Advanced Diagnostic Tools Research Articles

Temporal Trend of Age at Diagnosis in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: An Analysis of the International Sarcomeric Human Cardiomyopathy Registry.

Background:Over the last 50 years, the epidemiology of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) has changed because of increased awareness and availability of advanced diagnostic tools. We aim to describe the temporal trends in age, sex, and clinical characteristics at HCM diagnosis over >4 decades.Methods:We retrospectively analyzed records from the ongoing multinational Sarcomeric Human Cardiomyopathy Registry. Overall, 7286 patients with HCM diagnosed at an age ≥18 years between 1961 and 2019 were included in the analysis and divided into 3 eras of diagnosis (<2000, 2000–2010, >2010).Results:Age at diagnosis increased markedly over time (40±14 versus 47±15 versus 51±16 years, P<0.001), both in US and non-US sites, with a stable male-to-female ratio of about 3:2. Frequency of familial HCM declined over time (38.8% versus 34.3% versus 32.7%, P<0.001), as well as heart failure symptoms at presentation (New York Heart Association III/IV: 18.1% versus 15.8% versus 12.6%, P<0.001). Left ventricular hypertrophy became less marked over time (maximum wall thickness: 20±6 versus 18±5 versus 17±5 mm, P<0.001), while prevalence of obstructive HCM was greater in recent cohorts (peak gradient >30 mm Hg: 31.9% versus 39.3% versus 39.0%, P=0.001). Consistent with decreasing phenotypic severity, yield of pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants at genetic testing decreased over time (57.7% versus 45.6% versus 38.4%, P<0.001).Conclusions:Evolving HCM populations include progressively greater representation of older patients with sporadic disease, mild phenotypes, and genotype-negative status. Such trend suggests a prominent role of imaging over genetic testing in promoting HCM diagnoses and urges efforts to understand genotype-negative disease eluding the classic monogenic paradigm.

Comparison of diagnostic techniques to measure damage growth in a stiffened composite panel

A research study was performed during which a hat-stiffened composite panel was manufactured and tested in order to assess the abilities of four advanced diagnostic tools to characterize skin-to-stringer separation growth in post-buckled conditions. Teflon film was inserted between the hat flanges and the skin to create an initially disbonded region. The four diagnostic tools included a hand-held ultrasonic scanner, 3D digital image correlation, a fiber optic strain interrogator, and thermo-elastic stress analysis. A standard procedure was used for the ultrasonic system, but the other three advanced devices required MATLAB algorithms to define the damage zone based on peak strains along the loading direction. The results showed that all four techniques were able to characterize skin-to-stringer separation, with the largest difference between the measurements being approximately 5%.

Probe-based real-time reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RRT-LAMP) assay for rapid and specific detection of foot-and-mouth disease virus.

Rapid and specific detection of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) is a key factor for promoting prompt control of FMD outbreaks. In this study, a real-time reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RRT-LAMP) assay with high sensitivity, rapidity and reliability was developed using a targeted gene-specific assimilating probe for real-time detection of seven FMDV serotypes. Positive assay signals were generated within 15min for the lowest concentration of a standard RNA sample at 62°C; this was substantially faster than that achieved by the OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health)-recommended real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assay. The new assay specifically amplified the 3D gene of all seven FMDV serotypes and did not amplify other viral nucleic acids. The detection limit of the assay was 102 copies/µl which is comparable to that achieved by qRT-PCR. Furthermore, using clinical samples, the results of the RRT-LAMP assay were largely in agreement with those from the qRT-PCR assay with a kappa value (95% confidence interval [CI]) of 0.94 (0.86-1.02). The established RRT-LAMP assay that features assimilating probes is an advanced molecular diagnostic tool that is easily applicable to a wide range of circumstances and has high potential for use as an on-site diagnostic assay for rapid, specific, and reliable detection of FMDVs in clinical samples.

