Panel Evaluation Research Articles

Evaluation of sandwich panels produced with egg carton core and paricá veneers

Resumo Em busca de novos materiais a partir de resíduos industriais, visando ao custo, à eficiência e à redução do passivo ambiental, este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar as características físicas, mecânicas, acústicas e térmicas de painéis sanduíche produzidos com lâminas de Schizolobium amazonicum (paricá) e núcleo de caixa de ovos feitos de papelão coladas com o adesivo fenol-formaldeído (FF) e com o adesivo ureia-formaldeído (UF), intercalando-se estas com lâminas coladas com ambos (FF+UF). Os painéis foram avaliados por meio de ensaios térmicos, acústicos, físicos e mecânicos. Os adesivos FF e UF influenciaram nas propriedades físico-mecânicas dos painéis. Para a condutividade térmica e resistência térmica, verificou-se que todos os painéis atingiram as exigências normativas da NBR 15220 (ABNT, 2005), com destaque para os painéis produzidos com FF. Sendo assim, a utilização das lâminas de paricá de 32x12x0,2 cm (comprimento, largura e espessura respectivamente) e de caixa de ovo como núcleo com adesivo se mostrou promissora para algumas aplicações na construção civil, além de agregar valor aos resíduos de caixa de ovo como isolantes térmicos e acústicos, por minimizar o descarte de matéria-prima no meio ambiente.

Clinical Usefulness of a Multiplex Molecular Panel for Central Nervous System Infection: An 11-Month Experience at a Tertiary Center in Korea

Purpose: The purpose of our study was to evaluate the usefulness of the BiofireFilmArray Meningitis/Encephalitis (FA ME) panel and identify factors associated with positive FA ME panel results. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 129 patients (45 children, 84 adults) with central nervous system infections and FA ME panel test results. We compared the results of the FA ME panel and the diagnostic yield between pediatric and adult patients with positive and negative FA ME panel results. Positive FA ME panel results were compared with conventional microbiological testing. Results: Forty-three patients (33.3%) had positive results on the FA ME panel. The detected pathogens were enterovirus (n=17, 39.5%), varicella zoster virus (n=10, 23.3%), herpes simplex virus-2 (n=2, 16.3%), herpes simplex virus-1 (n=2, 4.7%), human parechoviruses (n=2), Cryptococcus neoformans/gattii (n=2), Streptococcus agalactiae (n=1, 2.3%), Streptococcus pneumoniae (n=1), and Haemophilus influenzae (n=1). The time to detection of the FA ME panel (4.9±6.6 hours) was significantly shorter than that of conventional culture (77.4±48.2 hours) (P=0.005). Fever was more common in the positive FA ME group than in the negative FA ME group (81.4% vs. 41.9%) and in pediatric patients than in the adult patients (93.3% vs. 34.5%) (P<0.001 for both). The detection rate of the FA ME panel was higher in pediatric patients than in adult patients (55.8% vs. 22.6%, P<0.001). Conclusion: The FA ME panel improves the diagnostic rate in patients with suspected central nervous system infections, with potential favorable implications for the quality of management and prognosis.

Large-Scale Clinical Evaluation of Rapid Blood Culture Identification Panels for Bloodstream Infections at a Tertiary Hospital

The prompt implementation of optimal antibacterial therapy through the rapid identification of the causative organisms is essential for improving outcomes for critically ill patients with bloodstream infections. We evaluated the clinical performance of the FilmArray blood culture identification (BCID) panel for rapidly identifying causative pathogens in the bloodstream using large-scale clinical samples. We analyzed the results of identification using a BCID panel performed on 2005 positive blood culture bottles from September 2019 to June 2022. Pathogen detection efficiency and interval from Gram staining to identification using the BCID panel were compared to those of conventional identification systems-VITEK MS MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometer and Vitek2-and antibiotic susceptibility testing-Vitek2. We detected 2167 isolates from 2005 positive blood culture bottles. In these isolates, the BCID panel showed 93% full agreement-both organisms and antimicrobial resistance genes were matched, and no off-target organisms were detected. Species-level discordance was found in 0.6% of tests. Sixty-five isolates (3.0%) were only detected by BCID, whereas 22 isolates (1.0%) from the on-target panel were not detected by BCID. This large-scale study demonstrated that the BCID panel was a reliable and rapid identification method for directly identifying bloodstream pathogens in a positive blood culture.

