Authenticity Testing Research Articles

Development of a Spot Test (ST) Based on the Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) for Ginseng Species Authentication

It is very challenging to distinguish between Panax ginseng (P. ginseng) and Panax quinquefolius (P. quinquefolius) based on their physical appearances. Therefore, a molecular test that can be performed in commercial settings is needed to address this challenge. We have selected a locus containing a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) site in the Dammarendiol-II Synthase (DS) gene to differentiate between P. ginseng and P. quinquefolius. An isothermal nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) developed previously was adapted and used on a spot test (ST) format consisting of a sample pad, a nitrocellulose membrane, and an adsorbent pad. An ST with a colorimetric detection method has been developed with visual detection based on 20-nm gold nanoparticles. The presence of the target DNA will generate a red color signal, which is visible to the naked eye. The assay comprises the capture probes, constructed based on the DS gene of ginseng, and the ends of the probe sequences sit on the SNP site for the P. ginseng and P. quinquefolius sequences; the detection probe employed in the assay is tagged with gold. The NAAT amplifies the extracted plant genomic samples and enhances the detection of specific SNPs. This NAAT technique was used to authenticate two ginseng root samples, showing greater specificity ratios than our previous work.

Harmonic Components Isolation in Vehicle Vibrations: Enhancing Quarter-Car Model Analysis with an Extended Kalman Filter Approach

<div>This article addresses the essential task of understanding vibrations produced by vehicles to enhance the design of authentic laboratory tests. The article focuses on two primary sources of vibrations: those arising from vehicle–road surface interaction, which is largely random, and those emanating from the drivetrain, characterized as a summation of harmonics with a time-varying fundamental frequency. The method involves the application of the extended Kalman filter (EKF) paired with robust nonlinear least-squares (NLS) initialization to isolate the harmonic components effectively. Through a comprehensive analysis involving mean-square-error (MSE) evaluation via Monte Carlo simulation, considering additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) and a two-degrees-of-freedom quarter-car model’s simulation response to the road, the research demonstrates the EKF’s proficiency. The results indicate the EKF’s capability to accommodate AWGN with a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) up to 0 dB and road-induced random background vibrations up to an SNR of −3 dB, maintaining an MSE order of approximately 10<sup>−3</sup>.</div>

Effectiveness of hybrid simulation training on medical student performance in whole-task consultation of cardiac patients: The ASSIMILATE EXCELLENCE randomized waitlist-controlled trial

BackgroundAssessment of comprehensive consultations in medicine, i.e. a complete history, physical examination, and differential diagnosis, is regarded as authentic tests of clinical competence; however, they have been shown to have low reliability and validity due to variability in the real patients used and subjective examiner grading. In the ASSIMILATE EXCELLENCE study, our aim was to assess the effect(s) of expert tuition with hybrid simulation using a simulated patient wearing a novel auscultation vest, i.e. a hybrid simulated patient, and repeated peer grading using scoring checklists on student learning, performance, and acumen in comprehensive consultations of patients with valvular heart disease.MethodsASSIMILATE EXCELLENCE was a randomized waitlist-controlled trial with blinded outcome assessment undertaken between February 2021 and November 2021. Students at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in either the second or third year of the four-year graduate-entry medical degree programme were randomized to a hybrid simulation training or waitlist control group and undertook three consultation assessments of three different clinical presentations of valvular heart disease (cases: C1–C3) using hybrid simulation. Our primary outcome was the difference in total score between and within groups across time; a secondary outcome was any change in inter-rater reliability across time. Students self-reported their proficiency and confidence in comprehensive consultations using a pre- and post-study survey.ResultsIncluded were 68 students (age 27.6 ± 0.1 years; 74% women). Overall, total score was 39.6% (35.6, 44.9) in C1 and increased to 63.6% (56.7, 66.7) in C3 (P < .001). On intergroup analysis, a significant difference was observed between groups in C2 only (54.2 ± 7.1% vs. 45.6 ± 9.2%; P < .001), a finding that was mainly driven by a difference in physical examination score. On intragroup analysis, significant improvement in total score across time between cases was also observed. Intraclass correlation coefficients for each pair of assessors were excellent (0.885–0.996 [0.806, 0.998]) in all cases. Following participation, students’ confidence in comprehensive consultation assessments improved, and they felt more prepared for their future careers.ConclusionsHybrid simulation-based training improves competence and confidence in medical students undertaking comprehensive consultation assessment of cardiac patients. In addition, weighted scoring checklists improve grading consistency, learning through peer assessment, and feedback.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05895799

