Integration Testing Research Articles

Leveraging biomarkers and translational medicine for preclinical safety - Lessons for advancing the validation of alternatives to animal testing.

This article explores the potential of principles established in translational medicine for the use of bio-markers to advance the validation of alternatives to animal testing in preclinical safety assessment. It examines especially how such principles can enhance the predictive power, mechanistic under-standing, and human relevance of new approach methodologies (NAMs). Key concepts from translational medicine, such as fit-for-purpose validation, evidence-based approaches, and inte-grated testing strategies, are already being applied to the development and validation of NAMs. The article discusses challenges in implementing biomarker-based approaches, including standardi-zation, demonstration of relevance, regulatory acceptance, and addressing biological complexity. It also highlights opportunities for advancement through collaborative efforts, technological inno-vations, and regulatory evolution. Case studies demonstrate successful applications of biomarkers in preclinical safety, while future perspectives explore emerging trends like multi-omics integration, microphysiological systems, and artificial intelligence. The article emphasizes the potential of bio-markers and translational science approaches in creating more predictive, efficient, and ethical preclinical safety assessment paradigms in the use of NAMs. Use of biomarkers can enable the mechanistic validation of human-relevant models and provide a means to relate changes in NAMs to animal or clinical study results. By leveraging these tools, the field can work towards reducing reliance on animal testing while improving the accuracy and human relevance of safety predictions.

Gravitational wave alert generation infrastructure on your laptop

Gravitational wave alert generation infrastructure on your laptop

A steel joint for driven precast concrete geothermal energy pile foundations

This invention describes a steel joint used for connecting two precast concrete driven energy pile (DEP) segments which is known as DEP joint. Precast concrete DEPs are cast in segments with a maximum length of 12 m at a concrete factory. DEPs are typically driven into the ground until bedrock; hence, in places where the bedrock is deeper than 12 m, two or more segments must be connected using a joint to produce longer energy piles. DEPs have not been frequently used because no suitable joint existed that could maintain structural integrity and provide leak-proof coupling between the pipes at the joint interface. The present invention addresses this problem by designing a steel joint that can meet the structural and hydraulic requirements of a suitable steel joint for DEPs. Each quadratic concrete energy pile segment is prefabricated in a concrete factory, where the heat transfer pipes are embedded inside the steel cage of each segment. The steel DEP joint is installed at one or both ends of each concrete segment, and has two or four sidewall channels, depending upon its size. Heat transfer pipes are coupled between every two segments, inside the sidewall channels, while the energy piles are installed at a construction site. The sidewall channels are protected using steel shielding plates that are riveted to the joint so that the pipes and the coupling inside the sidewall channels are protected against harsh frictions during the installation of the DEPs in the ground. The steel joint facilitates the installation of longer precast concrete energy piles up to the bedrock depth, especially in sites where the bedrock is deeper than a single segment length. The main advantages of precast concrete energy piles compared to cast-in-place piles are that they enable better quality control and quality assurance, as well as being easier, faster, and cheaper to install. The invented DEP joint has passed structural integrity tests as required according to the BS EN 12794 standard, and also passed hydraulic pressure tests according to the ASTM F2164 – 21; hence, it is certified to be used in construction projects. We are now looking for potential licensees to start manufacturing the joints and using them in the energy pile industry.

Online imaging system for component integrity test

A large number of tests have been performed on piping components of Indian Nuclear Power Plants, to study their fracture behavior and generate the fracture properties, and to validate the failure models. The materials of these piping components are carbon steel and stainless-steel welds, and tests were conducted under monotonic/cyclic loading conditions. During these component tests the crack growth data measurements in sync with the applied load and load line displacement (LLD) were required to facilitate post- test calculation of fracture resistance J-R curve. Unlike in small specimens (like CT, TPB, etc.), the compliance function for large components like pipes and elbows are not available. Further, it is known that in these materials the crack growth happens in out- of-plane and, the angle at which it grows cannot be anticipated in advance. This phenomenon imposes further limitation on usage of conventional methods like compliance based / potential drop-based method used for crack growth measurement. Therefore, a new Imaging based technique was developed in-house in 2018 and used to measure crack growth during these tests during 2020-21. In this technique the synchronous images of both the crack tips and related image of computer screen showing values of applied load, LLD, etc. are acquired using single click button. The software required for synchronous acquisition of images from various cameras during fracture experiments was developed. Each image set contains images of both crack tips, and Load and LLD image. Subsequently, the crack tip images were manually analyzed to obtain the magnitude of crack growth with applied loading. This paper narrates the developed imaging system setup followed by a discussion on the software for image acquisition.