A Simple Molecular Tool for the Assessment of Kidney Transplant Biopsies.

The Banff Classification for Allograft Pathology recommendations for the diagnosis of kidney transplant rejection includes molecular assessment of the transplant biopsy. However, implementation of molecular tools in clinical practice is still limited, partly due to the required expertise and financial investment. The reverse transcriptase multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (RT-MLPA) assay is a simple, rapid, and inexpensive assay that permits simultaneous evaluation of a restricted gene panel using paraffin-embedded tissue blocks. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a RT-MLPA assay for diagnosis and classification of rejection. A retrospective cohort of 220 kidney transplant biopsies from two centers, which included 52 antibody-mediated rejection, 51 T-cell-mediated rejection, and 117 no-rejection controls, was assessed. A 17-gene panel was identified on the basis of relevant pathophysiological pathways. A support vector machine classifier was developed. A subset of 109 biopsies was also assessed using the Nanostring Banff Human Organ Transplant panel to compare the two assays. The support vector machine classifier train and test accuracy scores were 0.84 and 0.83, respectively. In the test cohort, the F1 score for antibody-mediated rejection, T-cell-mediated rejection, and control were 0.88, 0.86, and 0.69, respectively. Using receiver-operating characteristic curves, the area under the curve for class predictions was 0.96, 0.89, and 0.91, respectively, with a weighted average at 0.94. Classifiers' performances were highest for antibody-mediated rejection diagnosis with 94% correct predictions, compared with 88% correct predictions for control biopsies and 60% for T-cell-mediated rejection biopsies. Gene expression levels assessed by RT-MLPA and Nanostring were correlated: r = 0.68, P < 0.001. Equivalent gene expression profiles were obtained with both assays in 81% of the samples. The 17-gene panel RT-MLPA assay, developed here for formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded kidney transplant biopsies, classified kidney transplant rejection with an overall accurate prediction ratio of 0.83. This article contains a podcast at https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/www.asn-online.org/media/podcast/CJASN/2023_04_10_CJN10100822.mp3.

Development and evaluation of a novel panel containing 188 microhaplotypes for 2nd-degree kinship testing in the Hebei Han population

Distant kinship identification is one of the critical problems in forensic genetics. As a new type of genetic marker defined and discussed in the last decade, the microhaplotype (MH) has drawn much attention in such identification owing to its specific advantages to traditional short tandem repeat (STR) or single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. In this study, MH markers were screened step by step from the 1000 Genomes Project database, and a novel multiplex panel containing 188 MHs (in which 181 are reported the first time, while 1 was reported in a previous study and the other 6 have partial overlaps with known markers) was constructed for application in 2nd- and 3rd-degree kinship identification. Along with the construction, a novel MH nomenclature was proposed, in which the SNP position information they contained was taken into account to eliminate the possibility that the same locus was named differently interlaboratory. After a series of evaluations, the panel was shown to have good sequencing accuracy, high sensitivity, species specificity, and resistance to anti-PCR inhibitors or degradation. Population data of the 188 MHs were calculated based on the genetic information of 221 unrelated Hebei Han individuals, and the effective number of alleles (Ae) ranged from 2.0925 to 8.2634 (with an average of 2.9267). For the whole system, the cumulative matching probability (CMP), the cumulative power of exclusion in paternity testing of duos (CPEduo) and that of trios (CPEtrio) reached 2.8422 × 10−137, 1–1.3109 × 10−21, and 1–2.8975 × 10−39, respectively, indicating that this panel was satisfactory for individual identification and paternity testing. Then, the efficiency of the 188 MHs in 2nd- and 3rd-degree kinship testing was studied based on 30 extended families consisting of 179 2nd-degree and 121 3rd-degree relatives, as well as simulations of 0.5 million pairs of those two kinships. The results showed that clear opinions would be given in 83.36% of 2nd-degree identifications with a false rate less than 10−5, when the confirming and excluding thresholds of cumulative likelihood ratio (CLR) were set as 104 and 10−4, respectively. This panel is still not sufficient to solve the problem of 3rd-degree kinship identification alone, and approximately 300 or 870 MH loci would be needed in 2nd- or 3rd-degree kinship identification, respectively, to achieve a system efficiency not less than 0.99 with such a threshold set; such necessary numbers would be used only as a reference in further research.

