Complete Traceability Research Articles

Analysis of the dispersed composition of milk using photon correlation spectroscopy

The dispersed composition of milk and the properties of its dispersed phases significantly affect the quality of dairy products and its processing. Therefore, the problem of research and control of the dispersed composition of milk is quite important. The article describes the applicability of photon correlation spectroscopy for the analysis and diagnosis of milk dispersion composition. The dispersed composition of milk was studied by photon correlation spectroscopy on the Photocor complex spectrometer. Histograms of the distribution of the hydrodynamic radius of the particles of dispersed phase of milk with different fat content and different manufacturers are obtained. Limitations of this method were also found in the analysis of complex colloidal systems containing more than two different dispersed phases with a significant predominance of quantity of particles. It was found that the reliability of measurement results is significantly affected by the degree of dilution of the studied samples and spectroscopy modes: number of units, duration of unit and the measuring angle. As a result of the experiment the optimal parameters for measuring the dispersed phase of milk with different fat content were determined, which were: dilution ratio-2 times, the angle of the photodetector position – 120−150 °, number of units-100, duration of unit – 20 s. The obtained results are planned to be used for the development of guidelines for the introduction of photon correlation spectroscopy in the dairy industry as an express method of analysis in the concept of complete traceability of the quality and safety of dairy products

How Can We Provide Additively Manufactured Parts with a Fingerprint? A Review of Tagging Strategies in Additive Manufacturing.

Additive manufacturing (AM) is rapidly evolving from “rapid prototyping” to “industrial production”. AM enables the fabrication of bespoke components with complicated geometries in the high-performance areas of aerospace, defence and biomedicine. Providing AM parts with a tagging feature that allows them to be identified like a fingerprint can be crucial for logistics, certification and anti-counterfeiting purposes. Whereas the implementation of an overarching strategy for the complete traceability of AM components downstream from designer to end user is, by nature, a cross-disciplinary task that involves legal, digital and technological issues, materials engineers are on the front line of research to understand what kind of tag is preferred for each kind of object and how existing materials and 3D printing hardware should be synergistically modified to create such tag. This review provides a critical analysis of the main requirements and properties of tagging features for authentication and identification of AM parts, of the strategies that have been put in place so far, and of the future challenges that are emerging to make these systems efficient and suitable for digitalisation. It is envisaged that this literature survey will help scientists and developers answer the challenging question: “How can we embed a tagging feature in an AM part?”.

EVALUATION, MONITORING AND AUDITING OF SUPPLIERS IN SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

In the global market, the supply chain performances have a significant impact on the company’s business strategy. The quality requirements that must be followed by suppliers require permanent monitoring of processes of design, development, production, installation and service of products through audits qualified based on supply chain management. This paper presents an analysis of the supplier qualification process including the main phases as follows: evaluation, monitoring and auditing of suppliers in supply chain management. Internal quality audits and/or suppliers are one of the key instruments for ensuring sustainability and performance in supply chain management. Auditing of suppliers is a core component of the modern management of suppliers, with the help of which the customer can analyze precisely relevant processes to existing or potential suppliers. Supplier audits help both commercial partners to increase the transparency of the supply chain and also simplify supplier selection, evaluation, monitoring and development. The suppliers must meet the highest quality standards for products and processes. The main purpose of this paper is to give a general view of the supplier qualification process which involves the steps from initial identification until the inclusion of the supplier in the Approved Supplier List (LST). This list should be managed in such way that a complete traceability is assured. Following the proposed qualification diagram the customer can obtain an image about the status of one supplier, can also identify the weak points considering the evaluation, monitoring and audit class.

Modeling data protection and privacy: application and experience with GDPR

In Europe and indeed worldwide, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) provides protection to individuals regarding their personal data in the face of new technological developments. GDPR is widely viewed as the benchmark for data protection and privacy regulations that harmonizes data privacy laws across Europe. Although the GDPR is highly beneficial to individuals, it presents significant challenges for organizations monitoring or storing personal information. Since there is currently no automated solution with broad industrial applicability, organizations have no choice but to carry out expensive manual audits to ensure GDPR compliance. In this paper, we present a complete GDPR UML model as a first step toward designing automated methods for checking GDPR compliance. Given that the practical application of the GDPR is influenced by national laws of the EU Member States, we suggest a two-tiered description of the GDPR, generic and specialized. In this paper, we provide (1) the GDPR conceptual model we developed with complete traceability from its classes to the GDPR, (2) a glossary to help understand the model, (3) the plain-English description of 35 compliance rules derived from GDPR along with their encoding in OCL and (4) the set of 20 variations points derived from GDPR to specialize the generic model. We further present the challenges we faced in our modeling endeavor, the lessons we learned from it and future directions for research.