Evaluation of the Viscus injury in Abdominal Trauma

Background: The diagnosis of hollow viscus injury with advanced diagnostic tools and management of trauma by conservative and surgically by laparotomy and correction of anatomy. Hence such injuries are frequently overlooked leading to increased morbidity and mortality. Thus, this study is intended to throw light upon the prompt diagnosis and management of hollow viscus injuries in trauma. Hence the aim of the present research was to study the diagnosis and management of hollow viscus injuries. Subjects and Methods: A total of 100 cases were included in the study. All the patients were above the age of 11 years and maximum age of 80 years. Most of the patients included were male with ration of 4:1. After recording of history clinical examination followed by radiological, serological and operative findings were recorded. Data was analyse to study the male: female ratio, etiologies of viscous injury, investigation done and possible management for the treatment. Results: On analysis of the data, most common reason for the abdominal trauma was found to be road traffic accident followed by stab injury. The maximum of the patients belong to the age group of 2 to 30 years. Most common reason for the abdominal trauma was found to be road traffic accident followed by stab injury. Conclusion: It is mostly seen in the age group of 21-30 years which form the young and reproductive group. These patients’ measures should be taken to prevent these accidents and care of victims at the accident site. Well established trauma care centers should be established at least at every taluk hospital. Measures for early transport of the patients from the accident site to the trauma care centres to be undertaken.

Diagnosing a 12-Item Dataset of Raven Matrices: With Dexter.

We analyze a 12-item version of Raven’s Standard Progressive Matrices test, traditionally scored with the sum score. We discuss some important differences between assessment in practice and psychometric modelling. We demonstrate some advanced diagnostic tools in the freely available R package, dexter. We find that the first item in the test functions badly—at a guess, because the subjects were not given exercise items before the live test.

Semi-Supervised Nonnegative Matrix Factorization of Wide-Field Fluorescence Microscopic Images for Tissue Diagnosis.

This study tests the use of a constrained nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) algorithm to explore the comparatively new field of chemometric microscopy to support tissue diagnosis. The algorithm can extract the spectral signature and the absolute concentration map of endogenous fluorophores from wide-field microscopic images. The resultant data distinguished normal and fibrous calvarial tissues, based on the changes in their spectral signatures. The absolute concentration map of endogenous fluorophores, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH), flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), and lipofuscin were derived from microscopic images and compared with the fluorescence from pure fluorophores. While the absolute concentration of NADH increased, the same of FAD and lipofuscin decreased from a normal to fibrous calvarial condition. An increase in the optical redox ratio, possibly due to the metabolic changes during the development of fibrosis, was observed. Differentiating tissue types using the absolute concentration map was found to be considerably more precise than that achievable with relative concentration. The quantification of fluorophores with reference to the absolute concentration map can eliminate uncertainties due to system responses or measurement details, thereby generating more biologically apposite data. Wide-field microscopy augmented with a constrained NMF algorithm could emerge as an advanced diagnostic tool, potentially heralding the emergence of chemometric microscopy.

The use of fetal exome sequencing in prenatal diagnosis: a points to consider document of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG)

The use of fetal exome sequencing in prenatal diagnosis: a points to consider document of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG)

Analysis of trends of malaria from 2010 to 2017 in Boricha District, Southern Ethiopia

BackgroundEthiopia has made a significant progress of malaria control. Currently, the country has adopted and is implementing the World Health Organization very ambitious, but achievable, malaria elimination plan through extensive efforts. The regular evaluation of its performance is vital for plausible improvement. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the trends of malaria infection in Boricha district, Southern Ethiopia.MethodsA retrospective study was conducted in all health facilities of the district. All malaria cases registered during 2010 to 2017 were reviewed to determine the trends of malaria morbidity. EpiData 3.1 was used for data entry and data were analysed using SPSS version 20.0.ResultsA total of 135,607 malaria suspects were diagnosed using microscopy and rapid diagnostic test over the last 8 years, of which 29,554 (21.8%) were confirmed positive cases. Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax and mixed infections (both species) accounted for 56.3%, 38.4% and 5.2% of cases, respectively. Except in 2013 and 2014, Plasmodium falciparum was the dominant species over P. vivax. Of the total confirmed cases 51.6% were adults (≥ 15 years) followed by 24.5% of 5–14 years, and 23.9% of under 5 years. In general, malaria morbidity was significantly reduced over the last 8 years. The positivity rate declined from 54.6% to 5% during 2010 to 2017, and the case incidence rate per 1000 population at risk also declined from 18.9 to 2.2 during the same period. Malaria was reported in all months of the year, with peaks in November, followed by September and July. Malaria transmission has strong association with season (x2 = 303.955, df = 22, p < 0.0001).ConclusionIn general, a significant reduction of malaria morbidity was observed over the past 8 years. However, further investigation using advanced diagnostic tools is vital to determine the level of sub-microscopic infections to guide the elimination plan. In addition, eco-epidemiological analysis at fine-scale level is essential to devise area-specific interventions.