Investigating the roles of demographic profiles on usability assessment: case study on CiteGuru application

&lt;span lang="EN-US"&gt;Postgraduate education is the highest education structure in all countries across global. In Malaysia, postgraduate education is usually pursued by several candidates, such as academicians, professionals, and motivated junior learners. As such, one of the requirements of postgraduate education is to have a publication as a mandatory graduation requirement. Thus, one of the challenging issues in the publication is to ensure the quality of the references and citation. However, the lack of mobile applications available that focus on citation management caused several problems such as succumbing to predatory journals, poor citation work, desk rejection, and inaccurate facts. Therefore, the purpose of this study is twofold: first, to investigate the roles and usability assessment of CiteGuru application as a mobile solution for improving learners’ skills, ability, and knowledge on referencing and second, to investigate the roles of demographic profiles on the usability perception among the respondents. A quantitative research methodology using a survey was adopted with 23 expert panels selected based on three distinct positions–academic, industries, and librarians. Data were analysed using statistical package for social science version 26. The result indicates that i) the panel rate the usability of the application as acceptable and ii) demographic profiles (sector, education, and gender) prove insignificant on the usability assessment.&lt;/span&gt;

Development of an Electrically Conductive MDF Panel-Evaluation of Carbon Content and Resin Type.

Electronics in furniture and construction materials, in particular technologies which allow for a flexible and cable-free connection of electronics in such materials, are gaining broader interest. This study shows a further development of a concept to obtain highly conductive medium-density fibreboard panels (MDF) for furniture application. MDF were produced using two mixing processes (wet and dry) for wood and carbon fibres to investigate the effects of resin type (urea formaldehyde (UF) and polymeric methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (pMDI)) and carbon fibre content on their mechanical, physical, and electrical properties. Overall, wet mixed fibres showed better electrical but reduced mechanical properties. Modulus of elasticity (MOE) and bending strength (MOR) values of 3500 MPa and 35 MPa, respectively, and internal bond (IB) values of 0.45 to 0.65 MPa with electrical conductivities of up to 230 S/m were achieved. The technology has been successfully implemented in a demonstration object showing the application in a small piece of furniture.

Evaluation of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) equations to predict enteric methane emission from lactating cows fed Mediterranean diets

