Accurate Testing Methods Research Articles

Feature Extraction of Digital Image Processing for Optimization Chicken Egg Quality Classification

Abstract Manual external egg quality testing often faces various problems, one of which is the low level of accuracy. Testing processes that rely on human ability to identify eggshell defects can produce inconsistent results. So more efficient and accurate quality testing method is needed, namely imaging technology. Using digital imaging to evaluate egg quality offers advantages, including the ability to automatically and consistently detect shell defects. In applying digital image classification, good training data is needed to get accurate classification results, so the aim of this research is to extract chicken egg color features as training data to optimize the classification system. The method used on classifying chicken eggs based on shell color is feature extraction based on color in HSV (Hue Saturation Value) and RGB (Red Green Blue). Research results obtained 95 image data of chicken eggs consisting of 61 Grade A eggs with average RGB value of 75.39 and average HSV value of 0.36, 28 Grade B eggs with average RGB value of 87.92 and average HSV value is 0.35, and 6 Grade C eggs have average RGB value of 92.36 and average HSV value of 0.33, with color extraction in HSV and RGB spaces.

The effect of transformational leadership on teachers turnover intention in private colleges and universities – the mediating role of job satisfaction

The problem and the aim of the study. The problem of teacher turnover has always been one of the important challenges faced by the private education system. The universality of the research problem and the importance of the research object make it necessary for private universities to find appropriate ways to solve the problem. The author suggests that the method of transformational leadership should be used in private colleges and universities to form a scientific management model, so as to improve teachers' job satisfaction and reduce their turnover intention, and finally realize the healthy and sustainable development of private education. Materials and methods. Quantitative research is a universal scientific method to study real phenomena. The study was conducted on 870 teachers in private colleges and universities in China by convenient sampling. SPSS is a common method for quantitative research. SPSS is used for correlation analysis and difference analysis, Process plug-in is used to test the effect of data, and Bootstrap is used for further verification, because Bootstrap is an effective and accurate intermediary test method. Results. Demographically, there were no significant differences between gender and age in transformational leadership, job satisfaction and turnover intention (p> .050). Transformational leadership has a significant negative impact on teachers' turnover intention (B=- .341, p< .001). Job satisfaction has a significant negative effect on teachers' turnover intention (B=- .430, p< .001). Transformational leadership has a significant positive impact on the job satisfaction of teachers in private universities (B= .482, p< .001). Job satisfaction had a mediating effect between transformational leadership and turnover intention (B=- .134, p< .001). Conclusion. Transformational leadership can improve the job satisfaction of teachers in private colleges and universities, reduce their turnover intention. Under the management mode of transformational leadership, private colleges and universities can form scientific management mode. Less turnover intention can improve the stability of the teaching staff.

Comparative evaluation of broth microdilution, E-strip and Vitek-2 for colistin susceptibility among carbapenem resistant Acinetobacter Spp and Klebsiella Spp

Gram-negative bacterial infections that are resistant to carbapenems are a serious clinical problem. The only effective drugs against them are still tigecycline and colistin. In fact, polymyxin E, also known as colistin, has been regarded as a "last resort" antibiotic. But in recent years, colistin resistance has increased globally, significantly reducing treatment options and highlighting the significance of accurate colistin testing methods to support appropriate therapeutic decision-making. There is no requirement to cite reference in the abstract. So it is suggested to rephrase the sentence. The primary goal of the study is to compare the effectiveness of E-test and Vitek 2 for colistin sensitivity testing to the conventional microbroth dilution method using 120 clinical isolates of and that are resistant to carbapenem over the course of a year, isolated from January to December 2019. In comparison to Vitek-2, the results indicated that brothmicro dilution and E-test produced the narrowest range of colistin MICs. After comparing the E-test's errors and overall agreement with BMD, 100% of the Essential Agreement, 94.27% of the Categorical Agreement, and 5.72% of the Very Major Errors with no Major Errors were found. Comparing Vitek-2 with BMD, similar results were found: 1.66% MEs, 98.32% CAs, 80.99% EAs, and no VMEs. As a result, it was determined that, in contrast to Vitek-2, MBD and E-test had distinct MICs, making them appropriate for determining colistin MIC. It will take more research on automated systems to standardize colistin susceptibility testing procedures, particularly for and .