A quantitative evaluation method of 3D flame curvature from reconstructed flame structure

Three-dimensional (3D) imaging techniques, such as computed tomography of chemiluminescence and volumetric laser-induced fluorescence, are advanced combustion diagnostic tools that can provide rich insights on the spatial distribution of combustion intermediates. Besides the flame structure that is directly reconstructed, some deep and underlying information such as the geometric features are quite useful for a complete understanding of combustion mechanisms and, therefore, is desired to be further explored. However, to the best of our knowledge, due to the concave and convex variations on flame surface and the mathematical challenges, almost no attempts have been made to experimentally calculate the 3D geometric features of a turbulent swirl flame. In this work, we propose a point-extracted method that can effectively extract a point cloud from the reconstructed turbulent swirl flame. In addition, the two principal curvatures, mean curvature and the Gaussian curvature were evaluated with the so-called triangle-mesh-based method (TMB). One main contribution of this work is to perform a comparison between TMB and direct numerical simulation for curvature evaluation. The quantities obtained by this method are expected to be valuable for the validation of combustion modeling and for the investigation of combustion mechanisms. The 3D curvatures including principle curvatures, mean curvature and Gaussian curvature were experimentally evaluated in a turbulent swirl flame for the first time. The Gaussian curvatures can be related to three typical kinds of curved surfaces, i.e. elliptical, cylindrical and saddle surfaces. For the swirl flame used in this work, the cylindrical surface is regarded as a “base flame surface”, based on which some humps called flame wrinkles would form at some positions. At the tip of each hump, the flame will present an elliptical cup-like surface, where the Gaussian curvatures are relatively large. The transition region from cylindrical surface to elliptical surface mostly manifests a saddle surface.

A Diagnostic Formula for Discrimination of Tuberculous and Bacterial Meningitis Using Clinical and Laboratory Features

Background: The discrimination of tuberculous meningitis and bacterial meningitis remains difficult at present, even with the introduction of advanced diagnostic tools. This study aims to differentiate these two kinds of meningitis by using the rule of clinical and laboratory features.Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted to collect the clinical and laboratory parameters of patients with tuberculous meningitis or bacterial meningitis. Logistic regression was used to define the diagnostic formula for the discrimination of tuberculous meningitis and bacterial meningitis. A receiver operator characteristic curve was established to determine the best cutoff point for the diagnostic formula.Results: Five parameters (duration of illness, coughing for two or more weeks, meningeal signs, blood sodium, and percentage of neutrophils in cerebrospinal fluid) were predictive of tuberculous meningitis. The diagnostic formula developed from these parameters was 98% sensitive and 82% specific, while these were 95% sensitive and 91% specific when prospectively applied to another 70 patients.Conclusion: The diagnostic formula developed in the present study can help physicians to differentiate tuberculous meningitis from bacterial meningitis in high-tuberculosis-incidence-areas, particularly in settings with limited microbiological and radiological resources.

Renal ultrasonographic shear-wave elastography and urinary procollagen type III amino-terminal propeptide in chronic kidney disease dogs.