Mathematical Optimisation Approach for Improvement of Palm Oil Traceability

Oil palm is recognised as the most productive oil crop with highest oil yield per hectare of agriculture land. The palm oil products generated from oil palm are widely used in our daily life, contributing from food processing, personal care and hygiene sectors as well as the biofuel industry. However, the reputation of oil palm has been declining as it was accused for causing environmental and social problems, such as deforestation, workers exploitation. In order to achieve sustainable production and consumption of palm oil products, traceability of the products is very important. With the complete traceability, the origin location and quantity of palm oil products distributed along the supply chain can be identified and tracked in both the forward and backward directions. In this work, a systematic approach is developed to evaluate the traceability of palm oil products from oil palm plantations to palm oil mills. A scoring system with qualitative measure is developed to quantify the traceability of the feedstock (fresh fruit bunches). A mixed integer non-linear programming model is then developed to maximise the economic performance while tracking the traceability of the fresh fruit bunches in a supply chain. A case study in Perak, Malaysia is solved to illustrate the proposed approach. Two scenarios are solved to determine the maximum traceability and economic performance. In the first scenario, the maximum economic performance of the supply chain is determined as RM 16.8 x 106 per annum with traceability of 0.688. In scenario 2, when optimisation objective is set as maximise traceability, the maximum traceability of 0.753 with economic performance of RM 12 x 106 per annum is obtained.

The anisotropic properties of granites – effects of tectonic emplacement mode on potential crystalline host rocks for nuclear waste deposits in Germany

Abstract. For permanent nuclear waste disposal sites, crystalline rocks, especially granitic/granodioritic batholiths, are considered an appropriate host rock. Principally, three types of granitic plutons occur in the extra-alpine crystalline basement of Germany that were consolidated during the late Paleozoic Variscan orogeny of Central Europe: (i) Pre-Variscan voluminous granodiorites that are hardly affected by the subsequent continent–continent collision; (ii) voluminous granites in various tectonic settings intruded during the late orogenic stage of the Variscides; (iii) post-orogenic granites related to vast Permian intracontinental extension. Thus, in terms of the syn-intrusive tectonic setting and post-intrusive processes there are significant differences. Although it can be expected that different tectonic environments caused significant differences in the material properties, for Germany, however, there is no systematic study regarding the fabric of such plutonites. In order to find the most suitable “granite” we investigate the primary anisotropy of granites evolved during the emplacement and crystallization of the melt. For this we sample rocks of all three principal types and various syn-intrusive tectonic settings, i.e., compression, extension, strike-slip, transtension, and transpression. By means of combined measurements of the “Anisotropy of the Magnetic Susceptibility” and the “Shape Preferred Orientation” we characterize the syn-intrusive flow pattern, i.e., the magmatic foliation and lineation. The Crystallographic Preferred Orientation is analyzed by a combination of neutron time-of-flight experiments and electron backscatter diffraction measurements at the Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics at JINR, Dubna, Russia, and the TU Bergakademie Freiberg respectively. Furthermore, special attention is given to the systematic mapping of annealed microcracks evolved during late magmatic fluid escape and/or post-crystallization hydrothermal activity. In a second step we compare the primary anisotropy with the post-magmatic fracture pattern of the particular granites. Those fractures constitute probable fluid pathways and, thus, the first-order risk for a potential permanent nuclear waste disposal. All datasets are organized in a Geological Information System allowing for a complete traceability of the different investigation steps. The results of this study will serve as a basis for a future detailed exploration.

Content and Distribution of Macroelements, Microelements, and Rare-Earth Elements in Different Tomato Varieties as a Promising Tool for Monitoring the Distinction between the Integral and Organic Systems of Production in Zeleni hit—Official Enza and Vitalis Trial and Breeding Station