DNA origami: thinking ‘outside the fold’ for direct integrity testing of membranes for virus removal in potable reuse applications

Increasing water scarcity and water quality impairment are drivers for broader implementation of potable reuse. To maximize the sustainability of these systems, it is important to address pathogen log reduction value (LRV) ‘gaps’.

Test many theories in many ways.

Demonstrating the limitations of the one-at-a-time approach, crowd initiatives reveal the surprisingly powerful role of analytic and design choices in shaping scientific results. At the same time, cross-cultural variability in effects is far below the levels initially expected. This highlights the value of "medium" science, leveraging diverse stimulus sets and extensive robustness checks to achieve integrative tests of competing theories.

Design of Rocket‐Borne Data Transmission System for Sounding Rocket

The design of a rocket‐borne data transmission system is presented in this article. This data transmission system is used for Meridian Space Weather Monitoring Project II sounding rocket. The major function of this data transmission system is to transmit payload data and rocket telemetry data to ground station. The data transmission system achieves power greater than 4 W (36 dBm). The amplitude unbalance is 1.60% (0.14 dB) and the phase unbalance is 1.74°. Total power consumption of the data transmission system is less than 24 W (28 V power supply). The radiation performance of the data transmission antenna is good. Based on the actual condition of solid rocket, the relevant heat dissipation and vibration reduction measures are designed under the demand of miniaturization. The data transmission system has been tested by performance test, environmental simulation test, system integration test, and other tests; the test results show that it has good working performance, good stability, and high reliability.

Spectral analysis of cross-hole sonic logging data for pile integrity assessment

Ensuring the safety of foundations requires advanced non-destructive testing techniques. Cross-hole sonic logging (CSL) is a widely adopted method for evaluating the integrity of deep foundation elements, such as bored piles, barrettes, and diaphragm walls. This method involves analyzing the propagation time and relative energy of ultrasonic pulses transmitted and registered by probes inserted into pre-installed access tubes. However, in certain cases, standard analyses may not effectively distinguish anomalous signals arising from defects and other factors unrelated to concrete quality. Our study explores the potential of an alternative frequency-domain approach for CSL data analysis. We propose new attributes to quantify ultrasonic signal spectra, including spectrum area, normalized spectrum area, weighted mean frequency, and maximum frequency. These attributes are automatically calculated, eliminating the need for additional data processing time and minimizing the risk of human error. The proposed approach was applied to CSL data collected from two bored piles of 46 m length and successfully identified signals classified as anomalous through standard time-domain analysis. Further research is deemed necessary to fully explore the potential of the frequency-domain approach in enhancing the information content and reliability of CSL pile integrity testing

Cognitive Auditory Training: Comparative Impact of Telerehabilitation and In-person Training

Abstract Background: Cognitive auditory approach has been shown effective in assessment and intervention with children with Central Auditory Processing Disorders (CAPD). Objective: To compare the intervention methods: telerehabilitation for synchronous auditory training through an Online Cognitive Auditory Training Program, with the traditional rehabilitation method, called acoustically controlled auditory training, carried out in person in an acoustic booth. Methods: The sample included 23 children between the ages of 7 and 9, of both genders, living in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, who were divided into two groups: Group I - 13 children undergoing telerehabilitation and Group II - 10 children undergoing auditory training in an acoustic booth. The instruments used were: i) Pediatric Speech Intelligibility (PSI) test in the ipsilateral competitive messages (ICM condition); ii) Digit Dichotic (DD) in binaural integration and separation skills test in auditory separation and integration skills. Results: In this study the following results were: a) there were statistically significant differences in the performance of children who underwent telerehabilitation for CAPD, revealing the reliability of the method, b) there were statistically significant differences both in the effect of auditory training carried out through telerehabilitation and in the effect of auditory training carried out in person, proving that the effectiveness of the two methods is equivalent, c) there were statistically significant differences in the performance of school-age students with CAPD who used the Online Cognitive Auditory Training Program, showing that the cognitive auditory approach is effective in intervention with children with CAPD. Conclusion: There is efficacy in cognitive auditory training through the telerehabilitation intervention. Results shown that intervention through the Online Cognitive Auditory Training Program support student learning and communication skills. Keywords: Auditory Processing, Cognitive Auditory Training, Telerehabilitation, Central Auditory Processing Disorders (CAPD).