The study aimed to evaluate Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Tier 2 (2006 and 2019) to predict enteric CH4 emissions from lactating cows fed Mediterranean diets. The effects of the CH4 conversion factor (Ym; CH4 energy loss as a percentage of gross energy intake) and digestible energy (DE) of the diet were evaluated as model predictors. A data set was created using individual observations derived from 3 in vivo studies on lactating dairy cows housed in respiration chambers and fed diets typical of the Mediterranean region based on silages and hays. Five models using different Ym and DE were evaluated following a Tier 2 approach: (1) average values of Ym (6.5%) and DE (70%) from IPCC (2006); (2) average value of Ym (5.7%) and DE (70.0%) from IPCC (2019; 1YM); (3) Ym = 5.7% and DE measured in vivo (1YMIV); (4) Ym = 5.7 or 6.0%, depending on dietary NDF, and DE = 70% (2YM); and (5) Ym = 5.7 or 6.0%, depending on dietary NDF, and DE measured in vivo (2YMIV). Finally, a Tier 2 model for Mediterranean diets (MED) was derived from the Italian data set (Ym = 5.58%; DE = 69.9% for silage-based diets and 64.8% for hay-based diets) and validated on an independent data set of cows fed Mediterranean diets. The most accurate models tested were 2YMIV, 2YM, and 1YMIV with predictions of 384, 377, and 377 (g of CH4/d), respectively, versus the in vivo value of 381. The most precise model was 1YM (slope bias = 1.88%; r = 0.63). Overall, 1YM showed the highest concordance correlation coefficient value (0.579), followed by 1YMIV (0.569). Cross-validation on an independent data set of cows fed Mediterranean diets (corn silage and alfalfa hay) resulted in concordance correlation coefficient of 0.492 and 0.485 for 1YM and MED, respectively. The prediction of MED (397) was more accurate than 1YM (405) in comparison with the corresponding in vivo value of 396 g of CH4/d. The results of this study showed that the average values proposed by IPCC (2019) can adequately predict CH4 emissions from cows fed typical Mediterranean diets. However, the use of specific factors for the Mediterranean area, such as DE, improved the accuracy of the models.

Translation and validation of the Vietnamese version of the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation scale (BFNE) in adults who stutter

ABSTRACT The Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale (BFNE) has been translated into many languages and used to screen anxiety in people who stutter. However, the Vietnamese version is not available and thus screening and interventions for this population in Vietnam are lacking. This study translated the BFNE into Vietnamese and evaluated the psychometric properties of Vietnamese people living with stuttering. Forward–backward translation was used, based on international standard guidelines. Adults who stutter were invited and asked to complete an online survey that contained the final Vietnamese version of the BFNE. Reliability was evaluated through internal consistency and three-week test–retest reliability. Validity was evaluated through content validity index, and construct validity using confirmatory factor analysis. From expert panel evaluation, the Vietnamese BFNE scale had semantic and conceptual similarities to the original English version. Content validity indexes were high (S-CVI = 1). From 34 people living with stuttering, alpha coefficient was 0.80 and ICC was 0.83. The model fit indexes from confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the data fitted the two-factor model well and thus high level of construct validity. In conclusion, the Vietnamese version of the BFNE scale had good internal consistency reliability, good test–retest reliability, appropriate content validity, and acceptable construct validity. Whilst results are positive overall, they are preliminary and based on small numbers. Further studies are needed.

The Effect of Good Corporate Governance on Financial Performance

The reason for this experimentation is to decide the consequence of proper agency governance on the financial standard overall accomplishment and feasibility of meals and beverage corporations indexed on the Indonesia stock trade (BEI) from 2015 to 2019. This finds out about hired quantitative studies to approach with linear regression analysis of panel data using SPSS 23 as the data analysis technique. This study's population protected all food and beverage groups indexed on the Indonesia inventory exchange between 2015 and 2019. To attain a sample of 20 organizations, the pattern was decided using the purposive sampling approach. The records series approach makes use of documentation received from the legitimate IDX website, www.idx.co.id. The outcomes of this discovery approximately finish that: (1) The unbiased board of commissioners and the audit committee have a giant impact on economic performance; however, the board of administrators has no big impact on monetary overall performance, based on the outcomes of a linear regression evaluation of panel records with a price stage of 5%. (2) it is possible to use a regression version to explain financial realization with the impartial board of commissioners, board of directors, and audit committee.

Optimal Transducer Placement for Deep Learning-Based Non-Destructive Evaluation.