The identification of agricultural food production systems has gained importance in order to protect both human health and the environment. The importance of organic production system of agriculture which involves the application of natural processes and substances, and limits or completely eliminates the use of synthesized means is emphasized. Knowledge of the mineral composition in tomato samples can be used as a potent tool in the identification of chemical markers as potential indicators of the farming system. A set of tomato samples taken from two factorial randomized trials were comprehended eight different varieties, belonging to four tomato types: large—BEEF and CLUSTER, and mini and midi—CHERRY and PLUM tomatoes, cultivated under two different farming systems: integral (IPM) and organic (O) were characterized based on the composition of the minerals. A total of 44 elements were quantified. To establish criteria for the classification of the samples and confirm a unique set of parameters of variation among the types of production, sophisticated chemometric techniques were used. The results indicate that the accumulation of elements varies between 8 tomato varieties and 2 different growing systems. The contents of Al, Mn, As, Pb, and some of the rare-earth elements (REEs) are able to distinguish between production types. Examination of different hybrids, which belong to different types in two production systems: organic and integral within Zeleni hit (official Enza and Vitalis trial and breeding station), was done with the aim of reaching a methodology of diversification, ie complete traceability of organic production, and to contribute to distinguishing types of agricultural systems and enhancing the possibility of acquiring a valuable authenticity factor about the type of agricultural production system employed for the cultivation of tomatoes.

A Service Evaluation of Prehospital Blood Transfusion by Critical Care Paramedics in British Columbia, Canada

Early administration of blood products is emerging as best practice in selected trauma and medical patients. Blood products carried by critical care transport (CCT) teams are sometimes the first available to critically ill and injured patients. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the introduction of prehospital transfusion into a paramedic-led CCT program in Canada. A retrospective review of electronic patient care records for all patients who received a prehospital transfusion of uncrossmatched group O packed red blood cells between February 10, 2019, and September 30, 2020, was conducted. Forty-eight patients received a prehospital transfusion. The median age of the patients was 44 years, 81.3% were male, and most patients were victims of blunt trauma. Packed red blood cells were associated with a significant increase in systolic blood pressure (P < .001) and mean arterial pressure (P < .001), a decrease in shock index (P < .001), and a reduction in the time to first transfusion, with minimal waste, no patient-related adverse events, and complete traceability. The results of this service evaluation demonstrate the successful introduction of prehospital transfusion into a paramedic-led CCT program. Further prospective research is needed to assess the impact of such a protocol in this patient population.

Blockchain-based approach to achieve credible traceability of agricultural product transactions

The traditional traceability system for agricultural product transactions is susceptible to information alteration and damage, which may lead to issues regarding product quality and food safety. And blockchain is a technology that boasts tamper-proofing, complete traceability and time-stamped storage. Considering the above, this study proposes a new blockchain-based approach to the quality management of agricultural products and introduces Solidity-based prototype smart contracts for agricultural product transactions. Test results show that the new traceability system can offer good performance in terms of data upload and block response time. The method proposed in this paper can be used as a solution for quality management of agricultural product that boasts whole process transparency, full-link reliability and joint supervision by all nodes in the system.

Long, thin transmission chains of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 may go undetected for several weeks at low to moderate reproduction numbers: Implications for containment and elimination strategy.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 1 (SARS-CoV-1) infections almost always caused overt symptoms, so effective case and contact management enabled its effective eradication within months. However, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) usually causes only mild symptoms, so transmission chains may grow to include several individuals before at least one index case becomes ill enough to self-report for diagnosis and care. Here, simple mathematical models were developed to evaluate the implications of delayed index case detection for retrospective contact tracing and management responses. Specifically, these simulations illustrate how: (1) Contact tracing and management may effectively contain most but not all large SARS-CoV-2 clusters arising at foci with high reproduction numbers because rapidly expanding transmission chains ensure at least one overtly symptomatic index case occurs within two viral generations a week or less apart. (2) However, lower reproduction numbers give rise to thinner transmission chains extending through longer sequences of non-reporting asymptomatic and paucisymptomatic individuals, often spanning three or more viral generations (≥2 weeks of transmission) before an overtly symptomatic index case occurs. (3) Consequently, it is not always possible to fully trace and contain such long, thin transmission chains, so the community transmission they give rise to is underrepresented in surveillance data. (4) Wherever surveillance systems are weak and/or transmission proceeds within population groups with lower rates of overt clinical symptoms and/or self-reporting, case and contact management effectiveness may be more severely limited, even at the higher reproduction numbers associated with larger outbreaks. (5) Because passive surveillance platforms may be especially slow to detect the thinner transmission chains that occur at low reproduction numbers, establishing satisfactory confidence of elimination may require that no confirmed cases are detected for two full months, throughout which presumptive preventative measures must be maintained to ensure complete collapse of undetected residual transmission. (6) Greater scope exists for overcoming these limitations by enhancing field surveillance for new suspected cases than by improving diagnostic test sensitivity. (7) While population-wide active surveillance may enable complete traceability and containment, this goal may also be achievable through enhanced passive surveillance for paucisymptomatic infections, combining readily accessible decentralized testing with population hypersensitization to self-reporting with mild symptoms. Containment and elimination of SARS-CoV-2 will rely far more upon presumptive, population-wide prevention measures than was necessary for SARS-CoV-1, necessitating greater ambition, political will, investment, public support, persistence and patience. Nevertheless, case and contact management may be invaluable for at least partially containing SARS-CoV-2 transmission, especially larger outbreaks, but only if enabled by sufficiently sensitive surveillance. Furthermore, consistently complete transmission chain containment may be enabled by focally enhanced surveillance around manageably small numbers of outbreaks in the end stages of successful elimination campaigns, so that their endpoints may be accelerated and sustained.

