of the shake test conducted by trained health-care workers (HCWs) with that of phase contrast microscopy as a "gold standard". A total of 475 vials of 8 different types of World Health Organization prequalified freeze-sensitive vaccines from 10 different manufacturers were used. Vaccines were kept at 5 degrees C. Selected numbers of vials from each type were then exposed to -25 degrees C and -2 degrees C for 24-hour periods. There was complete concordance between HCWs and phase-contrast microscopy in identifying freeze-damaged vials and non-frozen samples. Non-frozen samples showed a fine-grain structure under phase contrast microscopy, but freeze-damaged samples showed large conglomerates of massed precipitates with amorphous, crystalline, solid and needle-like structures. Particles in the non-frozen samples measured from 1 microm (vaccines against diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis; Haemophilus influenzae type b; hepatitis B; diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis-hepatitis B) to 20 microm (diphtheria and tetanus vaccines, alone or in combination). By contrast, aggregates in the freeze-damaged samples measured up to 700 microm (diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis) and 350 microm on average. The shake test had 100% sensitivity, 100% specificity and 100% positive predictive value in this study, which confirms its validity for detecting freeze damage to aluminium-based freeze-sensitive vaccines.

  6. Ultrastructural Investigation of Pelvic Peritoneum in Patients With Chronic Pelvic Pain and Subtle Endometriosis in Association With Chromoendoscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mehdizadehkashi, Abolfazl; Tahermanesh, Kobra; Fazel Anvari-Yazdi, Abbas; Chaichian, Shahla; Azarpira, Negar; Nobakht, Maliheh; Abed, Seyedeh Mehr; Hashemi, Neda

    2017-01-01

    To evaluate the pelvic peritoneum under chromoendoscopy by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) as well as light microscopy with hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemistry (IHC) assays in patients with chronic pelvic pain (CPP) associated with subtle endometriosis. Case series study (Canadian Task Force classification II). A referral academic community tertiary medical center. Three women aged 29 to 37 years were referred to the obstetrics and gynecology clinic of the tertiary university hospital with CPP. They were suspicious for endometriosis, were not responding to medical treatments, and had undergone previous pelvic laparoscopy to determine the stage of endometriosis and preparation of peritoneal samples under the guidance of staining with methylene blue in 0.25% dilution. Comparison of stained and unstained pelvic peritoneal samples after the instillation of 0.25% methylene blue into the pelvic cavity. In 3 patients, laparoscopic examination showed minimal endometriosis. A total of 18 samples (9 stained and 9 unstained) from the 3 patients were prepared for SEM. Ten of the samples (55.6%) showed microstructural peritoneal destruction (7 of 9 stained [77.7%] and 3 of 9 [33.4%] unstained). Eighteen samples (9 stained and 9 unstained) from the 3 patients were also prepared for IHC. Six of these samples (33.3%) were S-100-positive, including 4 of 9 (44.4%) stained samples and 2 of 9 (22.2%) unstained samples. In general, in the context of CPP and endometriosis, there is no established relationship between the severity of pain and stage of endometriosis. In the pathophysiology of CPP associated with endometriosis, ultrastructural changes can play a significant role. Under methylene blue staining, some destroyed areas were detected, but the stained areas do not necessarily correlate with increased microstructural peritoneal destruction. Copyright © 2016 AAGL. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Change Detection for Remote Monitoring of Underground Nuclear Testing: Comparison with Seismic and Associated Explosion Source Phenomenological Data

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Canty, M.; Jahnke, G.; Nielsen, Allan Aasbjerg

    2005-01-01

    The analysis of open-source satellite imagery is in process of establishing itself as an important tool for monitoring nuclear activities throughout the world which are relevant to disarmament treaties, like e. g. the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). However, the detection of anthrop......The analysis of open-source satellite imagery is in process of establishing itself as an important tool for monitoring nuclear activities throughout the world which are relevant to disarmament treaties, like e. g. the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). However, the detection...... of conventional multispectral satellite platforms with moderate ground resolution (Landsat TM, ASTER) to detect changes over wide areas.We chose the Nevada Test Site (NTS), USA, for a case study because of the large amount of available ground truth information. The analysis is based on the multivariate alteration...

  8. Development and testing of monoclonal antibody-based rapid immunodiagnostic test kits for direct detection of Vibrio cholerae O139 synonym Bengal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasan, J A; Huq, A; Nair, G B; Garg, S; Mukhopadhyay, A K; Loomis, L; Bernstein, D; Colwell, R R

    1995-11-01

    We report on the development and testing of two monoclonal antibody-based rapid immunodiagnostic test kits, BengalScreen, a coagglutination test, and Bengal DFA, a direct fluorescent-antibody test, for direct detection of Vibrio cholerae O139 synonym Bengal in clinical and environmental specimens. The BengalScreen test requires less than 5 min to complete and can be used in the field. Bengal DFA, being more sensitive than BengalScreen, requires only one reagent and less than 20 min for detection and enumeration of V. cholerae O139 synonym Bengal. In tests for specificity, all 40 strains of V. cholerae O139 reacted with both test kits, whereas 157 strains of heterologous species examined did not, yielding 100% specificity in this study. A field trial was conducted in with both BengalScreen and Bengal DFA, and the results were compared with those obtained by conventional culture methods. BengalScreen demonstrated a sensitivity of 95%, a specificity of 100%, a positive predictive value of 100%, and a negative predictive value of 94%. Results obtained by Bengal DFA, on the other hand, were 100% sensitive and 100% specific and yielded 100% positive and negative predictive values compared with culture methods. In a second evaluation, 93 stool specimens from Mexico that were negative for V. cholerae O139 by culture were also tested with both the BengalScreen and Bengal DFA kits. None of the 93 specimens were positive for V. cholerae O139 by both tests. A concentration method was optimized for screening of environmental water samples for V. cholerae O139 synonym Bengal with rapid test kits. BengalScreen results were unequivocally positive when water samples contained at least 2.0 x 10(3) CFU/ml, whereas Bengal DFA demonstrated an unequivocally positive reaction when the water sample contained at least 1.5 x 10(2) CFU/ml. When Bengal DFA was compared with conventional culture methods for enumeration of V. cholerae O139 synonym Bengal organisms, no difference was observed.

  9. Machine learning plus optical flow: a simple and sensitive method to detect cardioactive drugs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Eugene K.; Kurokawa, Yosuke K.; Tu, Robin; George, Steven C.; Khine, Michelle

    2015-07-01

    Current preclinical screening methods do not adequately detect cardiotoxicity. Using human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPS-CMs), more physiologically relevant preclinical or patient-specific screening to detect potential cardiotoxic effects of drug candidates may be possible. However, one of the persistent challenges for developing a high-throughput drug screening platform using iPS-CMs is the need to develop a simple and reliable method to measure key electrophysiological and contractile parameters. To address this need, we have developed a platform that combines machine learning paired with brightfield optical flow as a simple and robust tool that can automate the detection of cardiomyocyte drug effects. Using three cardioactive drugs of different mechanisms, including those with primarily electrophysiological effects, we demonstrate the general applicability of this screening method to detect subtle changes in cardiomyocyte contraction. Requiring only brightfield images of cardiomyocyte contractions, we detect changes in cardiomyocyte contraction comparable to - and even superior to - fluorescence readouts. This automated method serves as a widely applicable screening tool to characterize the effects of drugs on cardiomyocyte function.

  10. [THE COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF RESULTS OF DETECTION OF CARCINOGENIC TYPES OF HUMAN PAPILLOMA VIRUS BY QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE TESTS].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuzmenko, E T; Labigina, A V; Leshenko, O Ya; Rusanov, D N; Kuzmenko, V V; Fedko, L P; Pak, I P

    2015-05-01

    The analysis of results of screening (n = 3208; sexually active citizen aged from 18 to 59 years) was carried out to detect oncogene types of human papilloma virus in using qualitative (1150 females and 720 males) and quantitative (polymerase chain reaction in real-time (843 females and 115 males) techniques. The human papilloma virus of high oncogene type was detected in 65% and 68.4% of females and in 48.6% and 53% of males correspondingly. Among 12 types of human papilloma virus the most frequently diagnosed was human papilloma virus 16 independently of gender of examined and technique of analysis. In females, under application of qualitative tests rate of human papilloma virus 16 made up to 18.3% (n = 280) and under application of quantitative tests Rte of human papilloma virus made up to 14.9% (n = 126; p ≤ 0.05). Under examination of males using qualitative tests rate of human papilloma virus 16 made up to 8.3% (n = 60) and under application of qualitative tests made up to 12.2% (n = 14; p ≥ 0.05). Under application of qualitative tests rate of detection on the rest ofoncogene types of human papilloma virus varied in females from 3.4% to 8.4% and in males from 1.8% to 5.9%. Under application of qualitative tests to females rate of human papilloma virus with high viral load made up to 68.4%, with medium viral load - 2.85% (n = 24) and with low viral load -0.24% (n = 2). Under application of quantitative tests in males rate of detection of types of human papilloma virus made up to 53% and at that in all high viral load was established. In females, the most of oncogene types of human papilloma virus (except for 31, 39, 59) are detected significantly more often than in males.