AURORA: An Intelligent Plant Monitoring System for Greenhouse Deployment

This article presents a low-cost plant monitoring technology to assist in plants irrigation according to physiological demands. The project was conceived as a smart greenhouse capable of reporting on soil humidity, light and ambient temperature and presents principles of data-based agriculture. The methodology was based on engineering methods combined with design notions to adapt the technology to specific target audiences in a future stage of the project. Designed for small properties, the low-cost technological solution is an open technology that seeks to solve small farmers' pain regarding wasted resources in the field. The results are from isolated stages of the project, and point to correct data collection, processing using a microcontroller and sending the data for visualization on a dashboard. Future possibilities include a mathematical model based on the application of a differential equation to optimize the system, as well as building an application and carrying out integrative tests with tablets and other devices in a real production context.

Tests of goods market integration between China and African BRI countries

AbstractThe Chinese Government has promulgated the “Belt and Road Initiative” (BRI) to increase trade flows and integrate goods markets between China and BRI countries. The validity of purchasing power parity (PPP) implies well‐integrated goods markets, a precondition for further economic convergence, and the next stage of economic integration in factor, service, and financial markets. Our study aims to examine the validity of the PPP and the extent of goods market integration between China and selected BRI countries in Africa. Since the functional form of the cointegrating relationship may not be exact or linear, we adopt the nonparametric rank tests for analysis without prior knowledge and specification of the functional form. We also address the rank problems that occur in multivariate rank tests. Our empirical results provide strong evidence of an unrestricted PPP relationship with reasonably strong evidence of nonlinearity in the data. We also find that some African BRI countries have experienced goods market integration with China during the second‐half period only. This indicates that the introduction of the BRI in 2013 and China's active involvement in African economic development through BRI projects are leading to enhanced goods market integration between China and Africa. The results indicate favorable prospects of closer economic cooperation in the factor, service, and financial markets to build a free trade area or common markets with BRI countries in Africa.

Laser-induced bubble dynamics optimization for high-aspect-ratio 3D micro-fluidic channels fabrication

In this study, we demonstrate a high-aspect-ratio microhole fabrication method that uses a femtosecond laser to drill from the rear side of transparent borosilicate glass in a specific solution environment with an assisted ultrasonic field. The experimental results show that an ablation enhancement effect could be achieved by mixing ethanol with distilled water with a volume fraction of approximately 20 %. The craters produced in the mixed solution were wider than those produced in water. An assisted ultrasonic field was introduced to further improve the drilling depth and avoid the termination of the drilling process caused by bubble aggregation and debris blockage. The bubble dynamics induced by the femtosecond-laser-induced breakdown effect were observed using shadowgraphs. The shadowgraphs of the high-speed camera revealed that the cavitation bubbles in the mixed solution had more than twice the maximum diameter and a significantly higher number of bubble expansions than those in water, which may cause a stronger impact pressure. The coupling effect of laser ablation enhancement and bubble bursting impact helped achieve a high material removal rate and significantly improve drilling depth. This indicates that an ultrahigh-aspect-ratio straight (∼273) microhole with a ∼2 µm diameter can be fabricated. By designing machining paths, we can machine 3D complex curved microchannels such as spirals. This method shows considerable potential in biomedical and microelectronics applications, for example to fabricate calibrated microholes for container closure integrity testing (CCIT).