Integrating different detection techniques and data analysis methods for comprehensive food authenticity verification

Traditional food testing methods, primarily confined to laboratory settings, are increasingly inadequate to detect covert food adulteration techniques. Hence, a crucial review of recent technological strides to combat food fraud is essential. This comprehensive analysis explores state-of-the-art technologies in food analysis, accentuating the pivotal role of sophisticated data processing methods and the amalgamation of diverse technologies in enhancing food authenticity testing. The paper assesses the merits and drawbacks of distinct data processing techniques and explores their potential synergies. The future of food authentication hinges on the integration of portable smart detection devices with mobile applications for real-time food analysis, including miniaturized spectrometers and portable sensors. This integration, coupled with advanced machine learning and deep learning for robust model construction, promises to achieve real-time, on-site food detection. Moreover, effective data processing, encompassing preprocessing, chemometrics, and regression analysis, remains indispensable for precise food authentication.

NASTRA: accurate analysis of short tandem repeat markers by nanopore sequencing with repeat-structure-aware algorithm.

Short-tandem repeats (STRs) are the type of genetic markers extensively utilized in biomedical and forensic applications. Due to sequencing noise in nanopore sequencing, accurate analysis methods are lacking. We developed NASTRA, an innovative tool for Nanopore Autosomal Short Tandem Repeat Analysis, which overcomes traditional database-based methods' limitations and provides a precise germline analysis of STR genetic markers without the need for allele sequence reference. Demonstrating high accuracy in cell line authentication testing and paternity testing, NASTRA significantly surpasses existing methods in both speed and accuracy. This advancement makes it a promising solution for rapid cell line authentication and kinship testing, highlighting the potential of nanopore sequencing for in-field applications.

Regeneration patterns of multicultural values in the Muneng Pilgrimage Tradition in Temanggung, Indonesia

This research answers regeneration patterns and multicultural values ​​in the Muneng pilgrimage tradition. Introducing traditions to the younger generation is very important. Society cannot avoid generations because these habits are inherent and have their own meaning for a society. The results of this research show that the regeneration carried out in the Muneng pilgrimage tradition culture needs to include regeneration of cultural presenters, cultural implementers and cultural viewers. The methods used are the value of respect, the value of tolerance, the value of respect, the value of cooperation. This research aims to describe the multicultural values ​​of the Muneng pilgrimage tradition. The method used is the historical method. This historical method has steps that include processional heuristics and offerings, criticism in the form of authentic tests rather than external and internal, interpretation of historical analysis, and historiography. The results nclude 1) Regeneration is carried out with the involvement of all ages, 2) The Muneng pilgrimage becomes a motif of belief and becomes a means of preserving culture in Muneng, 3) The values ​​in culture result in harmonization in life.

A novel recombinase polymerase amplification approach with propidium iodide reporter for rapid detection of porcine adulteration in food

The adulteration of food products with porcine components is among the most widespread concerns in the global food industry. Apart from health and religious reasons, being able to detect porcine adulteration is crucial to warrant fair trading and legal compliance. Current detection methods are often constrained by their low sensitivity and expensive equipment. In this work, a recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) assay for the rapid and sensitive detection of porcine is constructed, with propidium iodide (PI) dye as the reporter molecule. Under the optimized conditions, the RPA-PI assay achieved a wide linear range of 0.005–100 ng/μL and a detection limit of 0.005 ng/μL for porcine DNA with no cross-reactivity. Furthermore, the application of the assay to actual food samples demonstrated a 100 % consistency with conventional PCR results. This developed assay not only provides a novel porcine adulteration detection platform with simpler and faster protocols, but it also holds the potential to be developed further for point-of-care authenticity testing.

Successful development of molecular diagnostic technology combining mini-barcoding and high-resolution melting for traditional Chinese medicine agarwood species based on single-nucleotide polymorphism in the chloroplast genome.