Detection of Estrogen Receptor Status in Breast Cancer Cytology Samples by an Optical Nanosensor

Breast cancer is a substantial source of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) are the primary biomarkers which inform breast cancer treatment. Although endocrine therapy for ER+ patients is widely available, there is a need for increased access to low‐cost, rapid, and accurate ER testing methods. In this work, we designed a near‐infrared optical nanosensor using single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) as the transducer and an anti‐ERα antibody as the recognition element. We evaluated the nanosensor in vitro prior to testing with 26 breast cancer samples which were collected by scraping the cut surface of fresh, surgically resected tumors. Twenty samples were ER+, and six ER−, representing 13 unique patients. We found that the nanosensor can differentiate ER− from ER+ patient biopsies through a shift in its center wavelength upon sample addition. Receiver operating characteristic area under the curve analyses determined that the strongest classifier with an AUC of 0.94 was the (7,5) SWCNT after direct incubation and measurement, and without further processing. We anticipate that further testing and development of this nanosensor may push its utility toward field‐deployable, rapid ER subtyping with the potential for additional molecular marker profiling.

Advanced high‐precision methodology for assessing sediment erosion in Pelton turbine buckets

AbstractDeveloping highly accurate sediment erosion testing methods for Pelton turbine overflow components is challenging due to their irregularly curved surfaces. In this study, we designed a method to evaluate the sediment erosion of the Pelton turbine bucket using test blocks with an accuracy of 0.0001 g. In addition, we conducted sediment erosion tests on a model Pelton turbine and conducted an in‐depth study on the installation design of the turbine runner and bucket, the design of the erosion test blocks, and the arrangement; we analyzed sediment abrasion distribution on the bucket's working surface. Our test results show that the bucket splitter edge, as well as the root of the working surface, are heavily worn. The maximum erosion rate of the working face is 0.7669 μm/h, and the maximum erosion rate of the splitter edge is close to 5 μm/h, which is highly consistent with the distribution of sediment erosion observed in Pelton turbines operating under sandy river conditions. This test method is essential for examining sediment erosion in Pelton turbines.

Low-cost high-throughput targeted sequencing for the accurate detection of respiratory tract pathogens.

The current gold standard for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) diagnosis by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is limited by the number of genes that can be detected. In this study, we developed a low-cost and high-throughput next-generation sequencing technology that can overcome the limitations of real time RT-PCR. A targeted sequencing panel (TSP) consisting of approximately 500 amplicons was designed. This panel could simultaneously detect a broad range of gene loci of SARS-CoV-2, and genes for the most common infectious viruses that affect the respiratory tract, in a single run and could include up to 96 samples. Four hundred and forty-eight samples and 31 control samples were analyzed independently with both TSP and RT-PCR, and the results were compared for accuracy and other indicators. TSP identified 50 SARS-CoV-2 positive samples with a 99.33% match to RT-PCR results. It is not surprising that TSP also identified multiple infections from the 96 samples, whereas RT-PCR could not. Thus, TSP was able to accurately diagnose the samples which could not be identified based on single RT-PCR test. Our data demonstrated that TSP is a fast and accurate testing method for identifying multiple pathogen infections of the respiratory tract.

An efficient multi‐probe enabled midfield over‐the‐air test method for 5G base station antenna pattern reconstruction

AbstractWith the accelerated deployment of 5G massive multi‐input multi‐output (MIMO)‐structured base stations (BSs), accurate and efficient testing of massive MIMO arrays is essential to ensure that the 5G massive MIMO antenna array can perform as expected. The increasing trend of both antenna element and array physical size makes massive MIMO antenna pattern measurement in the direct‐far‐field OTA environment unrealistic due to the signal attenuation, long measurement time, and ultra‐high test system construction cost. Therefore, the necessity of a compact, efficient, low‐complex, yet accurate OTA test method is evident, especially for 5G massive MIMO BS arrays. This paper proposes a novel multi‐probe‐enabled midfield (MF) OTA test method for 5G massive MIMO devices in compact measurement settings where antenna pattern measurement can be efficiently performed. The detailed theoretical analysis for the 5G massive MIMO array MF antenna pattern reconstruction method is presented, and the simulated validation results based on the typical 5G BS antenna arrays are provided and analysed, which demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed MF OTA test method and can provide insights into the radio frequency parametric measurement for 5G massive MIMO devices.

Requirements for partial turbulence simulations using nondimensional turbulence energy contributions

Requirements for partial turbulence simulations using nondimensional turbulence energy contributions

Assessment of broth disk elution method for aztreonam in combination with ceftazidime/avibactam against Enterobacterales isolates.