A Review of Cross-Hole Ultrasonic Logging for Foundation Integrity Testing and its Evaluation Criteria

Since the concrete quality of cast in-situ foundation is crucial, the cross-hole ultrasonic logging (CSL) method has become an effective method to assess the homogeneity and integrity of concrete without being limited by the pile length or soil type. Although the testing procedure for CSL is well defined by test standards including ASTM, the interpretation and evaluation criteria of CSL testing results, in contrast, are not well defined and controlled by uniform standards. The current state of practice recorded the application of different rating criteria with different parameters applied for foundations acceptance evaluation. A task force formed by Deep Foundations Institute (DFI) in 2019 has proposed improved rating criteria for CSL results evaluation with the vision of standardized and uniform evaluation criteria in the future. This paper summarizes the current practice of the CSL method and compares the commonly used rating criteria with the currently proposed improved criteria.

Performance evaluation and qualification of hard coatings used in absorber rod drive mechanism of Indian fast breeder reactor

Prevention of surface damage at various guiding and bearing locations assumes high importance in ensuring reliable operation of Absorber Rod Drive Mechanisms (ARDM). Contact at an unintended location during any of the operating conditions, including seismic conditions, may cause unacceptable damage, reducing the availability of the ARDMs. Based on international and in-house experiences, the materials and surface coatings for mating surfaces and guiding locations were selected in the ARDMs of Indian Fast Breeder Reactors (FBR).Various mechanical and metallurgical investigations followed by integral assembly tests with full-scale components on hard face coatings were done to evaluate the performance of the hard coatings and to qualify them for reactor operation. In spite of detailed investigations, surface damage-related problems were faced during the initial stages of integral assembly testing, which severely delayed the qualification testing. Key lessons learned from the experimental program are that a holistic approach involving complete kinematics is necessary in the design of the systems to prevent unwanted surface damage-related issues. All these details are discussed in the present paper.From the qualification testing, it can be concluded that the performance of hard coatings for the ARDMs of Indian FBRs is satisfactory. The material and design selections made have formed the basis for the given applications in future FBRs in India.

Analysis of forced convection in the HTTU experiment using numerical codes

The High Temperature Test Unit (HTTU) was an experimental set-up to conduct separate and integral effects tests of the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) core. The annular core consisted of a randomly packed bed of uniform spheres. Natural convection tests using both nitrogen and helium, and forced convection tests using nitrogen, were conducted. The maximum material temperature achieved during forced convection testing was 1200 °C. This paper presents the numerical analysis of the flow and temperature distribution for a forced convection test using 3D CFD as well as a 1D systems-CFD computer code. Several modelling approaches are possible, ranging from a fully explicit to a semi-implicit method that relies on correlations of their associated phenomena. For the comparison between codes, the analysis was performed using a porous media approach, where the conduction and radiative heat transfer were lumped together as an effective thermal conductivity and the convective heat transfer was correlated between the solid and gas phases. The results from both codes were validated against the experimental measurements. Favourable results were obtained, in particular by the systems-CFD code with minimal computational and time requirements.

Influence of Anxiety on Texts Retelling in Adolescents

The signs of anxiety in ontogeny have not yet been sufficiently studied, as well as the indicators of anxiety in a certain age group in speech ontogeny. The hypothesis about the influence of schoolchildren’s anxiety on the text retelling process is set forth. Examining transcripts of oral retelling evidence that psychological conditions of adolescents affect their speech production. The material for this study was collected according to mass experiments, which were conducted in several secondary schools of the Republic of Tatarstan in 2020-2021. All in all, there were interviewed 458 students of the 5th grade aged from 11 to 12 years. Boys and girls were interviewed in almost equal proportions what allows speaking about gender representativeness. In order to design socio-psychological portraits of the respondents, there have been conducted a number of supplementary tests preceding the main interviews: the general awareness test, the anxiety test, the test on concentration and attention span, the Russian language test. Our research of anxiety of adolescents is based on the Integrative Anxiety Test which followed the Encyclopedia of Psychodiagnostics (ed. D. Raigorodsky). The main target of the experiment is to explore the alterations in the propositional structures integrity in text retelling that may happen as a result of anxiety influence. Having analyzed more than 300 text retellings, we have concluded that psychological factors may affect the mechanisms of information processing and verbalization. There are two types of anxiety manifestations in text retellings in adolescents. First, manifestations of anxiety on the superficial level which is revealed in alterations in the sound and lexical matter. Second, typical are the manifestations of anxiety on the deep level of propositions with complete change of semantic roles, appearance of additional propositional elements or fragmentation of existing propositions.