Agarwood is a valuable traditional medicine and fragrance. The production process is a typical injury-induced defense response. Currently, there are approximately 22 known species in the genus Aquilaria Lam., all of which can produce agarwood, whereas there are only two legal species of traditional Chinese medicinal agarwood, Aquilaria sinensis (Lour.) Spreng. and Aquilaria agallocha (Lour.) Roxb. The Taiwan herbal Pharmacopoeia of China stipulates that the medicinal agarwood species are A. sinensis and its relatives in the same genus. Moreover, there are five species of agarwood available for clinical medicinal use in Japan, including A. agallocha and A. sinensis, which are often confused with each other or used in a mixed way in the trade process. Therefore, accurate identification of traditional Chinese medicinal agarwood species is important to ensure the authenticity of traditional medicines and to guide the safety of clinical medication. In this study, 59 specific single-nucleotide polymorphism loci were screened and obtained from the chloroplast genomes of 12 species of the genus Aquilaria Lam. We established an identification method for traditional Chinese medicinal agarwood using mini-barcoding combined with high-resolution melting (HRM) and designed and validated 10 pairs of primers from the psbM-trnD, psbA, rps16, petN, ndhE-psaC, rps4, atpE, ycf1, rps15-trnN, and matK regions. The amplification products were all less than 200 bp, with a high success rate of amplification. The method was applied to successfully identify traditional Chinese medicinal agarwood species from commercial agarwood samples. Overall, the sensitivity of this method was sufficient to detect 1% of adulterants in medicinal agarwood products, proving that mini-barcoding HRM is a powerful and flexible tool. This method can be used as a fast and effective high-throughput method for authenticity testing of traditional Chinese medicinal agarwood and its raw materials containing agarwood-containing proprietary Chinese medicines and is recommended for industrial applications.

Detection of sugar syrup adulteration in UK honey using DNA barcoding

Honey is a valuable and nutritious food product, but it is at risk to fraudulent practices such as the addition of cheaper syrups including corn, rice, and sugar beet syrup. Honey authentication is of the utmost importance, but current methods are faced with challenges due to the large variations in natural honey composition (influenced by climate, seasons and bee foraging), or the incapability to detect certain types of plant syrups to confirm the adulterant used. Molecular methods such as DNA barcoding have shown great promise in identifying plant DNA sources in honey and could be applied to detect plant-based sugars used as adulterants. In this work DNA barcoding was successfully used to detect corn and rice syrup adulteration in spiked UK honey with novel DNA markers. Different levels of adulteration were simulated (1 – 30%) with a range of different syrup and honey types, where adulterated honey was clearly separated from natural honey even at 1% adulteration level. Moreover, the test was successful for multiple syrup types and effective on honeys with different compositions. These results demonstrated that DNA barcoding could be used as a sensitive and robust method to detect common sugar adulterants and confirm syrup species origin in honey, which can be applied alongside current screening methods to improve existing honey authentication tests.

Cooking resistant edible crickets-specific peptides for authenticity testing of meat products

Abstract As consumer and manufacturer interests in edible insects and processed food with added insects are increasing, new possibilities for detecting edible insect proteins in processed foods have become increasingly important. In the present study, a proteomic strategy was applied to identify insect proteins and thermostable house cricket-specific (Acheta domesticus) peptide markers. To determine the limit of detection (LOD) for house cricket proteins, cooked meatballs containing house cricket protein powder (CP) as a partial pork substitute were investigated. The final concentration of CP ranged from 0.8% to 7.6%. The LODs for tropomyosin 1 and translational elongation factor-2 were 0.8% (w/w), whereas for apolipophorin-III it was 2.5% (w/w). Eight heat-resistant peptides unique to the family Grillidae (true crickets) and four peptides unique to the Acheta domesticus were identified. The results suggest that selected cricket-specific and processing-resistant peptide markers have potential utility in the authentication of the cricket formulations used in meat products. However, this has to be confirmed on different heavily processed meat products.

Accurate and simultaneous detection of pork and horse meat adulteration by double tailed recombinase polymerase amplification integrated with SERS based two-color lateral flow nucleic acid hybridization strip

Meat adulteration is a growing concern for consumers and researchers, necessitating the development of a simple and robust method for identifying animal sources in meat products. In this study, a double-tailed recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) integrated with surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) based two-color lateral flow nucleic acid hybridization strip (LFNAHS) was established for simultaneous detection of pork and horse meat. Magenta and cyan gold nanoparticles functionalized with specific probes and Raman dyestuff were used to color the LFNAHS based on RPA amplification products. The assay successfully detected colored test lines for horse and pork adulteration, with quantitative analysis achieved through Raman intensity measurements. The method showed a high specificity with no cross-reactivity and a detection limit of 0.01 % (wt%). Authenticity testing of 40 donkey products yielded results consistent with PCR-agarose gel electrophoresis. This assay can be extended to identify other meat sources by replacing the specific primer sets. This versatile method can be adapted for identifying other meat sources, making it a valuable tool for accurate, sensitive, and quantitative meat authentication in resource-limited settings.