Infections caused by metallo-β-lactamase (MBL)-producing Enterobacterales are increasingly reported worldwide, and it is a significant challenge for clinical infection treatment. MBLs are adept at hydrolyzing almost all traditional β-lactam antibiotics except aztreonam, and the enzyme activity cannot be inhibited by traditional or novel β-lactamase inhibitors. The good thing is that the combination of aztreonam with ceftazidime/avibactam has been proven to be one of the potential therapeutic approaches for treating infections related with MBL-producing isolates. Broth microdilution (BMD) method is recommended as a reference method for its accuracy, but it is too complex to perform in most routine laboratories. Finding a more convenient, practical, and accurate susceptibility testing method for aztreonam/avibactam in clinical microbiology laboratories is very necessary. Here, we evaluated the performance of broth disk elution (BDE) method for aztreonam in combination with ceftazidime/avibactam against Enterobacterales isolates, with BMD as a reference.

Developing an optimised method for accurate wear testing of dental materials using the ‘Rub&Roll’ device

Dental materials are challenged by wear processes in the oral environment and should be evaluated in laboratory tests prior to clinical use. Many laboratory wear-testing devices are high-cost investments and not available for cross-centre comparisons. The ‘Rub&Roll’ wear machine enables controlled application of force, chemical and mechanical loading, but the initial design was not able to test against rigid antagonist materials. The current study aimed to probe the sensitivity of a new ‘Rub&Roll’ set-up by evaluating the effect of force and test solution parameters (deionized water; water + abrasive medium; acid + abrasive medium) on the wear behaviour of direct and indirect dental resin-based composites (RBCs) compared with human molars against 3D-printed rod antagonists. Molars exhibited greater height loss than RBCs in all test groups, with the largest differences recorded with acidic solutions. Direct RBCs showed significantly greater wear than indirect RBCs in the groups containing abrasive media. The acidic + abrasive medium did not result in increased wear of RBC materials. The developed method using the ‘Rub&Roll’ wear machine in the current investigation has provided a sensitive wear test method to allow initial screening of resin-based composite materials compared with extracted human molars under the influence of different mechanical and erosive challenges.

Drug Release and Stability Study of Innovated Losartan Potassium and Rosuvastatin Calcium Fixed-dose Combination Tablet.

Patient adherence to therapy and compliance is always a challenge for care providers in the management of chronic disorders with multiple medications. Our study focused on formulating concurrently prescribed ARB (Angiotensin Receptor Blocker), i.e., losartan potassium, and a cholesterol-lowering statin derivative, i.e., rosuvastatin calcium, in a fixed-dose combination tablet. The drugs were selected based on the presence of synergism and variation in solubility characteristics. Trial batches with fixed concentrations of both active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and varying quantities of different excipients were prepared by dry granulation technique and subjected to different quality control tests for tablets. Batch F5 was selected on the basis of in-process quality control data for the development of a drug release protocol. Experimental conditions were optimized. Based on the sink condition, phosphate buffer (pH 6.8) was selected as the dissolution medium. Simultaneous determination of both APIs in samples collected at predetermined time intervals was carried out using the RP-HPLC technique with acetonitrile, methanol, and water (20:25:55 v/v/v) as mobile phase. Complete dissolution of both APIs in the FDC tablet was achieved in 45 min in 900 mL of the selected medium. The in vitro drug release protocol was validated for accuracy and precision without interference with sample analysis. In this study, a validated, accurate, and robust dissolution testing method was developed for the newly formulated FDC tablet.

Dynamic tensile characteristics of elliptically shaped Ni8Ti9Cr1 rings

Dynamic tensile characteristics of elliptically shaped Ni8Ti9Cr1 rings

A metagenomics-based workflow for the detection and genomic characterization of GBS in raw freshwater fish.

The need for a rapid and accurate food microbiological testing method is apparent for a timely and effective foodborne outbreak response. This is particularly relevant for emerging foodborne pathogens such as Group B Streptococcus (GBS) whose associated food safety risk might be undercharacterized. By using GBS in raw freshwater fish as a case example, this study describes the development of a metagenomics-based workflow for rapid food microbiological safety testing and surveillance. This study can inform as a working model for various foodborne pathogens in other complex food matrices, paving the way for future methodological development of metagenomics for food microbiological safety testing.

A near-infrared fluorescent probe for the detection of Cu2+ in Chinese herbal medicine and imaging in living cells

Copper is one of the common among the heavy metal pollution in Chinese herbal medicine (CHM). So, it is essential to develop rapid and accurate testing method to quantify the Cu2+ content in CHM. Herein, we prepared a coordination-based near-infrared fluorescent probe (NRh6G-FA) by introducing a hemicyanine dye in rhodamine 6G scaffold. NRh6G-FA had a high sensitivity, anti-interference performance, fast response (within 60s), visualization (from light yellow to green) for Cu2+ and excellent sensing performance for the detection of Cu2+ at low concentrations (LOD=0.225μM). The most likely mechanism was verified on the basis of Job's plot, ESI-HRMS and DFT calculations. NRh6G-FA could be successfully applied for the detection and "naked eye" recognition of Cu2+ in CHM samples. Moreover, NRh6G-FA was used to visualize Cu2+ in living MCF-7 cells by confocal fluorescence imaging.