  11. Visualization of and Software for Omnibus Test Based Change Detected in a Time Series of Polarimetric SAR Data

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Allan Aasbjerg; Conradsen, Knut; Skriver, Henning

    2017-01-01

    Based on an omnibus likelihood ratio test statistic for the equality of several variance-covariance matrices following the complex Wishart distribution and a factorization of this test statistic with associated p-values, change analysis in a time series of multilook polarimetric SAR data...... in the covariance matrix representation is carried out. The omnibus test statistic and its factorization detect if and when change occurs. Using airborne EMISAR and spaceborne RADARSAT-2 data this paper focuses on change detection based on the p-values, on visualization of change at pixel as well as segment level......, and on computer software....

  12. Normative values for the unipedal stance test with eyes open and closed.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Springer, Barbara A; Marin, Raul; Cyhan, Tamara; Roberts, Holly; Gill, Norman W

    2007-01-01

    Limited normative data are available for the unipedal stance test (UPST), making it difficult for clinicians to use it confidently to detect subtle balance impairments. The purpose of this study was to generate normative values for repeated trials of the UPST with eyes opened and eyes closed across age groups and gender. This prospective, mixed-model design was set in a tertiary care medical center. Healthy subjects (n= 549), 18 years or older, performed the UPST with eyes open and closed. Mean and best of 3 UPST times for males and females of 6 age groups (18-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79, and 80+) were documented and inter-rater reliability was tested. There was a significant age dependent decrease in UPST time during both conditions. Inter-rater reliability for the best of 3 trials was determined to be excellent with an intra-class correlation coefficient of 0.994 (95% confidence interval 0.989-0.996) for eyes open and 0.998 (95% confidence interval 0.996-0.999) for eyes closed. This study adds to the understanding of typical performance on the UPST. Performance is age-specific and not related to gender. Clinicians now have more extensive normative values to which individuals can be compared.

  13. Early detection of fatigue cracks by means of nondestructive testing, NDT; Tidig detektering av utmattningssprickor genom ofoerstoerande provning, OFP

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Broddegaard, Mattias [Siemens Industrial Turbines, Finspaang (Sweden)

    2004-12-01

    Components in gas turbines, steam turbines and boilers are subjected to both high and low cycle fatigue. The lifetime of components is established by calculations based on conservative assumptions and safety factors, which means that most components will have a real life far exceeding the calculated. Conventional nondestructive testing is aimed at detecting macroscopic defects, such as cracks, inclusions and other discontinuities in the material. By having the possibility of detecting damage at a microscopic level, the risk of fractures in components subjected to fatigue can be reduced and the interval between testing occasions can be extended. The project goal has been to establish knowledge about possibilities and limitations for early detection of low and high cycle fatigue damage, by a literature survey and by practical experiments on low cycle fatigue specimens in 12% Cr-steel, for the following nondestructive testing methods: MWM (Meandering Winding Magnetometer) eddy current testing; and Nonlinear ultrasonics, both classical (second harmonic) and non-classical (crack closure). The project started with a literature survey. This resulted in a proposal for specimen design and selection of testing techniques and project partners. Manufacturing of specimens in 12% Cr-steel, designation X22CrMoV12-1, and low cycle fatigue testing at 300 deg C testing temperature was carried out at Siemens Industrial Turbines in Finspaang. Specimens with 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% consumed life, based on the number of cycles to presence of macroscopic cracks, were produced. MWM eddy current testing was carried out by Jentek Sensors Inc. in the USA. Measurements with nonlinear ultrasonics were carried out by Siemens Corporate Technology in Munich and at Blekinge Univ. The specimens were finally examined in SEM and light optical microscope in Finspaang. In the literature, results showing that early detection of fatigue damage by nondestructive testing is possible, can be found. By

  14. Subtle increases in interletter spacing facilitate the encoding of words during normal reading.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manuel Perea

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Several recent studies have revealed that words presented with a small increase in interletter spacing are identified faster than words presented with the default interletter spacing (i.e., w a t e r faster than water. Modeling work has shown that this advantage occurs at an early encoding level. Given the implications of this finding for the ease of reading in the new digital era, here we examined whether the beneficial effect of small increases in interletter spacing can be generalized to a normal reading situation. METHODOLOGY: We conducted an experiment in which the participant's eyes were monitored when reading sentences varying in interletter spacing: i sentences were presented with the default (0.0 interletter spacing; ii sentences presented with a +1.0 interletter spacing; and iii sentences presented with a +1.5 interletter spacing. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Results showed shorter fixation duration times as an inverse function of interletter spacing (i.e., fixation durations were briefest with +1.5 spacing and slowest with the default spacing. CONCLUSIONS: Subtle increases in interletter spacing facilitate the encoding of the fixated word during normal reading. Thus, interletter spacing is a parameter that may affect the ease of reading, and it could be adjustable in future implementations of e-book readers.

  15. IgG4-related Hypophysitis with Subtle Hypopituitarism in an Elderly Diabetic Patient: Is Treatment or Observation Preferable?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawasaki, Motoki; Tsujino, Motoyoshi; Sato, Fuminori; Sakurada, Maya; Nishida, Kenji; Kise, Takayasu; Hijioka, Yuko; Ishizawa, Mitsugu; Enatsu, Kazuaki; Ogawa, Yoshihiro

    2017-10-15

    A 70-year-old man with diabetes mellitus presented with an enlarged pituitary stalk in 2014. IgG4-related parotitis and submandibular sialoadenitis were diagnosed in 2012. He denied any symptoms related to a pituitary mass. His visual field was intact, and his hypopituitarism was subtle. The serum IgG4 level was elevated. A lip biopsy revealed strong fibrosis and hyper-infiltration of IgG4-positive plasma cells. Based on these findings, IgG4-related hypophysitis was diagnosed. The patient was carefully followed without specific intervention. His clinical condition showed no change until December 2016, suggesting a stable, natural course. Care should be taken when considering glucocorticoid therapy, especially for elderly diabetic patients, given possible side effects.

  16. USE OF-EPR-DL FIELD TEST EQUIPMENT FOR DETECTION OF SIGMA PHASE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abraão Danilo Gomes Barreto

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available This work has objective to correlate the intergranular corrosion susceptibility test named EPR-DL (Electrochemical Potentiokinetic Reactivation of Double Loop with the sigma phase formation and other phases. It has been used samples from a UNS S32760 steel pipe for conducting various aging heat treatments. Held isothermal heat treatment at 850°C for 1 min, 10 min, 30 min, 1 h, 1h30min and 10 h. Each heat treated sample and as received were tested using the electrochemical polarization reactivation of double loop technique (EPR-DL. It was possible the detection of deleterious phases with DL-EPR portable cell. The EPR-DL test of some samples showed a second peak of reactivation in which the results showed that this peak might be associated with ferrite or be related to the presence of chi phase

  17. Automated Detection of Microaneurysms Using Scale-Adapted Blob Analysis and Semi-Supervised Learning

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Adal, Kedir M. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Sidebe, Desire [Univ. of Burgundy, Dijon (France); Ali, Sharib [Univ. of Burgundy, Dijon (France); Chaum, Edward [Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Karnowski, Thomas Paul [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Meriaudeau, Fabrice [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

    2014-01-07

    Despite several attempts, automated detection of microaneurysm (MA) from digital fundus images still remains to be an open issue. This is due to the subtle nature of MAs against the surrounding tissues. In this paper, the microaneurysm detection problem is modeled as finding interest regions or blobs from an image and an automatic local-scale selection technique is presented. Several scale-adapted region descriptors are then introduced to characterize these blob regions. A semi-supervised based learning approach, which requires few manually annotated learning examples, is also proposed to train a classifier to detect true MAs. The developed system is built using only few manually labeled and a large number of unlabeled retinal color fundus images. The performance of the overall system is evaluated on Retinopathy Online Challenge (ROC) competition database. A competition performance measure (CPM) of 0.364 shows the competitiveness of the proposed system against state-of-the art techniques as well as the applicability of the proposed features to analyze fundus images.