Authenticity Identification of F1 Hybrid Offspring and Analysis of Genetic Diversity in Pineapple

Breeding is an effective method for the varietal development of pineapple. However, due to open pollination, it is necessary to conduct authentic identification of the hybrid offspring. In this study, we identified the authenticity of offspring and analyzed the genetic diversity within the offspring F1 hybrids resulting from crosses between ‘Josapine’ and ‘MD2’ by single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. From the resequencing data, 26 homozygous loci that differentiate between the parents have been identified. Then, genotyping was performed on both the parents and 36 offspring to select SNP markers that are suitable for authentic identification. The genotyping results revealed that 2 sets of SNP primers, namely SNP4010 and SNP22550, successfully identified 395 authentic hybrids out of 451 hybrid offspring. We randomly selected two true hybrids and four pseudohybrids for sequencing validation, and the results have shown that two true hybrids had double peaks with A/G, while pseudohybrids had single peaks with base A or G. Further study showed that the identification based on SNP molecular markers remained consistent with the morphological identification results in the field, with a true hybridization rate of 87.58%. K-means clustering and UPGMA tree analysis revealed that the hybrid offspring could be categorized into two groups. Among them, 68.5% of offspring aggregated with MD2, while 31.95% were grouped with Josapine. The successful application of SNP marker to identify pineapple F1 hybrid populations provides a theoretical foundation and practical reference for the future development of rapid SNP marker-based methods for pineapple hybrid authenticity and purity testing.

Learning-Oriented Reading Assessment: A Design for EFL Students

Learning-oriented reading assessment (LORA) has expanded multiple views of assessment for learning reading. Most EFL reading assessment contexts tended not to utilise feedback and self-assessment for the redesign of authentic tasks and tests. This mixed-methods study investigated how LORA enhanced EFL students’ reading after the implementation of LORA. Participants consist of sixty-seven tenth Grade Thai students from the urban public school. They were divided into two groups, including 32 students for the LORA group and 35 students for the control group. The reading test was designed to compare post-test scores of both groups and was analyzed using Mann-Whitney U-test. In addition to perceptions on assessment, only those in the LORA group responded to the LORA questionnaire to give their perceptions of the assessment, and the three highest-ranking and the three lowest-ranking students were selected for the semi-structured interviews to explore five aspects of the design, including task, test, teacher’s observation, feedback, and redesign. Findings from the questionnaire were analyzed using descriptive statistics whereas the semi-structured interview was categorized through thematic analysis. Although there was no statistically significant difference between groups, students in the LORA group tended to gain higher scores on reading after participating in the study. They perceived positively on the implementation. Implications indicated connecting reading assessment and feedback for learning with authentic tasks and tests.

Detection of Species DNA in Chicken Meat Processed Food Products Using GH (Growth Hormone) Genes as Molecular Markers

The species DNA detection test in processed chicken meat food products using genetic growth hormone (GH) gene markers is a novel approach for authenticity test regarding the presence of a particular species in a product. This research aimed to test the ability of the GH genetic marker to detect the presence of chicken species in processed chicken meat food products. The method used in this research is a molecular biology method using real-time PCR with the SYBR Green kit. The genetic marker primers used were designed independently from the NCBI website. Based on DNA isolation data, the DNA concentration value is 43.60 ng/µL – 45.20 ng/µL with an average of 44.11. The purity value of isolated DNA is 1.855 – 1.925 with an average of 1.906. Chicken species DNA was detected in all samples using real-time PCR analysis, with a Ct value of 24.50 and a Tm value of 78.10. However, the Ct and Tm values were not detected in the negative control (NTC) and specificity (internal) control samples. In the positive control LOD, the Ct value was detected at 27.20 with a Tm value of 79.40. In the positive control, a Ct value of 21.10 and a Tm value of 78.10 were detected. The results indicate that all samples contained the GH gene, and hence, chicken species DNA was detected in all samples. This suggests that the GH genetic marker can be potentially used for species DNA identification testing.