Existence and Construction of Complete Traceability Multimedia Fingerprinting Codes Resistant to Averaging Attack and Adversarial Noise

It was shown very recently in [1] that there are no multimedia digital fingerprinting codes capable of fully recovering a coalition of malicious users under the general linear attack and adversarial noise. We show that such codes exist if the class of attacks is narrowed to the averaging attack. The arising mathematical problem is close to the problem of constructing signature codes for a noisy binary adder channel.

Realizing the Role of Permissioned Blockchains in a Systems Engineering Lifecycle

A key requirement for an integrated digital tool chain is secure access and control of data assets. Not all stakeholders will have the same access to or control over the flow of information, some will be able to input or change data whilst others will only be able to read the data. Simply providing secure access protocols is not sufficient because copied data can quickly become disassociated and modified from its original instantiation, leading to its reuse elsewhere or later in the lifecycle but in an inappropriate way. Therefore, data management mechanisms are required that capture information about the data along with any decisions or modifications it has undergone during the course of its life, thus providing complete traceability for later validation purposes. This undertaking is essential across the systems engineering lifecycle. This pursuit involves controlling who can access and modify data within the lifecycle. This paper describes a solution to this by the introduction of blockchain technology, a relatively new technology that allows digital information to be distributed but not copied, making it an immutable set of time-stamped data managed by a network of connected systems and services. Though blockchain technology is not commonly referred to when discussing Industry 4.0, the technology’s capabilities should add value when applied in a context of data management and security within the lifecycle of a product or services and in conjunction with digital twins, big data, and IoT. This paper describes how permissioned blockchains can be implemented within a systems engineering lifecycle, providing example architecture patterns showing how data provenance can be maintained throughout.

Signature Codes for Weighted Binary Adder Channel and Multimedia Fingerprinting

In this paper, we study the signature codes for weighted binary adder channel (WbAC) and collusion-resistant multimedia fingerprinting. Let $A(n,t)$ denote the maximum cardinality of a $t$-signature code of length $n$, and $A(n,w,t)$ denote the maximum cardinality of a $t$-signature code of length $n$ and constant weight $w$. First, we derive asymptotic and general upper bounds of $A(n,t)$ by relating signature codes to $B_t$ codes and bipartite graphs with large girth respectively, and also show the upper bounds are tight for certain cases. Second, we determine the exact values of $A(n,2,2)$ and $A(n,3,2)$ for infinitely many $n$ by connecting signature codes with $C_4$-free graphs and union-free families, respectively. Third, we provide two explicit constructions for $t$-signature codes which have efficient decoding algorithms and applications to two-level signature codes. Furthermore, we show from the geometric viewpoint that there does not exist any binary code with complete traceability for noisy WbAC and multimedia fingerprinting. A new type of signature codes with a weaker requirement than complete traceability is introduced for the noisy scenario.

Quality risk management of the chimeric antigen receptor T cell pharmaceutical circuit in one of the first qualified European centers