  18. Detecting Temporal and Spatial Effects of Epithelial Cancers with Raman Spectroscopy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthew D. Keller

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Epithelial cancers, including those of the skin and cervix, are the most common type of cancers in humans. Many recent studies have attempted to use Raman spectroscopy to diagnose these cancers. In this paper, Raman spectral markers related to the temporal and spatial effects of cervical and skin cancers are examined through four separate but related studies. Results from a clinical cervix study show that previous disease has a significant effect on the Raman signatures of the cervix, which allow for near 100% classification for discriminating previous disease versus a true normal. A Raman microspectroscopy study showed that Raman can detect changes due to adjacent regions of dysplasia or HPV that cannot be detected histologically, while a clinical skin study showed that Raman spectra may be detecting malignancy associated changes in tissues surrounding nonmelanoma skin cancers. Finally, results of an organotypic raft culture study provided support for both the skin and the in vitro cervix results. These studies add to the growing body of evidence that optical spectroscopy, in this case Raman spectral markers, can be used to detect subtle temporal and spatial effects in tissue near cancerous sites that go otherwise undetected by conventional histology.

  19. Testing the applicability of rapid on-site enzymatic activity detection for surface water monitoring

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stadler, Philipp; Vogl, Wolfgang; Juri, Koschelnik; Markus, Epp; Maximilian, Lackner; Markus, Oismüller; Monika, Kumpan; Peter, Strauss; Regina, Sommer; Gabriela, Ryzinska-Paier; Farnleitner Andreas, H.; Matthias, Zessner

    2015-04-01

    On-site detection of enzymatic activities has been suggested as a rapid surrogate for microbiological pollution monitoring of water resources (e.g. using glucuronidases, galactosidases, esterases). Due to the possible short measuring intervals enzymatic methods have high potential as near-real time water quality monitoring tools. This presentation describes results from a long termed field test. For twelve months, two ColiMinder devices (Vienna Water Monitoring, Austria) for on-site determination of enzymatic activity were tested for stream water monitoring at the experimental catchment HOAL (Hydrological Open Air Laboratory, Center for Water Resource Systems, Vienna University of Technology). The devices were overall able to follow and reflect the diverse hydrological and microbiological conditions of the monitored stream during the test period. Continuous data in high temporal resolution captured the course of enzymatic activity in stream water during diverse rainfall events. The method also proofed sensitive enough to determine diurnal fluctuations of enzymatic activity in stream water during dry periods. The method was able to capture a seasonal trend of enzymatic activity in stream water that matches the results gained from Colilert18 analysis for E. coli and coliform bacteria of monthly grab samples. Furthermore the comparison of ColiMinder data with measurements gained at the same test site with devices using the same method but having different construction design (BACTcontrol, microLAN) showed consistent measuring results. Comparative analysis showed significant differences between measured enzymatic activity (modified fishman units and pmol/min/100ml) and cultivation based analyses (most probable number, colony forming unit). Methods of enzymatic activity measures are capable to detect ideally the enzymatic activity caused by all active target bacteria members, including VBNC (viable but nonculturable) while cultivation based methods cannot detect VBNC

  20. See no evil: color blindness and perceptions of subtle racial discrimination in the workplace.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Offermann, Lynn R; Basford, Tessa E; Graebner, Raluca; Jaffer, Salman; De Graaf, Sumona Basu; Kaminsky, Samuel E

    2014-10-01

    Workplace discrimination has grown more ambiguous, with interracial interactions often perceived differently by different people. The present study adds to the literature by examining a key individual difference variable in the perception of discrimination at work, namely individual color-blind attitudes. We examined relationships between 3 dimensions of color-blind attitudes (Racial Privilege, Institutional Discrimination, and Blatant Racial Issues) and perceptions of racial microaggressions in the workplace as enacted by a White supervisor toward a Black employee (i.e., discriminatory actions ranging from subtle to overt). Findings showed that observer views on institutional discrimination fully mediated, and blatant racial issues partially mediated, the relationships between racial group membership and the perception of workplace microaggressions. Non-Hispanic Whites endorsed color blindness as institutional discrimination and blatant racial issues significantly more than members of racioethnic minority groups, and higher levels of color-blind worldviews were associated with lower likelihoods of perceiving microaggressions. Views on racial privilege did not differ significantly between members of different racial groups or affect microaggression perceptions. Implications for organizations concerned about promoting more inclusive workplaces are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).

  1. Omnibus test for change detection in a time sequence of polarimetric SAR data

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Allan Aasbjerg; Conradsen, Knut; Skriver, Henning

    2016-01-01

    in the covariance matrix representation is carried out. The omnibus test statistic and its factorization detect if and when change(s) occur. The technique is demonstrated on airborne EMISAR C-band data but may be applied to ALOS, COSMO-SkyMed, RadarSat-2, Sentinel-1, TerraSAR-X, and Yoagan or other dual- and quad...

  2. Detection of Answer Copying Based on the Structure of a High-Stakes Test

    Science.gov (United States)

    Belov, Dmitry I.

    2011-01-01

    This article presents the Variable Match Index (VM-Index), a new statistic for detecting answer copying. The power of the VM-Index relies on two-dimensional conditioning as well as the structure of the test. The asymptotic distribution of the VM-Index is analyzed by reduction to Poisson trials. A computational study comparing the VM-Index with the…

  3. Poisson Approximation-Based Score Test for Detecting Association of Rare Variants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fang, Hongyan; Zhang, Hong; Yang, Yaning

    2016-07-01

    Genome-wide association study (GWAS) has achieved great success in identifying genetic variants, but the nature of GWAS has determined its inherent limitations. Under the common disease rare variants (CDRV) hypothesis, the traditional association analysis methods commonly used in GWAS for common variants do not have enough power for detecting rare variants with a limited sample size. As a solution to this problem, pooling rare variants by their functions provides an efficient way for identifying susceptible genes. Rare variant typically have low frequencies of minor alleles, and the distribution of the total number of minor alleles of the rare variants can be approximated by a Poisson distribution. Based on this fact, we propose a new test method, the Poisson Approximation-based Score Test (PAST), for association analysis of rare variants. Two testing methods, namely, ePAST and mPAST, are proposed based on different strategies of pooling rare variants. Simulation results and application to the CRESCENDO cohort data show that our methods are more powerful than the existing methods. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/University College London.

  4. Histological distinction between early allergic and irritant patch test reactions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vestergaard, L; Clemmensen, Ole; Sørensen, Flemming Brandt

    1999-01-01

    Comparative light microscopic studies have revealed subtle differences between allergic and irritant reactions in the skin. In the search for specific differences, we focussed on the early inflammatory response. This pilot study was conducted to test the hypothesis that follicular spongiosis can...... differentiate between early allergic and irritant patch test reactions. 8 patients with known contact allergy to either colophony or quarternium-15 participated in the study. In each patient, allergic and irritant patch tests reactions were elicited, and 4-mm punch biopsies were taken after 6 8 h from...... clinically equipotent reactions. Paired sets of slides were assessed blindly by 2 pathologists. 1 patient showing a pityrosporum folliculitis was excluded from the study. All biopsies from allergic patch tests were characterized by follicular spongiosis, while biopsies from irritant patch tests showed...

  5. Detection of nuclear testing from surface concentration measurements: Analysis of radioxenon from the February 2013 underground test in North Korea

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurzeja, R. J.; Buckley, R. L.; Werth, D. W.; Chiswell, S. R.

    2018-03-01

    A method is outlined and tested to detect low level nuclear or chemical sources from time series of concentration measurements. The method uses a mesoscale atmospheric model to simulate the concentration signature from a known or suspected source at a receptor which is then regressed successively against segments of the measurement series to create time series of metrics that measure the goodness of fit between the signatures and the measurement segments. The method was applied to radioxenon data from the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) collection site in Ussuriysk, Russia (RN58) after the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) underground nuclear test on February 12, 2013 near Punggye. The metrics were found to be a good screening tool to locate data segments with a strong likelihood of origin from Punggye, especially when multiplied together to a determine the joint probability. Metrics from RN58 were also used to find the probability that activity measured in February and April of 2013 originated from the Feb 12 test. A detailed analysis of an RN58 data segment from April 3/4, 2013 was also carried out for a grid of source locations around Punggye and identified Punggye as the most likely point of origin. Thus, the results support the strong possibility that radioxenon was emitted from the test site at various times in April and was detected intermittently at RN58, depending on the wind direction. The method does not locate unsuspected sources, but instead, evaluates the probability of a source at a specified location. However, it can be extended to include a set of suspected sources. Extension of the method to higher resolution data sets, arbitrary sampling, and time-varying sources is discussed along with a path to evaluate uncertainty in the calculated probabilities.