Integrating Recombinase Polymerase Amplification and Photosensitization Colorimetric Detection in One Tube for Fast Screening of C. sakazakii in Formula Milk Powder.

Cronobacter sakazakii (C. sakazakii) is a widely existing opportunistic pathogen and thus threatens people with low immunity, especially infants. To prevent the outbreak, a rapid and accurate on-site testing method is required. The current standard culture-based method is time-consuming (3-4 days), while the nucleic acid amplification (PCR)-based detection is mostly carried out in central laboratories. Herein, isothermal recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) coupled with a photosensitization colorimetric assay (PCA) was adopted for the on-site detection of C. sakazakii in powdered infant formulas (PIFs). The lowest visual detection concentration of C. sakazakii is 800 cfu/mL and 2 cfu/g after 8 h bacteria pre-enrichment. Furthermore, to avoid typical cap opening-resulted aerosol pollution, the PCA reagents were lyophilized onto the cap of the RPA tube (containing lyophilized RPA reagents). After amplification, the tube was subjected to simple shaking to mix the PCA reagents with the amplification products for light-driven color development. Such a one-tube assay offered a lowest concentration of 1000 copies of genomic DNA of C. sakazakii within 1 h. After 8 h of bacterial enrichment, the lowest detecting concentration could be pushed down to 5 cfu/g bacteria in PIF. To facilitate on-site monitoring, a portable, battery-powered PCA device was designed to mount the typical RPA 8-tube strip, and a color analysis cellphone APP was further employed for facile readout.

LIBS combined with SG-SPXY spectral data pre-processing for cement raw meal composition analysis.

Rapid testing of cement raw meal plays a crucial role in the cement production process, so there is an urgent need for a fast and accurate testing method. In this paper, a method based on the Savitzky-Golay (SG) smoothing and sample set partitioning based on joint x-y distance (SPXY) spectral data pre-processing is proposed to improve the accuracy of the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) technique for quantitative analysis of cement raw meal components. Firstly, the spectral data is denoised by SG smoothing, which effectively reduces the noise and baseline variations in the spectra. Then, the denoised data is divided into sample sets by combining the SPXY sample division method, which improves the efficiency of data analysis. Finally, the delineated data set is modeled for quantitative analysis by a back-propagation (BP) neural network. Compared to the modeling effect of the four oxide contents of CaO, S i O 2, A l 2 O 3, and F e 2 O 3 in the Hold-Out method, the correlation coefficient (R) was improved by 26%, 10%, 17%, and 4%, respectively. The root mean square error (RMSE) was reduced by 47%, 33%, 43%, and 21%, respectively. The mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) was reduced by 63%, 60%, 36%, and 51%, respectively. The results show that there is a significant improvement in the model effect, which can effectively improve the accuracy of quantitative analysis of cement raw meal composition by LIBS. This is of great significance for the real-time detection of cement raw meal composition analysis.

Oxidative stress affects sperm health and fertility-Time to apply facts learned at the bench to help the patient: Lessons for busy clinicians.

Increased oxidative stress (OS), resulting from the delicate balance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and antioxidant defense, is closely linked to sperm abnormalities and male subfertility. Elevated ROS levels particularly affect sperm quality. The vulnerability of spermatozoa to ROS is due to the absence of DNA repair mechanisms and the high presence of polyunsaturated fatty acids in their membranes. This article updates and advances our understanding of the molecular damage caused by OS in spermatozoa, including lipid peroxidation, DNA damage, motility, and functionality. Additionally, the review discusses the challenges in diagnosing OS in semen and recommends accurate and sensitive testing methods. Case studies are utilized to demonstrate the effective management of male infertility caused by OS. Highlighting the need to bridge the gap between research and clinical practice, this review suggests strategies for clinicians, such as lifestyle and dietary changes and antioxidant therapies. The review emphasizes lifestyle modifications and personalized care as effective strategies in managing male infertility caused by OS. This review calls for early detection and intervention and interdisciplinary collaboration to improve patient care in male infertility cases related to increased OS.