Background aimsAccording to European Directive 2001/83/EC, chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR T) cells belong to a new class of medicines referred to as advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs). The specific features and complexity of these products require a total reorganization of the hospital circuit, from cell collection from the patient to administration of the final medicinal product. In France, at the cell stage, products are under the responsibility of a cell therapy unit (CTU) that controls, manipulates (if necessary) and ships cells to the manufacturing site. However, the final product is a medicinal product, and as with any other medicine, ATMPs have to be received, stored and further reconstituted for final distribution under the responsibility of the hospital pharmacy. The aim of our work was to perform a risk analysis of this circuit according to International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use Q9 guidelines on quality risk management. MethodsWe evaluated the activities carried out by the Saint-Louis Hospital CTU and pharmacy. Process mapping was established to trace all the steps of the circuit and to identify potential risks or failures. The risk analysis was performed according to failure mode, effects and criticality analysis. The criticality of each risk (minor [Mi], moderate [Mo], significant [S] or major [Ma]) was scored, and corrective actions or preventive actions (CAPAs) for Mo, S and Ma risks were proposed. ResultsWe identified five Mo, six S and no Ma risks for the CTU part of the process. The most frequent risk was traceability failure. To reduce its frequency, we developed and validated software dedicated to ATMP activities. Another S risk was non-compliance of CAR T cell-specific steps due to the significant variability between companies. Our CAPA process was to implement procedures and design information sheets specific to each CAR T-cell program. In addition, critical steps were added to the ATMP software. Our CAPA process allowed us to reduce the criticality of identified risks to one Mi, seven Mo and three S. For the pharmacy part of the process, five Mo, two S and one Ma risk were identified. The most critical risk was compromised integrity of the CAR T-cell bag at the time of thawing. In case of unavailability of a backup bag, we designed and validated a degraded mode of operation allowing product recovery. In this exceptional circumstance, an agreement has to be signed between the physician, pharmacy, CTU and sponsor or marketing authorization holder. The implemented CAPA process allowed us to reduce the criticality of risks to three Mi and five Mo. ConclusionsOur risk analysis identified several Mo and S risks but only one Ma risk. The implementation of the CAPA process allowed for controlling some risks by decreasing their frequency and/or criticality or by increasing their detectability. The close collaboration between the CTU and pharmacy allows complete traceability of the CAR T-cell circuit, which is essential to guarantee safe use.

Infrared Printing Technique for the Security Marking of Traceability Certificates for Meat Products

The focus of this paper is the introduction of new security elements into the authenticity of information on documents which concern the traceability of products. This article proposes dual marking using the infrared printing technology, which involves differences between the visible and infrared spectrum and separate detection of certain information with an infrared camera. Each meat product is assigned a unique designation, embedded in the document and hidden from the naked eye, in order to prevent changing, scanning or modifying with currently known techniques. A product receives a certificate with a security approval which carries information about the complete traceability of the product. A new central data registry which collects information from all necessary sources is proposed. The web portal and the accompanying database are designed to work in the cloud. The security of the exchange of data between the server and the user is ensured. The information about the traceability and the delineation between the visible and infrared hidden are approved and coordinated by the relevant authorities, breeders, distributors and sellers. The design of the entire information presents completely transparent information about the products to the end consumer.

AMPL: A Data-Driven Modeling Pipeline for Drug Discovery.

One of the key requirements for incorporating machine learning (ML) into the drug discovery process is complete traceability and reproducibility of the model building and evaluation process. With this in mind, we have developed an end-to-end modular and extensible software pipeline for building and sharing ML models that predict key pharma-relevant parameters. The ATOM Modeling PipeLine, or AMPL, extends the functionality of the open source library DeepChem and supports an array of ML and molecular featurization tools. We have benchmarked AMPL on a large collection of pharmaceutical data sets covering a wide range of parameters. Our key findings indicate that traditional molecular fingerprints underperform other feature representation methods. We also find that data set size correlates directly with prediction performance, which points to the need to expand public data sets. Uncertainty quantification can help predict model error, but correlation with error varies considerably between data sets and model types. Our findings point to the need for an extensible pipeline that can be shared to make model building more widely accessible and reproducible. This software is open source and available at: https://github.com/ATOMconsortium/AMPL.