  6. A miniaturised image based fluorescence detection system for point-of-care-testing of cocaine abuse

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walczak, Rafał; Krüger, Jan; Moynihan, Shane

    2015-08-01

    In this paper, we describe a miniaturised image-based fluorescence detection system and demonstrate its viability as a highly sensitive tool for point-of-care-analysis of drugs of abuse in human sweat with a focus on monitor individuals for drugs of abuse. Investigations of miniaturised and low power optoelectronic configurations and methodologies for real-time image analysis were successfully carried out. The miniaturised fluorescence detection system was validated against a reference detection system under controlled laboratory conditions by analysing spiked sweat samples in dip stick and then strip with sample pad. As a result of the validation studies, a 1 ng mL-1 limit of detection of cocaine in sweat and full agreement of test results with the reference detection system can be reported. Results of the investigations open the way towards a detection system that integrates a hand-held fluorescence reader and a wearable skinpatch, and which can collect and in situ analyse sweat for the presence of cocaine at any point for up to tenths hours.

  7. Development of real-time PCR tests for the detection of Tenebrio molitor in food and feed.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Debode, Frédéric; Marien, Aline; Gérard, Amaury; Francis, Frédéric; Fumière, Olivier; Berben, Gilbert

    2017-08-01

    Insects are rich in proteins and could be an alternative source of proteins to feed animals and humans. Numerous companies have started the production of insects for feed purposes. In Europe, these processed animal proteins are not yet authorised by legislation as many questions still need to be answered concerning this 'novel food'. Authorisations will be possible when methods of authentication of the products are available. In this study we propose real-time PCR methods for the specific detection of the mealworm (Tenebriomolitor), one of the most widely used insects for food and feed production. Two PCR assays are proposed: the first based on the wingless gene and the second based on the cadherin gene. The PCR tests amplify fragments of 87 bp. These qualitative methods were tested according to several performance criteria. The specificity was tested on 34 insect species' DNA, but also on non-insect species including crustacean, mammals, birds and plants. The limit of detection was determined and was below 20 copies for the two PCR tests. The applicability of the tests was demonstrated by the analysis of real-life processed samples containing T. molitor.

  8. Program for generating tests for the detection of failures in combinatorial logic systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mansour, Mounir

    1972-01-01

    A method for generating test sequences for detecting failures in combinatorial logic systems, is described. It relies on: the splitting of these systems into elements of NOR and NAND circuits, the propagation of the failure state from the input to the output. Test sequences generation is achieved in two steps: a first one called chaining during which are investigated the propagation paths of an input state able to show off failures, a second one called consistency during which the global state of the circuit related to this input configuration is held to the wanted state so that the propagation takes place. (author) [fr

  9. Utility of a rapid immunochromatographic strip test in detecting canine parvovirus infection compared with polymerase chain reaction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sundaran S. Tinky

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Aim: The present study was undertaken to detect the presence of canine parvovirus (CPV in fecal samples of diarrheic dogs by conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR and immunochromatographic (IC strip test and to compare the diagnostic potential of these tests. Materials and Methods: A total of 50 fecal samples collected from diarrheic dogs suspected for CPV infection were subjected to PCR using CPV-555 primer amplifying the gene coding for the VP1 protein. These samples were also tested by IC strip test using a commercial rapid Ag test kit. The results were statistically analyzed using McNemar test. Results: A total of 22 samples (44% were detected as positive by PCR, which yielded a specific amplicon of 583 bp. In IC strip test, 18 (36% samples were found to be positive. The sensitivity of the test as compared to PCR was found to be 72.22% and specificity was 92.86%. Positive predictive value and negative predictive value of IC strip test was found to be 88.89% and 81.25%, respectively. Statistical analysis of the results of PCR and IC assay using McNemar test revealed no significant difference (p>0.05. Conclusion: The IC strip test could be employed as a rapid field level diagnostic tool for the diagnosis of canine parvoviral diarrhea.

  10. When interference helps: Increasing executive load to facilitate deception detection in the Concealed Information Test

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    George eVisu-Petra

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available The possibility to enhance the detection efficiency of the Concealed Information Test (CIT by increasing executive load was investigated, using an interference design. After learning and executing a mock crime scenario, subjects underwent three deception detection tests: an RT-based CIT, an RT-based CIT plus a concurrent memory task (CITMem, and an RT-based CIT plus a concurrent set-shifting task (CITShift. The concealed information effect, consisting in increased RT and lower response accuracy for probe items compared to irrelevant items, was evidenced across all three conditions. The group analyses indicated a larger difference between RTs to probe and irrelevant items in the dual-task conditions, but this difference was not translated in a significantly increased detection efficiency at an individual level. Signal detection parameters based on the comparison with a simulated innocent group showed accurate discrimination for all conditions. Overall response accuracy on the CITMem was highest and the difference between response accuracy to probes and irrelevants was smallest in this condition. Accuracy on the concurrent tasks (Mem and Shift was high, and responses on these tasks were significantly influenced by CIT stimulus type (probes vs. irrelevants. The findings are interpreted in relation to the cognitive load/dual-task interference literature, generating important insights for research on the involvement of executive functions in deceptive behavior.

  11. Development and evaluation of a computer-aided diagnostic scheme for lung nodule detection in chest radiographs by means of two-stage nodule enhancement with support vector classification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Sheng; Suzuki, Kenji; MacMahon, Heber

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: To develop a computer-aided detection (CADe) scheme for nodules in chest radiographs (CXRs) with a high sensitivity and a low false-positive (FP) rate. Methods: The authors developed a CADe scheme consisting of five major steps, which were developed for improving the overall performance of CADe schemes. First, to segment the lung fields accurately, the authors developed a multisegment active shape model. Then, a two-stage nodule-enhancement technique was developed for improving the conspicuity of nodules. Initial nodule candidates were detected and segmented by using the clustering watershed algorithm. Thirty-one shape-, gray-level-, surface-, and gradient-based features were extracted from each segmented candidate for determining the feature space, including one of the new features based on the Canny edge detector to eliminate a major FP source caused by rib crossings. Finally, a nonlinear support vector machine (SVM) with a Gaussian kernel was employed for classification of the nodule candidates. Results: To evaluate and compare the scheme to other published CADe schemes, the authors used a publicly available database containing 140 nodules in 140 CXRs and 93 normal CXRs. The CADe scheme based on the SVM classifier achieved sensitivities of 78.6% (110/140) and 71.4% (100/140) with averages of 5.0 (1165/233) FPs/image and 2.0 (466/233) FPs/image, respectively, in a leave-one-out cross-validation test, whereas the CADe scheme based on a linear discriminant analysis classifier had a sensitivity of 60.7% (85/140) at an FP rate of 5.0 FPs/image. For nodules classified as ''very subtle'' and ''extremely subtle,'' a sensitivity of 57.1% (24/42) was achieved at an FP rate of 5.0 FPs/image. When the authors used a database developed at the University of Chicago, the sensitivities was 83.3% (40/48) and 77.1% (37/48) at an FP rate of 5.0 (240/48) FPs/image and 2.0 (96/48) FPs /image, respectively. Conclusions: These results compare favorably to those described for

  12. Review of Literature on Probability of Detection for Magnetic Particle Nondestructive Testing

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    a precipitation hardened martensitic stainless steel . The inspections were based on MIL-STD-1949A [51], now superseded but current at the time...inspector population involved in the tests, it is not possible to draw any further conclusions.  MPT of flat 17-4PH stainless steel plates. A brief...inspection method used to detect surface-breaking cracks in high-strength steel components. A survey of the available literature on the reliability

  13. A comparison of three tests to detect feigned amnesia: The effects of feedback and the measurement of response latency

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bolan, Barbara; Foster, Jonathan K.; Schmand, Ben; Bolan, Steve

    2002-01-01

    Three experiments provided validation data for an English language version of the Amsterdam Short Term Memory Test (ASTM test) developed to detect feigned memory impairment. Using a simulation design, the ASTM test compared favourably with the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM) and appeared better