Background and Aim:Renal fibrosis is a well-established pathological alteration associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in several species and progresses as CKD advances. Although a renal biopsy is the gold standard for determining renal fibrosis, it is an invasive, impractical method for clinical practice. In humans, ultrasonographic shear-wave elastography (SWE), a novel advanced diagnostic imaging tool, can evaluate renal parenchyma stiffness, and urinary procollagen type III amino-terminal propeptide (uPIIINP), a promising renal fibrosis biomarker in humans, has increasingly been use applied to reduce the biopsies. This study compares renal tissue elasticity observed through SWE Young’s modulus (E) values between healthy dogs (HD) and those with CKD.Materials and Methods:The E value acquired by SWE, uPIIINP levels, and renal function were evaluated in 15 CKD dogs and 15 HD.Results:The renal cortical E values were significantly higher than the renal medullary E values in both groups (p<0.001). Renal cortical and medullary E values in CKD dogs were significantly higher than in HD (p<0.01). Cortical E values had greater significant correlations with renal functional parameters than the medullary E values and had a significant positive correlation with concentrations of plasma creatinine (Cr) (p<0.001); blood urea nitrogen (p<0.01); urine protein Cr ratio (p<0.01); and fractional excretions of sodium (p<0.05), potassium (p<0.05), chloride (p<0.05), and magnesium (p<0.001) while they had a negative correlation with urine specific gravity (p<0.05) and urine osmolality to plasma osmolality ratio (p<0.05). The uPIIINP to Cr (uPIIINP/Cr) ratios of CKD dogs were higher than those of HD (p<0.001). Moreover, the uPIIINP/Cr levels presented significant correlations with the renal cortical E values (p<0.01) and also the renal functional parameters.Conclusion:SWE offers a complementary, non-invasive diagnostic imaging tool for evaluating renal tissue stiffness in CKD dogs with renal function deterioration. In addition, uPIIINP levels are associated with renal function and structural changes in dogs. Therefore, the uPIIINP level might be a non-invasive, complementary, and promising biomarker for evaluating renal fibrosis in canine CKD.

Direct Thrombin Inhibitors as the Primary Treatment Modality for Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis (CVST)

Background: Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) is an uncommon entity with improved clinical outcome over time due to utilization of advanced diagnostic tools and effective treatment modalities. Previous treatment regimen pertained to primarily medical therapies, with use of anticoagulants like Coumadin and Heparin. However the advent of Direct Thrombin Inhibitors (DTI) which do not need regular monitoring of blood coagulation panel and has better safety profile than Coumadin, has been suggested as a treatment modality for CVST in recent literature. Case Description: It is a case series of 3 adult patients presenting with intracerebral hemorrhage secondary to CVST from occlusion of dural venous sinuses. Dabigatran, a DTI was used as the primary treatment modality for a period of 6 months for 2 patients who had identifiable underlying cause and lifelong for 1 patient who had no identifiable underlying cause for dural sinus thrombosis. Patients has been followed for a total period of six months while on DTI treatment, with Magnetic Resonance Venography (MRV) of the brain performed at 6 months follow up visit to assess recanalization of the obstructed dural sinuses. All the 3 patients had improved clinical outcome at 6 months follow up visit with no added morbidity upon using DTI. Two patients had complete recanalization of obstructed venous sinuses, while 1 patient had partial recanalization at 6 months follow-up visit. No patient had increased hematoma volume while on treatment with DTI. Conclusion: This case series suggests DTI are probably effective primary treatment modality for patients with CVST with good safety profile.

Macroscopic mid-FTIR mapping and clustering-based automated data-reduction: An advanced diagnostic tool for in situ investigations of artworks

The present study describes a multivariate strategy that can be used for automatic on-site processing of reflection mode macro FTIR mapping (MA-rFTIR) data obtained during investigation of artworks. The chemometric strategy is based on the integration of principal component analysis (PCA) with a clustering approach in the space subtended by the three lowest-order principal components and allows to automatically identify the regions of interest (ROIs) of the area scanned and to extract the average FTIR spectra related to each ROI. Thanks to the automatic data management, in-field HSI (hyperspectral imaging)-based analyses may be performed even by staff lacking specific advanced chemometric expertise, as it is sometimes the case for conservation scientists or conservators with a scientific background. MA-rFTIR was only recently introduced in the conservation field and, in this work the technique was employed to characterize the surface of metallic artefacts. The analytical protocol was employed as part of a rapid procedure to evaluate the conservation state and the performance of cleaning methods on bronze objects. Both activities are commonly part of restoration campaigns of bronzes and require an on-site analytical procedure for efficient and effective diagnosis. The performance of the method was first evaluated on aged standard samples (bronzes with a layer of green basic copper hydroxysulphate, treated with different organic coatings) and then scrutinized in situ on areas of the 16th century Neptune fountain statue (Piazza del Nettuno, Bologna, Italy) by Gianbologna.