Développement d’un réseau nosographique collaboratif

ObjectivesThe use of massive amounts of digital data in mental health offers interesting perspectives that could influence the evolution of psychiatric nosography. The characteristics of this data could become key elements to understand the future organization of knowledge — and debates — in psychiatry. Such an evolution could take different shapes, including the development of a collaborative and networked psychiatric classification. Materials and methodsSeveral issues related to the use of large amounts of data in psychiatry were identified and developed in this context: (1) the growth of new health related data producers and storers, which could influence the development of some research topics or diagnostics to the detriment of others, depending on the availability or profitability of this data; (2) the fact that mental health data is often available in an unstructured form: textual data, like reports of complementary examinations, reports of hospitalization or expertises, but also imageries or videos, from institutional or alternative sources; (3) the need of scalability and flexibility of this data, to make it possible to integrate recent discoveries as well as to take into account the phenomenon of pathomorphosis or cultural factors in psychiatry. A collaborative framework is proposed to answer each of these issues, including the possibility of integration of different data forms, associated with a complete traceability of sources and a nominal registration. The need to structure data is also specified, with the use of tags to modelize diagnostic consensus that include professionals, patients and families. This collaborative tool would make it possible to consider data resulting from perceptions of patients or their families, enabling patients to benefit from a higher level of confidence and engagement, and limiting the deleterious effects of stigmatization. ResultsThe possibilities of a collaborative web tool integrated into the French Shared Medical File (Dossier Medical Partagé) are described, and two examples of practical situations are presented: A mental health professional reporting his influences on the diagnosis of schizophrenia: he integrates the symptoms described by the German psychiatrist Karl Leonhard (Leonhard classification), cultural references (cinematographic reference like A beautiful mind directed by Ron Howard), and links to articles on medical and psychiatric comorbidities among adults with schizophrenia. In the other example, a psychiatrist uses this tool to develop a collaborative diagnosis that integrated an active participation of the patient around the diagnostic. In France, the latest version of the digital Shared Medical File was launched in November 2018. The integration of a collaborative nosographic tool into this file would be an interesting answer to the difficulties that might happen for its use with patients suffering from mental disorders. It could thus limit the stigmatization of a shared diagnosis and enable a better understanding of practices among mental health professionals. ConclusionThe psychiatrists use specific knowledge resulting from multiple influences and theoretical orientations. The risk of incomprehension of practices in psychiatry by patients and their families being major, nosographic research trying to include the coexistence of these orientations appears necessary. Moreover, in the context of the development of large-scale data processing, it is essential that a collaborative human-scale interpretation of this knowledge exists. This would make the psychiatric nosography an ethical tool, allowing an active participation and dialogue between patients, families and health professionals, that could become key features of future psychiatric nosography.

Implementation of the reverse screening syphilis algorithm in a clinical laboratory

Syphilis remains a public health concern worldwide, the accuracy of diagnostic tests is critical for its successful control. Currently, there are two approaches to the diagnosis of syphilis using serological tests: the traditional algorithm and the reverse algorithm. The goal of this study was to analyse the advantages and disadvantages in the implementation of the syphilis reverse-screening algorithm in an outpatient clinical laboratory. An observational cross-sectional study was carried out analyzing 246 reactive sera from a total of 14700 requests for syphilis serology. Chemiluminescent assay ARCHITECT Syphilis TP, V.D.R.L. and FTA-Abs were performed. Among 246 reactive sera by ARCHITECT Syphilis TP, 129 were reactive and 117 were non-reactive by V.D.R.L. the last mentioned resulted in 97 reactive and 20 non-reactive by FTA-Abs, suggesting false positives (0.13%). Two patients with primary infection were detected, that were not detected by V.D.R.L. and one pregnant woman with primary infection with a high value S/CO and V.D.R.L.:1 dils. Among the advantages of using a reverse algorithm were greater sensitivity in the detection of patients with primary syphilis; automation, complete traceability of the samples; objective interpretation and conclusive results.

Vacuum Pressure Measurement in Industrial Environments

SummaryHigh accuracy and reproducibility are the basis for outstanding product quality in the manufacturing of vacuum pressure gauges. Selective product and process controls supported by statistical process control (SPC) ensure success. Automated calibration processes traceable to the National Measuring Institute (NMI) are necessitated by the high product volume and the requirement for complete traceability. Even in industrial use under mostly non‐ideal surrounding conditions, the devices must deliver stable and accurate measured values in all production processes. Using the example of hot‐filament ionization gauges, it is shown how design modifications in the production process have reduced the measurement uncertainties of the devices from one generation to the next. In another example, the introduction of a second baffle in a capacitance diaphragm gauge, led to significant reductions in sensor drift.

Retraction Notice to “Estimates of illegal and unreported seafood imports to Japan”

Abstract An investigation of illegal and unreported fishing in source countries indicates that 24–36% of 2.15 million tonnes of wild-seafood imports to Japan in 2015 were of illegal and unreported origin, valued at $1.6 to $2.4 billion, out of a total import of US$ 13 billion. A supply chain case study of crab imported from Russia illustrates the intricacies of trade in illegal seafood products in this region. Weakly framed import regulations and outdated fisheries policies appear to be driving an inadvertent trade of illegal and unreported seafood products into the Japanese market. A multilateral approach could extend the strict requirements for food safety to the country of origin and provide more complete supply chain traceability for all commercial seafood species imported by Japan.