  14. Intraesophageal pressure recording improves the detection of cough during multichannel intraluminal impedance testing in children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosen, Rachel; Amirault, Janine; Giligan, Emily; Khatwa, Umakanth; Nurko, Samuel

    2014-01-01

    One of the primary reasons for referral for reflux testing is to correlate reflux events with symptoms such as cough. Adult studies have suggested that symptom recording is flawed and pediatricians feel this is an even more significant problem because there may be errors in both parental and patient reports. We hypothesize that intraesophageal pressure recording (IEPR) provides an objective method to identify coughs during reflux testing in children. We recruited 20 children undergoing multichannel intraluminal impedance with pH (pH-MII) testing for the evaluation of cough. We placed simultaneous intraesophageal pressure and pH-MII catheters. Tracings were blindly scored by 2 observers without knowledge of patient/parent symptom report. After the blinded scoring, patient/parent report of symptoms was recorded. Ninety-four percent of all coughs were detected by IEPR and only 48% of all coughs were reported by patients/parents. The mean time from the IEPR cough to the patient/parent cough was 11±16 seconds. Using IEPR as the criterion standard for the detection of cough, the sensitivity of patient report for the detection of cough is 46%. Using varying symptom windows because of the increased precision of IEPR, the number of patients with a positive symptom index could be reduced from 30% to 0%, preventing children from being falsely categorized as having reflux-related lung disease. Parental and patient symptom recording in children is inadequate for making the diagnosis of reflux-related lung disease. If patients undergo pH-MII testing for reflux-related cough, IEPR should become the new standard by which to correlate reflux with cough.

  15. Performance Evaluation of Commercial Dengue Diagnostic Tests for Early Detection of Dengue in Clinical Samples

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tuan Nur Akmalina Mat Jusoh

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The shattering rise in dengue virus infections globally has created a need for an accurate and validated rapid diagnostic test for this virus. Rapid diagnostic test (RDT and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR diagnostic detection are useful tools for diagnosis of early dengue infection. We prospectively evaluated the diagnostic performance of nonstructural 1 (NS1 RDT and real-time RT-PCR diagnostic kits in 86 patient serum samples. Thirty-six samples were positive for dengue NS1 antigen while the remaining 50 were negative when tested with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA. Commercially available RDTs for NS1 detection, RTK ProDetect™, and SD Bioline showed high sensitivity of 94% and 89%, respectively, compared with ELISA. GenoAmp® Trioplex Real-Time RT-PCR and RealStar® Dengue RT-PCR tests presented a comparable kappa agreement with 0.722. The result obtained from GenoAmp® Real-Time RT-PCR Dengue test showed that 14 samples harbored dengue virus type 1 (DENV-1, 8 samples harbored DENV-2, 2 samples harbored DENV-3, and 1 sample harbored DENV-4. 1 sample had a double infection with DENV-1 and DENV-2. The NS1 RDTs and real-time RT-PCR tests were found to be a useful diagnostic for early and rapid diagnosis of acute dengue and an excellent surveillance tool in our battle against dengue.

  16. D-dimer as an applicable test for detection of posttraumatic deep vein thrombosis in lower limb fracture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bakhshi, Hooman; Alavi-Moghaddam, Mostafa; Wu, Karin C; Imami, Mohammad; Banasiri, Mohammad

    2012-06-01

    Measuring the plasma levels of D-dimer is an accurate and easy modality to detect deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in nontraumatic settings. However, the diagnostic reliability of D-dimer assays in detecting posttraumatic DVT among patients with lower limb fracture undergoing orthopedic surgery is not validated. In this study, 141 patients with lower limb fracture admitted through the emergency department and undergoing orthopedic surgery were enrolled. Postoperative venous blood samples for D-dimer assay were taken on the 1st, 7th, and 28th postoperative days. Color Doppler sonography examination of both lower limbs was performed at the same time as a standard test. Eight out of the 141 patients (6%) had acute DVT based on Color Doppler sonography. Mean D-dimer was 2160 ng/mL in DVT positive patients and 864 in DVT negative patients. D-dimer levels greater than 1000 ng/mL were 100% sensitive and 71% specific for detecting postoperative DVT. D-dimer assay is a useful and sensitive test for detecting posttraumatic DVT.

  17. Detection of clarithromycin-resistant Helicobacter pylori by polymerase chain reaction using residual samples from rapid urease test

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jae-Sik Jeon

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Approximately 50% of the world population is infected with Helicobacter pylori, which corresponds to a high infection rate. Furthermore, the incidence of antibiotic-resistant H. pylori has increased with the recent rise in use of antibiotics for H. pylori elimination, suggesting growing treatment failures. Aim: The study was aimed to assess the use of residual samples from rapid urease test (RUT for biomolecular testing as an effective and accurate method to detect antibiotic-resistant H. pylori. Settings and Design: This study was a retrospective study performed using data obtained from medical records of previously isolated H. pylori strains. Materials and Methods: RUT was conducted for 5440 biopsy samples from individuals who underwent health examination in South Korea. Subsequently, 469 RUT residual samples were randomly selected and subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR to detect antibiotic-resistant H. pylori. Statistical Analysis Used: The Chi-square test was used to analyse categorical data. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The results showed a concordance between the results of PCR and conventional RUT in 450 of 469 samples, suggesting that the H. pylori PCR test is a time- and cost-effective detection method. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that PCR test can aid physicians to prescribe the appropriate antibiotics at the time of diagnosis, thus preventing the reduction in H. pylori eradication due to antibiotic resistance, averting progression to serious diseases and increasing the treatment success rate.

  18. Simple screening tests for the detection of metallo-β-lactamase (MBL production in clinical isolates of Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shaheda Anwar

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available There are no standard methods for the detection of metallo-b-lactamase (MBL production in gram negative organism in routine microbiology practice. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the screening tests like double disk synergy test (DDST and disk potentiation test (DPT using ceftazidime (CAZ and imipenem (IPM disks with chelating agents like EDTA, 2-mercaptopropionic acid (2-MPA. A total of 132 Pseudomonas and 76 Acinetobacter isolates were obtained from Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU and Bangladesh Institute of Research and Rehabilitation for Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders (BIRDEM hospitals of Dhaka city. A total of 53 and 29 IPM resistant Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter isolates were selected. EDTA-IPM microdilution minimum inhibitory concentration (EDTA-IPM MIC method detected MBL in 44 (83% IPM resistant Pseudomonas and 19 (65.5% Acinetobacter isolates. DDST with CAZ-0.1M EDTA and CAZ-2-MPA detected MBL in 73.6% and 67.9% of IPM resistant Pseudomonas and 55.2% and 48.3% of Acinetobacter isolates respectively. The detection rate was 67.9% and 66.1% in Pseudomonas and 51.7% and 44.8% in Acinetobacter isolates by EDTA-IPM and IPM-2-MPA methods respectively. In comparison to DDST, DPT with CAZ-0.1M EDTA showed higher sensitivity (89.7% and specificity (100% for detection of MBL in Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter. The results showed that simple screening tests like DPT with 0.1M EDTA was able to detect MBL producing Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter from clinical samples with high sensitivity and specificity. Ibrahim Med. Coll. J. 2010; 4(1: 26-30

  19. Solid-phase enzyme immunoassay or radioimmunoassay for the detection of immune complexes based on their recognition by conglutinin: conglutinin-binding test

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Casali, P.; Bossus, A.; Carpentier, N.A.; Lambert, P.H.