432P - Role of Intraoperative MRI (iMRI) in neurosurgery, potential imaging tool for maximizing gross total resection (GTR) rate of CNS tumours

BackgroundHigh field iMRI with integrated neuronavigation system is an advanced diagnostic tool gives information about extent of resection allowing immediate update of neuronavigation parameters after anatomic changes occuring as a result of tumour resection, cerebrospinal fluid evacuation and brain shift. Methods20 CNS tumour cases underwent Brain suite MRI prior to surgery, then surgery was done after patient registration in navigation system using iMRI. Preoperative tumor volume was manually segmented, compared with intraoperative volume after first resection attempt and final post operative volume after surgical closure to calculate extent of resection (EOR).Descriptive statistics were used to find mean, SD, frequency, percentage of variables. Normally distributed interval data reported as means by two-sample t- test. Non-normally distributed interval/ordinal data reported as median{inter-quartile ranges} and compared among groups by Wilcoxon exact test to obtain EOR values. Results20 cases allocated to two groups (G), 1st in whom surgery was complete after first iMRI and 2nd who underwent further tumour removal. In G1 surgery was terminated in 11 cases after iMRI, GTR in 81.8% cases. iMRI showed subtotal resection(STR) in 18.2% patients but surgery stopped owing to infiltration of eloquent brain. Median preoperative tumour volume was 40.8cm3. Median postoperative tumour volume was 0.81cm3 with a significant p value (<0.001). Median EOR was 98.5% in G1. In G2, 9 of 20 (45%) underwent further resection of residual tumour after post resection iMRI. GTR in 77.7% and STR in 22.3%, because of tumour’s close proximity to eloquent brain area. Median % of tumour resection after the first iMRI was 82.65%. Median EOR from the final postoperative iMRI was 98.3%. GTR increased from 45% to 80 % after use of iMRI. Median % of residual tumour volume significantly decreased from 5.3% to 1.7 % (p value <0.001). Mean control tumour volume was 9.67% and final post operative volume of 4.72% , which is almost half of intraoperative tumour volume (p value <0.001). ConclusionsiMRI has potential role in maximizing gross total resection rates of CNS tumours which has an overall great prognostic impact. Legal entity responsible for the studyInstitutional ethics committee, Max Superspeciality Hospital, New Delhi. FundingHas not received any funding. DisclosureAll authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

Elderly Patients with Intracranial Meningioma: Surgical Considerations in 228 Patients with a Comprehensive Analysis of the Literature

Improved life expectancy and advanced diagnostic tools including computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging have increased the awareness and diagnosis of intracranial meningiomas in the elderly population. The risk/benefit ratio of surgery in elderly patients with intracranial meningioma has not been clearly defined because of the lack of objective measurement tools. We aimed to understand the risk factors associated with postsurgical outcomes and how these risk factors affected postsurgical outcomes in elderly patients with intracranial meningioma. We retrospectively evaluated 1372 patients, who were operated on for intracranial meningioma, using our prospectively collected database. The same senior author operated on all patients at 2 different tertiary clinics. Patients' clinical charts, presurgical postcontrast T1-weighted magnetic resonance images, operative reports, and pathology reports were reviewed. The relevant literature was also reviewed. Higher age, higher American Society of Anesthesiologists class, presence of comorbidities, tumor location, larger initial tumor size, and presence of peritumoral edema were all associated with postsurgical complications in elderly patients with intracranial meningioma. Age ≥50 years wasthe strongest predictor of postsurgical systemic complications, whereas higher American Society of Anesthesiologists class was the strongest predictor of postsurgical neurologic complications. A literature review showed higher morbidity and mortality of elderly patients with intracranial meningioma. Initial tumor size and postsurgical MIB-1 labeling index were higher in the elderly patients, both of which were predictors of tumor growth. Even though elderly patients operated on for intracranial meningioma had higher morbidity and mortality compared with younger patients, surgery is still much more beneficial than wait-and-see strategy in elderly patients.

Phenotypic characterization of mycobacteria isolates from tuberculosis patients in Kaduna State, Nigeria