Development of standard operating procedure "Quality control of sodium chloride solution 0.9% (350 ml) for infusion (intra-pharmacy preparation) in pharmacy organizations manufacturing pharmaceuticals"

To develop a standard operating procedure (SOP) for quality control of 0.9% sodium chloride solution (350 ml) for infusion (intra-pharmacy preparation) in accordance with the requirements of the current regulatory documentation. Materials and Methods. Sodium chloride 0.9% sodium chloride solution (350 ml) for infusion (intra-pharmacy preparation) served as the object of the study. The SOP was developed taking into account the requirements of updated regulatory documents used in the field of quality control of medicines: Federal Law No. 61 dated 12.04.2010 "On Circulation of Medicines", Order of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation dated 22.05.2023 No. 249n, Order of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation dated 22.05.2023 No. 647n dated 31.08.2016, State Pharmacopoeia XV ed. and GOST R 52249-2009. Results. The main stages of the SOP in accordance with the current regulatory documentation are given, reagents, instruments and equipment required for testing are listed, mandatory and sample types of control are indicated. For this dosage form the mandatory controls will be organoleptic, written, control at release, physical and full chemical control. The methods of pH and authenticity tests are described, and the chemistry of qualitative reactions is given. For quantitative determination by the method of argentometry according to Mohr, the method of analysis is given, chemical reactions occurring during titration, the necessary calculations are made: the titer of silver nitrate solution of sodium chloride, the preliminary volume of titrant, the content of sodium chloride in the dosage form in grams. Permissible content limits are given in accordance with OFS.1.8.0001 "Medicinal preparations of pharmacy manufacture". Based on the results of the SOP development, a working instruction for quality control of sodium chloride solution 0.9% (350 ml) for infusion was drawn up. Conclusion. The presented SOP for quality control of sodium chloride solution 0.9% (350 ml) for infusion (intra-pharmacy preparation) describes the requirements for the organization and conditions of testing in assessing the quality of this dosage form and can be implemented in the work of manufacturing pharmacies as a detailed instruction for intra-pharmacy control.

Untargeted metabolomics using liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry and chemometrics for analysis of non-halal meats adulteration in beef meat.

The adulteration of raw beef (BMr) with dog meat (DMr) and pork (PMr) becomes a serious problem because it is associated with halal status, quality, and safety of meats. This research aimed to develop an effective authentication method to detect non-halal meats (dog meat and pork) in beef using metabolomics approach. Liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) using untargeted approach combined with chemometrics was applied for analysis non-halal meats in BMr. The untargeted metabolomics approach successfully identified various metabolites in BMr DMr, PMr, and their mixtures. The discrimination and classification between authentic BMr and those adulterated with DMr and PMr were successfully determined using partial least square-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) with high accuracy. All BMr samples containing non-halal meats could be differentiated from authentic BMr. A number of discriminating metabolites with potential as biomarkers to discriminate BMr in the mixtures with DMr and PMr could be identified from the analysis of variable importance for projection value. Partial least square (PLS) and orthogonal PLS (OPLS) regression using discriminating metabolites showed high accuracy (R2>0.990) and high precision (both RMSEC and RMSEE <5%) in predicting the concentration of DMr and PMr present in beef indicating that the discriminating metabolites were good predictors. The developed untargeted LC-HRMS metabolomics and chemometrics successfully identified non-halal meats adulteration (DMr and PMr) in beef with high sensitivity up to 0.1% (w/w). A combination of LC-HRMS untargeted metabolomic and chemometrics promises to be an effective analytical technique for halal authenticity testing of meats. This method could be further standardized and proposed as a method for halal authentication of meats.

BUILDING E-LEARNING LECTURES FOR TEACHING FOR CHINESE LANGUAGE STUDENTS, HANOI OPEN UNIVERSITY

Building digital learning materials in higher education is an urgent task in the national digital transformation. For the major in Chinese language studies, the E-learning lecture system serving Chinese language teaching enables learners to access knowledge faster, learn anywhere and learn at any time, helping them avoid excessive travel and missing work. In addition, accessing properly designed online courses will be easier for people with disabilities, such as those who are deaf or blind or have dyslexia. Authentic testing, Test designers can create highly authentic simulations. Many online learners prefer to review and test their level on their own without anyone supervising and grading. Furthermore, learners can decide their own learning, only learning what is needed such as skipping, skimming, and relearning what is needed at levels and speeds that are appropriated for them. Individualized learning is highly effective, especially in teaching Chinese, so designing electronic lessons to serve the teaching of Chinese is necessary for the Chinese Department at Hanoi Open University today.