    1977-01-01

    Bovine conglutinin was used in a solid-phase assay for the detection of immune complexes. In a first step, the tested serum sample was incubated in polypropylene tubes coated with conglutinin to allow C3-coated immune complexes to bind to solid-phase conglutinin. In a second step, the conglutinin-bound complexes were detected using an enzyme-conjugated or radiolabelled anti-immunoglobulin antibody. The conglutinin-binding (KgB) test did not suffer from the interference of DNA, heparin or endotoxins. Its limit of sensitivity for aggregated IgG was 3 μg/ml undiluted human serum. Immune complexes prepared in vitro using tetanus toxoid, or DNA, and corresponding antibodies in human sera could be detected at various antigen/antibody ratios and at antibody concentrations lower than 8 μg/ml. The KgB test allowed for the detection of immune complexes in sera from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, idiopathic vasculitis, leprosy and leukemia. These sera were also tested using the 125 I-labelled Clq-binding activity (BA) test and the KgB test simultaneously, and a significant rank order correlation was observed. In patients with leukemia, a significant correlation was observed using three tests, KgB, 125 I-labelled Clq BA and Raji-cell radioimmunoassay (RIA). Therefore, the KgB test appears as a simple and reproducible method, utilizing a very stable reagent, with a sensitivity and specificity comparable to the other tests studied and allowing for clinical application. (author)

  20. Novel method for edge detection of retinal vessels based on the model of the retinal vascular network and mathematical morphology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Lei; Zheng, Xiaoxiang; Zhang, Hengyi; Yu, Yajun

    1998-09-01

    Accurate edge detection of retinal vessels is a prerequisite for quantitative analysis of subtle morphological changes of retinal vessels under different pathological conditions. A novel method for edge detection of retinal vessels is presented in this paper. Methods: (1) Wavelet-based image preprocessing. (2) The signed edge detection algorithm and mathematical morphological operation are applied to get the approximate regions that contain retinal vessels. (3) By convolving the preprocessed image with a LoG operator only on the detected approximate regions of retinal vessels, followed by edges refining, clear edge maps of the retinal vessels are fast obtained. Results: A detailed performance evaluation together with the existing techniques is given to demonstrate the strong features of our method. Conclusions: True edge locations of retinal vessels can be fast detected with continuous structures of retinal vessels, less non- vessel segments left and insensitivity to noise. The method is also suitable for other application fields such as road edge detection.

  1. DNA supercoiling in Escherichia coli is under tight and subtle homeostatic control, involving gene-expression and metabolic regulation of both topoisomerase I and DNA gyrase

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Snoep, J.L.; van der Weijden, C.C.; Andersen, H.W.

    2002-01-01

    DNA of prokaryotes is in a nonequilibrium. structural state, characterized as 'active' DNA supercoiling. Alterations in this state affect many life processes and a homeostatic control of DNA supercoiling has been suggested [Menzel, R. & Gellert. M. (1983) Cell 34, 105-113]. We here report on a ne...... of the nonequilibrium DNA structure in wild-type Escherichia coli is almost complete and subtle (i.e. involving at least three regulatory mechanisms)....

  2. Subtle abnormalities of gait detected early in vitamin B6 deficiency in aged and weanling rats with hind leg gait analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schaeffer, M C; Cochary, E F; Sadowski, J A

    1990-04-01

    Motor abnormalities have been observed in every species made vitamin B6 deficient, and have been detected and quantified early in vitamin B6 deficiency in young adult female Long-Evans rats with hind leg gait analysis. Our objective was to determine if hind leg gait analysis could be used to detect vitamin B6 deficiency in weanling (3 weeks) and aged (23 months) Fischer 344 male rats. Rats (n = 10 per group) were fed: the control diet ad libitum (AL-CON); the control diet devoid of added pyridoxine hydrochloride (DEF); or the control diet pair-fed to DEF (PF-CON). At 10 weeks, plasma pyridoxal phosphate concentration confirmed deficiency in both age groups. Gait abnormalities were detected in the absence of gross motor disturbances in both aged and weanling DEF rats at 2-3 weeks. Width of step was significantly reduced (16%, p less than 0.003) in DEF aged rats compared to AL- and PF-CON. This pattern of response was similar to that reported previously in young adult rats. In weanling rats, pair feeding alone reduced mean width of step (+/- SEM) by 25% compared to ad libitum feeding (2.7 +/- 0.1 vs 3.6 +/- 0.1 cm for PF- vs AL-CON, respectively, p less than 0.05). In DEF weanling rats, width (3.0 +/- 0.1 cm) was increased compared to PF-CON (11%, p less than 0.05) but decreased compared to AL-CON (16%, p less than 0.05). Width of step was significantly altered early in B6 deficiency in rats of different ages and strains and in both sexes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

  3. Sequential Analysis: Hypothesis Testing and Changepoint Detection

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-07-11

    maintains the flexibility of deciding sooner than the fixed sample size procedure at the price of some lower power [13, 514]. The sequential probability... markets , detection of signals with unknown arrival time in seismology, navigation, radar and sonar signal processing, speech segmentation, and the... skimming cruise missile can yield a significant increase in the probability of raid annihilation. Furthermore, usually detection systems are

  4. Development of early core anomaly detection system by using in-sodium microphone in JOYO. Fundamental characteristics test of in-sodium microphone in water and examination of improvement of detection accuracy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Komai, Masafumi

    2001-07-01

    Fast reactor core anomalies can be detected in near real-time with acoustic sensors. An acoustic detection system senses an in-core anomaly immediately from the fast acoustic signals that propagate through the sodium coolant. One example of a detectable anomaly is sodium boiling due to local blockage in a sub-assembly; the slight change in background acoustic signals can be detected. A key advantage of the acoustic detector is that it can be located outside the core. The location of the anomaly in the core can be determined by correlating multiple acoustic signals. This report describes the testing and fundamental characteristics of a microphone suitable for use in the sodium coolant and examines methods to improve the system's S/N ratio. Testing in water confirmed that the in-sodium microphone has good impulse and wide band frequency responses. These tests used impulse and white noise signals that imitate acoustic signals from boiling sodium. Correlation processing of multiple microphone signals to improve S/N ratio is also described. (author)

  5. Toxicity tests with crustaceans for detecting sublethal effects of potential endocrine disrupting chemicals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wollenberger, Leah

    /antagonistic activity with the ecdysteroid-responsive Drosophila melanogaster BII cell line 6) to draft an OECD guideline proposal for testing of chemicals based on the experimental work performed within this study In preliminary investigations with A. tonsa were studied various parameters related to processes......New and updated test methods to detect and characterise endocrine disrupting chemicals are urgently needed for the purpose of environmental risk assessment. Although endocrine disruption in invertebrates has not been studied as extensive as in vertebrates, in particular in fish, numerous reports...... of the present Ph.D. project were: 1) to develop a fully synthetic saltwater medium suitable for laboratory culturing of marine copepods including their feeding organism as well as for toxicity testing 2) to identify sensitive endpoints related to growth, development and reproduction of the pelagic calanoid...

  6. Live Operation Data Collection Optimization and Communication for the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office's Rail Test Center

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gelston, Gariann M.

    2010-01-01

    For the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office's Rail Test Center (i.e., DNDO's RTC), port operation knowledge with flexible collection tools and technique are essential in both technology testing design and implementation intended for live operational settings. Increased contextual data, flexibility in procedures, and rapid availability of information are keys to addressing the challenges of optimization, validation, and analysis within live operational setting data collection. These concepts need to be integrated into technology testing designs, data collection, validation, and analysis processes. A modified data collection technique with a two phased live operation test method is proposed.

  7. Overcoming the toxic influence of subtle messaging: Utah women who persist in STEM

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thackeray, Susan L.

    It is important to train more females to support the needs of a national and global economy workforce. The purpose of this thesis is to explore the proposition of the effect subtle messaging has on a Utah young woman's future career choice. The literature review will approach the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) subjects with historical, psychological, and cultural vantage points. An examination of three interconnected topics of research will include a history of women in the workforce and identified barriers to STEM education and careers to identify what types of messages are delivered to women as it relates to STEM and how it influences their career interest decisions. While there are historical barriers towards women in training for and entering STEM careers, no strong evidence is identified for sustained improvement. The changing concepts of social cognitive career theory can potentially provide a framework for constructivist assumptions regarding the topic of what can focus Utah young women learners to influence their own career development and surroundings to persist into STEM careers. Interpretative Phenomenology Analysis (IPA) provides increased understanding of the experiences of how Utah young women come to their decision and what role their environment contributes to that experience. Preliminary research outcomes demonstrate that the participants describe feelings of self-efficacy along with cultural expectations that do not align with their personal goals to enter into STEM education and careers.

  8. [Validity of AUDIT test for detection of disorders related with alcohol consumption in women].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pérula-de Torres, Luis Angel; Fernández-García, José Angel; Arias-Vega, Raquel; Muriel-Palomino, María; Márquez-Rebollo, Encarnación; Ruiz-Moral, Roger

    2005-11-26

    Early detection of patients with alcohol problems is important in clinical practice. The AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) questionnaire is a valid tool for this aim, especially in the male population. The objective of this study was to validate how useful is this questionnaire in females patients and to assess their test cut-off point for the diagnosis of alcohol problems in women. 414 woman were recruited in 2 health center and specialized center for addiction treatment. The AUDIT test and a semistructured interview (SCAN as gold standard) were performed to all patients. Internal consistency and criteria validity was assessed. Cronbach alpha was 0.93 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.921-0.941). When the DSM-IV was taken as reference the most useful cut-off point was 6 points, with 89.6% (95% CI, 76.11-96.02) sensitivity and 95.07% (95% CI, 92.18-96.97) specificity. When CIE-10 was taken as reference the sensitivity was 89.58% (95% CI, 76.56-96.10) and the specificity was 95.33% (95% CI, 92.48-97.17). AUDIT is a questionnaire with good psychometrics properties and is valid for detecting dependence and risk alcohol consumption in women.