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the leading public health challenges in Nigeria and the burden is still high. There is hence a need for continuous characterization of mycobacteria to obtain current data that will aid the ongoing TB prevention and control programme. The aim of this study was to phenotypically characterize mycobacteria isolates recovered from clinical specimens of patients with tuberculosis in Kaduna State, Nigeria.Methods: Two thousand, two hundred and twelve (2212) sputum samples were collected from patients clinically suspected to have TB in three different zones of Kaduna State, Nigeria, between May 2017 and October, 2018. Samples were processed by decontaminating with NaOH-Citrate N-acetyl-L-Cystein method for Ziehl Neelsen (ZN) AFB microscopy and culture on Lowenstein Jensen (LJ) slants which were incubated at 37ᵒC for 8 weeks. Positive LJ cultures were further analyzed with a rapid TB antigen assay (SD-Bioline) to differentiate Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) from Non Tuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM).Results: Out of the 2212 patients with suspected TB, 300 (13.6%) were positive for AFB by microscopy with Zone A (Kaduna North) having the highest AFB positive cases of 169 (15.2%). Of the 300 AFB positive samples, 272 (91.0%) were culture positive on LJ medium, 18 (6.0%) were culture negative and 10 (3.0%) were culture contaminated. Result of the distribution of mycobacteria among infected patients within the study area revealed that 219 (80.5%) were infected with MTBC, 42 (15.4%) with NTM and 11 (4.0%) with both MTBC and NTM.Conclusion: A relatively high number of TB in the study area was caused by NTM. There is need for advanced diagnostic tools that can differentiate MTBC and NTM strains among TB patients in all TB Reference Laboratories in Nigeria.Keywords: Phenotypic, Characterization, Tuberculosis, Mycobacteria

A Review of the Different Haematological Parameters and Biomarkers Used for Diagnosis of Neonatal Sepsis

Neonatal sepsis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in newborns. It presents a diagnostic challenge to the neonatologists due to a lack of objective evaluation. It may mimic noninfective conditions, such as inborn error of metabolism, birth asphyxia, and even respiratory distress syndrome in preterms. Nonetheless, over-diagnosis and initiating unwanted empirical antibiotics may pose the threat of drug resistance, increasing the hospital stay and cost of treatment. Traditionally, investigations such as white blood cell count, absolute neutrophil count, immature to total neutrophil ratio, C-reactive protein levels, and blood cultures have been used to diagnose sepsis. However, these have low sensitivity and specificity because they may be elevated in conditions other than sepsis. The in-depth understanding of the neonatal immune system’s response to early infection has led to the discovery of advanced diagnostic tools, including biomarkers. This literature review briefs on the various haematological parameters and biomarkers in neonatal sepsis, exploring newer biomarkers and comparing them with their older counterparts. This will help early diagnosis, treatment, and improved prognosis in neonatal sepsis. As there is a spectrum of markers for diagnosing neonatal sepsis, it is preferable to compile these markers and correlate clinically. A thorough search of this literature was done on the electronic databases PubMed, Elsevier’s Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library. The authors found around 90 relevant articles: 84 were from PubMed, 4 from Elsevier, and 2 from the latest Cochrane database. Of these articles, 57 were selected from between early 2000 and January 2019.

2 Biosensors - New Frontiers in Animal Welfare

Abstract Glocalization and ecological pressures increase the risk of a biological incident of national significance in farmed animal health management, such as the emergence of a novel infectious agent and/or a global pandemic. An important strategy to monitor such an incident is to anticipate when and where it may occur to enable a timely and well-informed measurement as response. As agreed by researchers, industry experts and market watchers, the fourth revolution in agriculture has begun. Novel technologies such as Internet of Things, SMART Agriculture Initiative, Precision Agriculture, and development of apps for disease surveillance are emerging to drive efficiency. As such, rapid on-farm diagnostics of novel infectious agents and global pandemics using advanced diagnostic methods and tools, as Smart (Precision) Farming and Agricultural IoT (Internet of Things), is significant as part of the fourth agricultural revolution. This talk will discuss examples of innovations such as arrays of diagnostic platforms and wearables as nanosensors using biotechnology to detect 1) biomarker proteins; and 2) antibodies targeting specifically the proteins in multiple livestock sectors: dairy animals; poultry; and pork sectors to diagnose diseases and infections. With novel infectious agents and global pandemics on the rise in farmed livestock, it is imperative to develop detection tools that can predict when an incident is likely to occur, determine the exposed population, inform diagnosis and treatment decisions, and forecast the incident’s potential impact on human and animal populations. The amount of time farmers will have to spend on the farm to make decisions will be significantly reduced. With automated and rapid disease monitoring, farmers will be able to receive real-time information on their livestock, increasing both the efficiency and sustainability for farming and livestock production.