Research on the vision system of lychee picking robot based on stereo vision

In this study, we propose a development scheme of litchi robot vision system based on stereo vision. The system includes three components: image acquisition, image analysis, and image processing. The obtained image can be corrected according to the light environment conditions with the corresponding algorithm for image color, calculate the Hue color layer, analyze the external characteristics and positional data (2D) of litchi, obtain the 3D coordinate information of fruits and vegetables, and provide to the running device for route planning and vegetable and fruit picking claw tools for picking. The integration test results for the robot arm and claw tool demonstrate the following: (1) Using image acquisition, the system can acquire high-quality images in real-time via a combination of automatic exposure and white balance conversion. (2) Using image analysis techniques such as background separation, edge detection, and external feature search, it is possible to successfully calculate the location coordinates of the litchi's tip, center, and bottom. (3) Using image processing, the claw of the picking machine can determine the condition of overlapping lychees and their state of ripening based on the depth information of feature points used in the picking operation. (4) Under the working range of 18.4 cm × 33.6 cm, the success rate of picking litchi with a diameter of 28 mm, 34 mm, and 42 mm was 93.3%, 91.1 %, and 84.4%, respectively, exceeding the design expectation level.

The effect of a cyclic bending load on the bending resistance of ballooned, ruptured, and oxidized Zircaloy-4 cladding

ABSTRACT The seismic resistance of fuel cladding during the long-term core cooling after loss-of-coolant accidents (LOCAs) was investigated by performing cyclic four-point bending tests (4PBTs) of up to 1000 cycles with fresh fuel cladding samples that experienced integral thermal shock test, simulating LOCA conditions, including ballooning, rupture, oxidation, and quench. 4PBTs were performed on the samples that survived the quenching process. The results showed that up to 1000 cycles and 5.8 Nm of cyclic loading moment, there was no apparent effect on the bending fracture limit of the fuel cladding under the 4PBT. The scatter of the bending fracture limit for a given equivalent cladding reacted (ECR) evaluated by the Baker–Just oxidation rate equation (BJ-ECR) is attributed to two primary factors: first, the difference between the prescribed and the actual oxidation behavior, confirmed by comparing the BJ-ECR and the ECR evaluated based on metallographic observation (M-ECR), and second, the variated shape of the rupture-opening area after the integral thermal shock test. The strength of the α phase-dominant zone near the rupture opening seems to contribute to the bending fracture limit.

Retesting Schemes That Improve Test Quality and Yield Using a Test Guardband

The digital integrated circuit (IC) testing model module is applied in this study to simulate the fabrication and testing of integrated circuits. The yield and quality of ICs are analyzed by assuming that the wafer devices under test conditions are normal probability distributions. The difficulties of testing and verification become increasingly great as the design function of the chip becomes remarkably complex. Conversely, the automotive industry chip supply chain has been substantially affected since the COVID-19 outbreak. The shortage of chips in the auto-market has always existed; therefore, increasing available chips under a limited production capacity has become a top priority. Therefore, this study applies the digital integrated circuit testing model (DITM) and proposes a retest plan. This method does not require considerable time to collect large wafer data, nor does it require additional hardware equipment. Furthermore, the required test quality parameters are set, and the test is repeated on the device by adjusting the test guardband (TGB). Moreover, three retesting schemes are proposed to improve the IC test quality (Yq) and test yield (Yt) to meet the requirements of consumers for product quality. A set of 2021 IEEE International Roadmap for Devices and Systems (IRDS) parameters is used to demonstrate the three proposed retesting schemes. The simulation results from the 2021 IRDS data prove that the retest method can effectively improve the test yield (Yt). A comparison of the estimated results of the three retest methods shows that using the repeat test method can maximize the test yield without sacrificing the test quality (Yq). By contrast, repeat testing can indeed improve the test yield (Yt) by 14% or more. Moreover, the increase in sellable ICs not only increases additional earnings for corporations, but also alleviates the current global shortage of automotive ICs.

A class integration test order generation approach based on Sarsa algorithm

A class integration test order generation approach based on Sarsa algorithm