  9. A fast button surface defects detection method based on convolutional neural network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Lizhe; Cao, Danhua; Wu, Songlin; Wu, Yubin; Wei, Taoran

    2018-01-01

    Considering the complexity of the button surface texture and the variety of buttons and defects, we propose a fast visual method for button surface defect detection, based on convolutional neural network (CNN). CNN has the ability to extract the essential features by training, avoiding designing complex feature operators adapted to different kinds of buttons, textures and defects. Firstly, we obtain the normalized button region and then use HOG-SVM method to identify the front and back side of the button. Finally, a convolutional neural network is developed to recognize the defects. Aiming at detecting the subtle defects, we propose a network structure with multiple feature channels input. To deal with the defects of different scales, we take a strategy of multi-scale image block detection. The experimental results show that our method is valid for a variety of buttons and able to recognize all kinds of defects that have occurred, including dent, crack, stain, hole, wrong paint and uneven. The detection rate exceeds 96%, which is much better than traditional methods based on SVM and methods based on template match. Our method can reach the speed of 5 fps on DSP based smart camera with 600 MHz frequency.

  10. On the importance of developing a new generation of breath tests for Helicobacter pylori detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kushch, Ievgeniia; Korenev, Nikolai; Kamarchuk, Lyudmila; Pospelov, Alexander; Kravchenko, Andrey; Bajenov, Leonid; Kabulov, Mels; Amann, Anton; Kamarchuk, Gennadii

    2015-12-15

    State-of-the-art methods for non-invasive detection of the Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection have been considered. A reported global tendency towards a non-decreasing prevalence of H. pylori worldwide could be co-influenced by the functional limitations of urea breath tests (UBTs), currently preferred for the non-invasive recognition of H. pylori in a clinical setting. Namely, the UBTs can demonstrate false-positive or false-negative results. Within this context, limitations of conventional clinically exploited H. pylori tests have been discussed to justify the existing need for the development of a new generation of breath tests for the detection of H. pylori and the differentiation of pathogenic and non-pathogenic strains of the bacterium. This paper presents the results of a pilot clinical study aimed at evaluating the development and diagnostic potential of a new method based on the detection of the non-urease products of H. pylori vital activity in exhaled gas. The characteristics of breath of adolescents with H. pylori-positive and H. pylori-negative functional dyspepsia, together with a consideration of the cytotoxin-associated gene A (CagA) status of H. pylori-positive subjects, have been determined for the first time using innovative point-contact nanosensor devices based on salts of the organic conductor tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ). The clinical and diagnostic relevance of the response curves of the point-contact sensors was assessed. It was found that the recovery time of the point-contact sensors has a diagnostic value for differentiation of the H. pylori-associated peptic ulcer disease. The diagnostically significant elongation of the recovery time was even more pronounced in patients infected with CagA-positive H. pylori strains compared to the CagA-negative patients. Taking into account the operation of the point-contact sensors in the real-time mode, the obtained results are essential prerequisites for the development of a fast and

  11. A simple and inexpensive point-of-care test for hepatitis B surface antigen detection: serological and molecular evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gish, R G; Gutierrez, J A; Navarro-Cazarez, N; Giang, K; Adler, D; Tran, B; Locarnini, S; Hammond, R; Bowden, S

    2014-12-01

    Early identification of chronic hepatitis B is important for optimal disease management and prevention of transmission. Cost and lack of access to commercial hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) immunoassays can compromise the effectiveness of HBV screening in resource-limited settings and among marginalized populations. High-quality point-of-care (POC) testing may improve HBV diagnosis in these situations. Currently available POC HBsAg assays are often limited in sensitivity. We evaluated the NanoSign(®) HBs POC chromatographic immunoassay for its ability to detect HBsAg of different genotypes and with substitutions in the 'a' determinant. Thirty-seven serum samples from patients with HBV infection, covering HBV genotypes A-G, were assessed for HBsAg titre with the Roche Elecsys HBsAg II quantification assay and with the POC assay. The POC assay reliably detected HBsAg at a concentration of at least 50 IU/mL for all genotypes, and at lower concentrations for some genotypes. Eight samples with substitutions in the HBV 'a' determinant were reliably detected after a 1/100 dilution. The POC strips were used to screen serum samples from 297 individuals at risk for HBV in local clinical settings (health fairs and outreach events) in parallel with commercial laboratory HBsAg testing (Quest Diagnostics EIA). POC testing was 73.7% sensitive and 97.8% specific for detection of HBsAg. Although the POC test demonstrated high sensitivity over a range of genotypes, false negatives were frequent in a clinical setting. Nevertheless, the POC assay offers advantages for testing in both developed and resource-limited countries due to its low cost (0.50$) and immediately available results. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  12. Effect of image quality on calcification detection in digital mammography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Warren, Lucy M.; Mackenzie, Alistair; Cooke, Julie; Given-Wilson, Rosalind M.; Wallis, Matthew G.; Chakraborty, Dev P.; Dance, David R.; Bosmans, Hilde; Young, Kenneth C.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: This study aims to investigate if microcalcification detection varies significantly when mammographic images are acquired using different image qualities, including: different detectors, dose levels, and different image processing algorithms. An additional aim was to determine how the standard European method of measuring image quality using threshold gold thickness measured with a CDMAM phantom and the associated limits in current EU guidelines relate to calcification detection. Methods: One hundred and sixty two normal breast images were acquired on an amorphous selenium direct digital (DR) system. Microcalcification clusters extracted from magnified images of slices of mastectomies were electronically inserted into half of the images. The calcification clusters had a subtle appearance. All images were adjusted using a validated mathematical method to simulate the appearance of images from a computed radiography (CR) imaging system at the same dose, from both systems at half this dose, and from the DR system at quarter this dose. The original 162 images were processed with both Hologic and Agfa (Musica-2) image processing. All other image qualities were processed with Agfa (Musica-2) image processing only. Seven experienced observers marked and rated any identified suspicious regions. Free response operating characteristic (FROC) and ROC analyses were performed on the data. The lesion sensitivity at a nonlesion localization fraction (NLF) of 0.1 was also calculated. Images of the CDMAM mammographic test phantom were acquired using the automatic setting on the DR system. These images were modified to the additional image qualities used in the observer study. The images were analyzed using automated software. In order to assess the relationship between threshold gold thickness and calcification detection a power law was fitted to the data. Results: There was a significant reduction in calcification detection using CR compared with DR: the alternative FROC

  13. Effect of image quality on calcification detection in digital mammography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warren, Lucy M; Mackenzie, Alistair; Cooke, Julie; Given-Wilson, Rosalind M; Wallis, Matthew G; Chakraborty, Dev P; Dance, David R; Bosmans, Hilde; Young, Kenneth C

    2012-06-01

    This study aims to investigate if microcalcification detection varies significantly when mammographic images are acquired using different image qualities, including: different detectors, dose levels, and different image processing algorithms. An additional aim was to determine how the standard European method of measuring image quality using threshold gold thickness measured with a CDMAM phantom and the associated limits in current EU guidelines relate to calcification detection. One hundred and sixty two normal breast images were acquired on an amorphous selenium direct digital (DR) system. Microcalcification clusters extracted from magnified images of slices of mastectomies were electronically inserted into half of the images. The calcification clusters had a subtle appearance. All images were adjusted using a validated mathematical method to simulate the appearance of images from a computed radiography (CR) imaging system at the same dose, from both systems at half this dose, and from the DR system at quarter this dose. The original 162 images were processed with both Hologic and Agfa (Musica-2) image processing. All other image qualities were processed with Agfa (Musica-2) image processing only. Seven experienced observers marked and rated any identified suspicious regions. Free response operating characteristic (FROC) and ROC analyses were performed on the data. The lesion sensitivity at a nonlesion localization fraction (NLF) of 0.1 was also calculated. Images of the CDMAM mammographic test phantom were acquired using the automatic setting on the DR system. These images were modified to the additional image qualities used in the observer study. The images were analyzed using automated software. In order to assess the relationship between threshold gold thickness and calcification detection a power law was fitted to the data. There was a significant reduction in calcification detection using CR compared with DR: the alternative FROC (AFROC) area decreased from