In this study, the Convolution Neural Network (CNN) algorithm is applied for non-destructive evaluation of aluminum panels. A method of classifying the locations of defects is proposed by exciting an aluminum panel to generate ultrasonic Lamb waves, measuring data with a sensor array, and then deep learning the characteristics of 2D imaged, reflected waves from defects. For the purpose of a better performance, the optimal excitation location and sensor locations are investigated. To ensure the robustness of the training model and extract the feature effectively, experimental data are collected by slightly changing the excitation frequency and shifting the location of the defect. The high classification accuracy for each defect location can be achieved. It is found that the proposed algorithm is also successfully applied even when a bar is attached to the panel.

Development and evaluation of a sensory panel for collecting reliable player perceptions of third-generation synthetic turf football surfaces

Perceptions of synthetic surfaces used in football can vary considerably between players, and obtaining reliable feedback is challenging. The aim of this study was to develop a suitable process and evaluate the merits of establishing a sensory panel to assess the subjective attributes of third generation synthetic turf surfaces (3G turf) used in football. Focus groups with 12 male and 13 female footballers were conducted on an outdoor 3G turf pitch to develop a common language to describe sensory feedback related to player–surface interactions. Post-session analysis revealed two main themes related to player–surface interactions: hardness and grip. These themes were broken down further into five sensory attributes (Movement Speed, Slip, Movement Confidence, Leg Shock and Give) which were investigated further in an indoor test area containing ten 3G turf surfaces with controlled surface properties. A panel consisting of 18 University footballers (11 male and 7 female) undertook a screening and training session to refine the language associated with the sensory attributes and become familiar with the testing protocol. During a final evaluation session, players were asked to discriminate between surfaces using the paired comparison method for each of the sensory attributes. Player consistency remained similar between the screening and evaluation sessions whilst the panel’s ability to discriminate between surfaces improved during the evaluation session. Sensory training can therefore be a useful approach to aid players in differentiating between surfaces and lead to a greater understanding of athlete perceptions of surface attributes.

Pre-operative Radiotherapy And Deep Inferior Epigastric Artery Perforator (DIEP) flAp study (PRADA): Aesthetic outcome and patient satisfaction at one year

The optimal combination of radiotherapy and breast reconstruction has not yet been defined. Post-mastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) has deleterious effects on breast reconstruction, leading to caution amongst surgeons. Pre-operative radiotherapy (PRT) is a growing area of interest, is demonstrated to be safe, and spares autologous flaps from radiotherapy. This study evaluates the aesthetic outcome of PRT and deep inferior epigastric artery perforator (DIEP) flap reconstruction within the Pre-operative Radiotherapy And Deep Inferior Epigastric artery Perforator (DIEP) flAp (PRADA) cohort. PRADA was an observational cohort study designed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of PRT for women undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy and DIEP reconstruction. Panel evaluation of 3D surface images (3D-SIs) and patient-reported outcome measures (BREAST-Q) for a subset of women in the study were compared with those of a DIEP-PMRT cohort who had undergone DIEP reconstruction and PMRT. Seventeen out of 33 women from the PRADA study participated in this planned substudy. Twenty-eight women formed the DIEP-PMRT cohort (median follow-up 23 months). The median (inter-quartile range [IQR]) 'satisfaction with breasts' score at 12 months for the PRADA cohort was significantly better than the DIEP-PMRT cohort (77 [72-87] versus 64 [54-71], respectively), p=0.01). Median [IQR] panel evaluation (5-point scale) was also significantly better for the PRADA cohort than for the DIEP-PMRT cohort (4.3 [3.9-4.6] versus 3.6 [2.8-4] p=0.003). Aesthetic outcome for the PRADA cohort was reported to be 'good' or 'excellent' in 93% of cases using a bespoke panel assessment with robust methodology. Patient satisfaction at one year is encouraging and superior to DIEP-PMRT at 23 months. Switching surgery-radiotherapy sequencing leads to similar breast aesthetic outcomes and warrants further large-scale, multi-centre evaluation in a randomised trial.