Low-temporal coherence light self-focusing effect by spatial resolved method

The low-temporal coherence light (LTCL) has received extensive attention in the research of inertial confinement fusion due to its physical properties of instantaneous broadband. Recent reports demonstrated that the LTCL has significant suppression effects on laser plasma instability. However, the temporal spike structures of the LTCL will not only induce the amplification of the self-focusing effect, but also make its small-scale self-focusing characteristics and corresponding damage mechanism more complicated. Exploring the self-focusing characteristics of the LTCL will provide an important information for improving the output power of the LTCL. In this work, we design a more accurate test method for comparing the nonlinear self-focusing effects of different lasers, and compare the self-focusing effect of LTCL with single longitudinal mode (SLM) pulse. In the experiments, fused silica is tightly focused by a short focal length lens to avoid damaging the input surface. A spatially resolved test method is designed to measure the nonlinear <i>I</i>×<i>L</i> value (where <i>I</i> is the incident intensity, <i>L</i> is the distance from the head of filamentation damage to the input surface), which is accumulated from the input surface to the head of filamentation damage. The results show that the nonlinear <i>I</i>×<i>L</i> value obtained by the spatially resolved method is lower than by the traditional test method, since the energy loss caused by incident surface damage and backward stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) has been resolved. Furthermore, the nonlinear <i>I</i>×<i>L</i> values of the SLM pulse and the LTCL are also compared by the traditional test method and spatially resolved method. The test results show that due to the temporal spike structure, the LTCL has a lower nonlinear <i>I</i>×<i>L</i> value than the SLM pulse. The SBS effect and the different damage characteristics of the input surface are also analyzed. This study provides a more accurate test method for better analyzing the self-focusing effect of LTCL and laser pulses with different characteristics, and hence presenting a reference for designing high-power devices of low-temporal coherence light.

Development of a Large-Scale Pathogen Screening Test for the Biosafety Evaluation of Canine Mesenchymal Stem Cells

BackgroundThe action of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is the subject of intense research in the field of regenerative medicine, including their potential use in companion animals, such as dogs. To ensure the safety of canine MSC batches for their application in regenerative medicine, a quality control test must be conducted in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). Based on guidance provided by the European Medicines Agency, this study aimed to develop and validate a highly sensitive and robust, nucleic acid-based test panel for the detection of various canine pathogens. Analytical sensitivity, specificity, amplification efficiency, and linearity were evaluated to ensure robust assessment. Additionally, viable spike-in controls were used to control for optimal nucleic acid extraction. The conventional PCR-based and real-time PCR-based pathogen assays were evaluated in a real-life setting, by direct testing MSC batches.ResultsThe established nucleic acid-based assays displayed remarkable sensitivity, detecting 100–1 copies/reaction of template DNA. They also exhibited high specificity and efficiency. Moreover, highly effective nucleic acid isolation was confirmed by the sensitive detection of spike-in controls. The detection capacity of our optimized and validated methods was determined by direct pathogen testing of nine MSC batches that displayed unusual phenotypes, such as reduced cell division or other deviating characteristics. Among these MCS batches of uncertain purity, only one tested negative for all pathogens. The direct testing of these samples yielded positive results for important canine pathogens, including tick-borne disease-associated species and viral members of the canine infectious respiratory disease complex (CIRDC). Notably, samples positive for the etiological agents responsible for enteritis (CPV), leptospirosis (Leptospira interrogans), and neosporosis (Neospora caninum) were also identified. Furthermore, we conducted biosafety evaluation of 12 MSC batches intended for therapeutic application. Eleven MSC batches were found to be free of extraneous agents, and only one tested positive for a specific pathogen, namely, canine parvovirus.ConclusionIn this study, we established and validated reliable, highly sensitive, and accurate nucleic acid-based testing methods for a broad spectrum of canine pathogens.

Impact and Detection of Hydrogen in Metals

AbstractThe widespread use of hydrogen as an energy carrier is considered one of the most important keys to achieving the decarbonization necessary for the energy transition in numerous areas of technology and society. Not least due to the associated contact of metallic components with (pressurized) hydrogen, there is a latent risk of hydrogen-induced cracking (“hydrogen embrittlement”). The cause of damage is the hydrogen absorbed by the material, which is mobile via interstitial lattice diffusion. In high-strength steels with a tensile strength of more than 800 MPa, even very low diffusive hydrogen contents of less than 1 ppm (parts per million) can have a crack-inducing effect. Hence, dedicated, highly accurate analytical and testing methods are required for the detection of hydrogen and its effect on the mechanical properties of metals. This paper summarizes the current state of knowledge regarding hydrogen embrittlement and reviews the analytical, mechanical, and fractographic investigation methods for detecting hydrogen in metals.