  14. Development and testing of an algorithm to detect implantable cardioverter-defibrillator lead failure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gunderson, Bruce D; Gillberg, Jeffrey M; Wood, Mark A; Vijayaraman, Pugazhendhi; Shepard, Richard K; Ellenbogen, Kenneth A

    2006-02-01

    Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) lead failures often present as inappropriate shock therapy. An algorithm that can reliably discriminate between ventricular tachyarrhythmias and noise due to lead failure may prevent patient discomfort and anxiety and avoid device-induced proarrhythmia by preventing inappropriate ICD shocks. The goal of this analysis was to test an ICD tachycardia detection algorithm that differentiates noise due to lead failure from ventricular tachyarrhythmias. We tested an algorithm that uses a measure of the ventricular intracardiac electrogram baseline to discriminate the sinus rhythm isoelectric line from the right ventricular coil-can (i.e., far-field) electrogram during oversensing of noise caused by a lead failure. The baseline measure was defined as the product of the sum (mV) and standard deviation (mV) of the voltage samples for a 188-ms window centered on each sensed electrogram. If the minimum baseline measure of the last 12 beats was algorithm to detect lead failures. The minimum baseline measure for the 24 lead failure episodes (0.28 +/- 0.34 mV-mV) was smaller than the 135 ventricular tachycardia (40.8 +/- 43.0 mV-mV, P <.0001) and 55 ventricular fibrillation episodes (19.1 +/- 22.8 mV-mV, P <.05). A minimum baseline <0.35 mV-mV threshold had a sensitivity of 83% (20/24) with a 100% (190/190) specificity. A baseline measure of the far-field electrogram had a high sensitivity and specificity to detect lead failure noise compared with ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation.

  15. Summary of microsatellite instability test results from laboratories participating in proficiency surveys: proficiency survey results from 2005 to 2012.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boyle, Theresa A; Bridge, Julia A; Sabatini, Linda M; Nowak, Jan A; Vasalos, Patricia; Jennings, Lawrence J; Halling, Kevin C

    2014-03-01

    The College of American Pathologists surveys are the largest laboratory peer comparison programs in the world. These programs allow laboratories to regularly evaluate their performance and improve the accuracy of the patient test results they provide. Proficiency testing is offered twice a year to laboratories performing microsatellite instability testing. These surveys are designed to emulate clinical practice, and some surveys have more challenging cases to encourage the refinement of laboratory practices. This report summarizes the results and trends in microsatellite instability proficiency testing from participating laboratories from the inception of the program in 2005 through 2012. We compiled and analyzed data for 16 surveys of microsatellite instability proficiency testing during 2005 to 2012. The number of laboratories participating in the microsatellite instability survey has more than doubled from 42 to 104 during the 8 years analyzed. An average of 95.4% of the laboratories correctly classified each of the survey test samples from the 2005A through 2012B proficiency challenges. In the 2011B survey, a lower percentage of laboratories (78.4%) correctly classified the specimen, possibly because of overlooking subtle changes of microsatellite instability and/or failing to enrich the tumor content of the specimen to meet the limit of detection of their assay. In general, laboratories performed well in microsatellite instability testing. This testing will continue to be important in screening patients with colorectal and other cancers for Lynch syndrome and guiding the management of patients with sporadic colorectal cancer.

  16. Engineering Sensitivity Improvement of Helium Mass Spectrometer Leak Detection System by Means Global Hard Vacuum Test

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sigit Asmara Santa

    2006-01-01

    The engineering sensitivity improvement of Helium mass spectrometer leak detection using global hard vacuum test configuration has been done. The purpose of this work is to enhance the sensitivity of the current leak detection of pressurized method (sniffer method) with the sensitivity of 10 -3 ∼ 10 -5 std cm 3 /s, to the global hard vacuum test configuration method which can be achieved of up to 10 -8 std cm 3 /s. The goal of this research and development is to obtain a Helium leak test configuration which is suitable and can be used as routine bases in the quality control tests of FPM capsule and AgInCd safety control rod products. The result is an additional instrumented vacuum tube connected with conventional Helium mass spectrometer. The pressure and temperature of the test object during the leak measurement are simulated by means of a 4.1 kW capacity heater and Helium injection to test object, respectively. The addition of auxiliary mechanical vacuum pump of 2.4 l/s pumping speed which is directly connected to the vacuum tube, will reduce 86 % of evacuation time. The reduction of the measured sensitivity due to the auxiliary mechanical vacuum pump can be overcome by shutting off the pump soon after Helium mass spectrometer reaches its operating pressure condition. (author)

  17. Screening for subtle chromosomal rearrangements in an Egyptian ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Rabah M. Shawky

    ing, high resolution banding (HRB), and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) technique with appropriate probes were carried out ... Shams University. The Egyptian Journal of Medical Human Genetics www.ejmhg.eg.net ... (to exclude aminoacidopathies), and pelvi-abdominal sonar and echocardiography for detection of.

  18. Integrated sample-to-detection chip for nucleic acid test assays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prakash, R; Pabbaraju, K; Wong, S; Tellier, R; Kaler, K V I S

    2016-06-01

    Nucleic acid based diagnostic techniques are routinely used for the detection of infectious agents. Most of these assays rely on nucleic acid extraction platforms for the extraction and purification of nucleic acids and a separate real-time PCR platform for quantitative nucleic acid amplification tests (NATs). Several microfluidic lab on chip (LOC) technologies have been developed, where mechanical and chemical methods are used for the extraction and purification of nucleic acids. Microfluidic technologies have also been effectively utilized for chip based real-time PCR assays. However, there are few examples of microfluidic systems which have successfully integrated these two key processes. In this study, we have implemented an electro-actuation based LOC micro-device that leverages multi-frequency actuation of samples and reagents droplets for chip based nucleic acid extraction and real-time, reverse transcription (RT) PCR (qRT-PCR) amplification from clinical samples. Our prototype micro-device combines chemical lysis with electric field assisted isolation of nucleic acid in a four channel parallel processing scheme. Furthermore, a four channel parallel qRT-PCR amplification and detection assay is integrated to deliver the sample-to-detection NAT chip. The NAT chip combines dielectrophoresis and electrostatic/electrowetting actuation methods with resistive micro-heaters and temperature sensors to perform chip based integrated NATs. The two chip modules have been validated using different panels of clinical samples and their performance compared with standard platforms. This study has established that our integrated NAT chip system has a sensitivity and specificity comparable to that of the standard platforms while providing up to 10 fold reduction in sample/reagent volumes.

  19. Damage detection in concrete precast slabs: a quick assessment through modal tests

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leal Pimentel Roberto

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The use of modal tests for detecting damage in reinforced concrete precast slabs is evaluated. A set of eight slabs were tested, each belonging to flats constructed for residential use. Two groups of slabs were identified and, in each group, both cracked and uncracked slabs were found. This made it possible to compare the responses of the slabs when subjected to modal tests. The tests were carried out employing an instrumented hammer and heel drops as excitation sources. Responses were measured using an accelerometer. The lowest natural frequencies of the slabs could be identified and after filtering the results, plots indicating the variation of the lowest natural frequency versus the number of cycles of free decay were obtained for each slab. Such a plot is of more general use than the value of the natural frequency by itself, as it does not depend on slab configuration. It was observed that the cracked slabs presented a similar pattern of variation of the natural frequencies throughout the decay, being distinctive from the pattern observed for their uncracked counterparts. This provided evidence that a quick assessment of the structural condition of such slabs through the use of the tests were feasible.

  20. Parametric Roll Resonance Detection using Phase Correlation and Log-likelihood Testing Techniques

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Galeazzi, Roberto; Blanke, Mogens; Poulsen, Niels Kjølstad

    2009-01-01

    generation warning system the purpose of which is to provide the master with an onboard system able to trigger an alarm when parametric roll is likely to happen within the immediate future. A detection scheme is introduced, which is able to issue a warning within five roll periods after a resonant motion......Real-time detection of parametric roll is still an open issue that is gathering an increasing attention. A first generation warning systems, based on guidelines and polar diagrams, showed their potential to face issues like long-term prediction and risk assessment. This paper presents a second...... started. After having determined statistical properties of the signals at hand, a detector based on the generalised log-likelihood ratio test (GLRT) is designed to look for variation in signal power. The ability of the detector to trigger alarms when parametric roll is going to onset is evaluated on two...