A novel headspace solid-phase microextraction arrow method employing comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography–mass spectrometry combined with chemometric tools for the investigation of wine aging

BackgroundOmics is used as an analytical tool to investigate wine authenticity issues. Aging authentication ensures that the wine has undergone the necessary maturation and developed its desired organoleptic characteristics. Considering that aged wines constitute valuable commodities, the development of advanced omics techniques that guarantee aging authenticity and prevent fraud is essential. ResultsΑ solid phase microextraction Arrow method combined with comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was developed to identify volatiles in red wines and investigate how aging affects their volatile fingerprint. The method was optimized by examining the critical parameters that affect the solid phase microextraction Arrow extraction (stirring rate, extraction time) process. Under optimized conditions, extraction took place within 45 min under stirring at 1000 rpm. In all, 24 monovarietal red wine samples belonging to the Xinomavro variety from Naoussa (Imathia regional unit of Macedonia, Greece) produced during four different vintage years (1998, 2005, 2008 and 2015) were analyzed. Overall, 237 volatile compounds were tentatively identified and were treated with chemometric tools. Four major groups, one for each vintage year were revealed using the Hierarchical Clustering Analysis. The first two Principal Components of Principal Component Analysis explained 86.1% of the total variance, showing appropriate grouping of the wine samples produced in the same crop year. A two-way orthogonal partial least square – discriminant analysis model was developed and successfully classified all the samples to the proper class according to the vintage age, establishing 17 volatile markers as the most important features responsible for the classification, with an explained total variance of 88.5%. The developed prediction model was validated and the analyzed samples were classified with 100% accuracy according to the vintage age, based on their volatile fingerprint. SignificanceThe developed methodology in combination with chemometric techniques allows to trace back and confirm the vintage year, and is proposed as a novel authenticity tool which opens completely new and hitherto unexplored possibilities for wine authenticity testing and confirmation.

Development of a LC-QTOF-MS based dilute-and-shoot approach for the botanical discrimination of honeys

Honeys of particular botanical origins can be associated with premium market prices, a trait which also makes them susceptible to fraud. Currently available authenticity testing methods for botanical classification of honeys are either time-consuming or only target a few “known” types of markers. Simple and effective methods are therefore needed to monitor and guarantee the authenticity of honey. In this study, a ‘dilute-and-shoot’ approach using liquid chromatography (LC) coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (QTOF-MS) was applied to the non-targeted fingerprinting of honeys of different floral origin (buckwheat, clover and blueberry). This work investigated for the first time the impact of different instrumental conditions such as the column type, the mobile phase composition, the chromatographic gradient, and the MS fragmentor voltage (in-source collision-induced dissociation) on the botanical classification of honeys as well as the data quality. Results indicated that the data sets obtained for the various LC-QTOF-MS conditions tested were all suitable to discriminate the three honeys of different floral origin regardless of the mathematical model applied (random forest, partial least squares-discriminant analysis, soft independent modelling by class analogy and linear discriminant analysis). The present study investigated different LC-QTOF-MS conditions in a “dilute and shoot” method for honey analysis, in order to establish a relatively fast, simple and reliable analytical method to record the chemical fingerprints of honey. This approach is suitable for marker discovery and will be used for the future development of advanced predictive models for honey botanical origin.

Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cell Lines: Reliable Alternatives to Primary Nasopharyngeal Cells?

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a type of cancer that originates from the mucosal lining of the nasopharynx and can invade and spread. Although contemporary chemoradiotherapy effectively manages the disease locally, there are still challenges with locoregional recurrence and distant failure. Therefore, it is crucial to have a deeper understanding of the molecular basis of NPC cell movement in order to develop a more effective treatment and to improve patient survival rates. Cancer cell line models are invaluable in studying health and disease and it is not surprising that they play a critical role in NPC research. Consequently, scientists have established around 80 immortalized human NPC lines that are commonly used as in vitro models. However, over the years, it has been observed that many cell lines are misidentified or contaminated by other cells. This cross-contamination leads to the creation of false cell lines that no longer match the original donor. In this commentary, we discuss the impact of misidentified NPC cell lines on the scientific literature. We found 1159 articles from 2000 to 2023 that used NPC cell lines contaminated with HeLa cells. Alarmingly, the number of publications and citations using these contaminated cell lines continued to increase, even after information about the contamination was officially published. These articles were most commonly published in the fields of oncology, pharmacology, and experimental medicine research. These findings highlight the importance of science policy and support the need for journals to require authentication testing before publication.