The Indonesian Version of the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale - Self Report (LSAS-SR-Indonesia): Psychometric Evaluation and Analysis Related to Gender and Age

Aim: This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Indonesian version of LSAS-SR (LSAS-SR-Indonesia), and determine the analysis related to gender and age. Background: A previous study reported that social anxiety exists in Indonesia. The psychometric properties of the instruments were not reported because it was not the focus of the study. Further studies were recommended, and it was necessary to develop an instrument for social anxiety in Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia). The Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) is one of the most frequently used scales for assessing social anxiety. The psychometric properties of LSAS-SR-Indonesia must be assessed so that the instrument can be more properly used. Objective: This study examined the psychometric properties of LSAS-SR-Indonesia, including internal consistency and item discrimination, as well as validity (convergent, internal structure, factorial, and content). In addition to the psychometric properties, this study analyzed its correlation to gender and age. Methods: A total of 2074 participants from the general population were involved in the current cross-sectional study applying multi-stage cluster sampling. They lived in seven big cities in Indonesia, representing the major ethnic groups, i.e., Bandung, Denpasar, Banjarmasin, Makassar, Yogyakarta, Padang and Medan. The participants were 16-38 years old, and 73% of them were female. The internal consistency was analyzed using a coefficient of Cronbach’s alpha, and the item discrimination was examined by calculating the corrected item-total correlation. Convergent validity was analyzed using the correlation with the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale (BFNE) and the Taijin Kyofusho Scale (TKS) using Pearson Product Moment Correlation. Internal structure validity was examined using Pearson Product Moment Correlation between LSAS subscales (LSAS Fear and LSAS Avoidance) and their subscales (LSAS Fear Performance, LSAS Avoidance Performance, LSAS Fear Social Interaction, LSAS Avoidance Social Interaction). Factorial validity was used to analyze construct validity using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Content validity was carried out using the evaluation of an expert panel. The analysis of gender and age was performed using factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA). All the statistical analysis was performed using the computer programs SPSS v.21 and LISREL v.10.3. Results: The LSAS-SR-Indonesia has good internal consistency. The majority of items demonstrate good discrimination. A good convergent validity is found in the total score and the two subscales. The internal structure is empirically proved. All factor models fit the data, and RMSEA, RMR, NNFI, CFI, and AGFI are in the fit range. The CFA demonstrates that all items in all models have a significant loading factor of 5%. The result of the content validity shows a high degree of relevance and representativeness, with an agreement of 60-100%. There are significant differences both in fear and avoidance across gender. However, there are no significant differences in fear and avoidance across ages. Conclusion: The LSAS-SR-Indonesia is a reliable and valid instrument to assess social anxiety symptoms in Indonesia. It can be used to identify and assist in the preparation for promotion and intervention programs to prevent the development of the symptoms.

First evaluation of a commercial multiplex PCR panel for rapid detection of pathogens associated with acute joint infections.

Background: prompt recognition and identification of the causative microorganism in acute septic arthritis of native and prosthetic joints is vital to increase the chances of successful treatment. The aim of this study was to independently assess the diagnostic accuracy of the multiplex BIOFIRE® Joint Infection (JI) Panel (investigational use only) in synovial fluid for rapid diagnosis. Methods: synovial fluid samples were collected at the University Medical Center Groningen from patients who had a clinical suspicion of a native septic arthritis, early acute (post-operative, within 3 months after arthroplasty) periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) or late acute (hematogenous, months after arthroplasty) PJI. JI Panel results were compared to infection according to Musculoskeletal Infection Society criteria and culture-based methods as reference standard. Results: a total of 45 samples were analysed. The BIOFIRE JI Panel showed a high specificity (100 %, 95 % confidence interval (CI): 78-100) in all patient categories. Sensitivity was 83 % (95 % CI: 44-97) for patients with a clinical suspicion of native septic arthritis ( ), 73 % (95 % CI: 48-89) for patients with a clinical suspicion of a late acute PJI ( ), and 30 % (95 % CI: 11-60) for patients with a clinical suspicion of an early acute PJI ( ). Conclusion: the results of this study indicate a clear clinical benefit of the BIOFIRE JI Panel in patients with a suspected native septic arthritis and late acute (hematogenous) PJI, but a low clinical benefit in patients with an early acute (post-operative) PJI due to the absence of certain relevant microorganisms, such as Staphylococcus epidermidis, from the panel.