ITrace – A Ray Tracing Aberrometer

Modern ophthalmology focusses on visual quality and not just visual acuity. The quality of vision is affected by both lower and higher order aberrations. An optical aberration is a departure of the performance of an optical system from the prediction of paraxial optics. In this article, we analyse the iTrace Ray-tracing aberrometry and its applications in daily clinical practice. The iTrace system integrates corneal topography with wavefront aberrometry, thereby providing a unique analysis that subtracts corneal from total aberrations in order to isolate the internal aberrations of the eye. It is an extremely useful tool for objective evaluation of dysfunctional lens, improving cataract and refractive surgery outcomes and planning of premium intraocular lenses. Thus, the clinicians must explore this instrument as it is an advanced diagnostic tool that can help the surgeon at all stages of patient care in achieving premium outcomes.

In Situ and Ex Situ Studies of Interfacial Processes on Intermetallic Li-ion Anodes

Intermetallic (Si, Sn, Sb etc.) electrodes offer significantly higher volumetric and gravimetric energy density compared to the widely used graphite-based electrodes, which make them promising candidates for next generation Li-ion cells for transportation applications. [1] However, numerous studies have demonstrated that the inherently non-passivating behavior of intermetallic electrodes in standard organic carbonate-based Li-ion electrolytes [2] is aggravated by significant volume changes during the charging and discharging processes. Mechanical stresses from volume change lead to particle decrepitation, resulting in electronic isolation of particles, loss of mechanical integrity of composite electrodes and interfacial instability. Particle factures expose fresh electrode surface to the electrolyte during cycling, leading to formation of a thick film of electrolyte reduction products, causing impedance rise, capacity loss and lithium inventory shift in the cell. [3] The solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer, which forms at the electrode/electrolyte interface during the initial charge/discharge cycles, is the key component that determines the long-term stability and cycling behavior of negative Li-ion battery electrodes. [4-6] Electrolyte reduction and SEI layer formation on these electrodes usually take place at potentials below 1.8V vs. Li/Li+ and accompany the formation of Li-Me phases, the so-called “Me-Li alloying” process at E <0.8 V vs. Li/Li+. The exact mechanism of the SEI formation processes on Si, Sn, Sb and their alloys with lithium, the SEI composition and the effect on the electrode electrochemical cycling performance is not well understood. Interestingly, model studies on Sn single crystal electrodes in organic carbonate electrolytes revealed a strong correlation between the crystal surface orientation and the SEI composition. [7,8] A similar study of the composition of the SEI on a silicon monocrystal electrode showed strong effects of different SEI formation protocols, presence/absence of intrinsic SiO2, electrolyte composition and impurities e.g., HF. On the other hand, SEI-forming electrolyte additives such as vinylene carbonate (VC) and fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) are known to alter the composition and properties of the SEI on Si and improve the electrode electrochemical performance. This study involves rigorous charcaterization studies of tin, silicon, Si-based alloys, and composite Si-based model electrodes to determine and understand the key thermodynamic and kinetic parameters, which enable their function and operation in Li-ion battery systems. Advanced diagnostic tools are used to gain fundamental insight into mechanism of intermatallic-based electrodes failure. An emphasis is placed on in situ methods that use multiple techniques at the same time e.g., imaging with spectroscopy. The diagnostic experimental strategies involve evaluations of model silicon and other intermetallic model composite electrodes as well as studies of the properties of the individual components and their interfaces in a carefully designed and well defined experimental systems. The interfacial instability of the electrolyte and the uncertainty associated with the formation of a stable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) are the key problems being addressed. Acknowledgements This work was supported by the Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Office of Vehicle Technologies of the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231, under the Applied Battery Research for Transportation (ABR) Program and Award Number DE-EE0006443. References I.H. Son et al., Nat. Commun., 6 (2015) 7393\\C.K. Chan et al., Nat. Nanotechnol., 3 (2008) 31-35.B. Philippe et al., Chem. Mater., 24 (2012) 1107-1115.E. Peled, J. Electrochem Soc, 126, 2047 (1979).D. Aurbach et al., Electrochim. Acta, 45, 67 (1999).J. S. Gnanaraj etal., J. Electrochem. Soc, 154, A185 (2007)R. Qiao et al., Avanced Materials Interfaces, 1, n/a (2014).I. T. Lucas, J. Syzdek, and R. Kostecki, Electrochem Commun, 13, 1271 (2011).