Preparation and heat transfer model of stereotyped phase change materials suitable for cold chain logistics

Phase change cold storage materials have some defects such as easy leakage and poor thermal conductivity in practical application. In the cold chain logistics, the cold storage panels are used as the cold storage devices of the refrigerated trucks, choosing the right way of charging can shorten the charging time of cold storage panel, improve the charging efficiency, save the overall transport time of the cold chain, and improve the transport efficiency. A kind of phase change cold storage material apply to 0–8 °C cold chain logistics was developed by means of step cooling experiment and differential scanning calorimeter, expanded graphite (EG) was added to enhance thermal conductivity and establish porous structure. The heat transfer model of cold storage and charging was established, and the coupling relationship between the charging mode and the charging rate of the cold storage panel was analyzed. The results show that: After adding 8 % expanded graphite (EG), the mass loss rate of Caprylic Acid - Lauryl Alcohol (CA-LA) composite phase change material was 7.73 %, it can effectively prevent leakage of phase change materials. And the phase transition temperature was −0.7 °C, latent heat value was 170.4 J/g, thermal conductivity was 1.411 W/(m·K), and thermal conductivity was increased by 6.17 times. The charging efficiency of the cold storage panel with a built-in charge cold coil was obviously higher than that of the cold storage panel placed in a low temperature environment. The charging time can be shortened by 58.1 % with the same mass of the cold storage material. The research results have certain promoting significance and theoretical support for the adoption of phase change material cold storage technology in cold chain logistics.

Effects of the F94L myostatin gene mutation in beef × dairy crossed cattle on strip loin steak dimensionality, shear force, and sensory attributes.

Carcasses (n = 115) from steers resulting from the mating of four Limousin × Angus sires heterozygous for the F94L myostatin mutation to Jersey, Jersey × Holstein, and Holstein dams were utilized to evaluate the effects of one copy of the F94L allele on strip loin dimensionality, Warner-Bratzler shear force and slice shear force, and sensory panel ratings. In Phase I of a two-phase study, 57 carcasses from two sires were utilized to obtain samples of longissimus dorsi (LD), psoas major (PM), gluteus medius (GM), semitendinosus (ST), serratus ventralis (SV), triceps brachii (TB), and biceps femoris (BF) muscles, which were vacuum packaged, aged until 10 days postmortem, and frozen. Frozen strip loins were cut into 14 2.5-cm-thick steaks each, and individual strip loin steaks were imaged at a fixed height on a gridded background and processed through image analysis software. In Phase II, to obtain a greater power of test for LD palatability attributes, 58 additional carcasses from 3 sires were utilized to obtain LD samples only for sensory panel and shear force analysis. Cooked steak sensory attributes evaluated by trained panelists were tenderness, juiciness, beef flavor, browned flavor, roasted flavor, umami flavor, metallic flavor, fat-like flavor, buttery flavor, sour flavor, oxidized flavor, and liver-like flavor. In strip loin steaks from carcasses with one F94L allele, LD muscle area was larger in steaks 4, 5, 7, 8, and 9, and steaks 1, 6, 7, and 9 were less angular than those from carcasses with no F94L allele (P < 0.05). Of the seven muscles observed, there were no shear force differences between F94L genotypes (P > 0.20). F94L genotype did not affect sensory panel ratings of LD and GM steaks (P > 0.07). Cooked ST steaks from carcasses with one F94L rated lower in fat-like flavor compared to those from carcasses with no F94L allele (P = 0.035). Cooked PM steaks from carcasses with one F94L allele rated lower in juiciness, fat-like flavor, buttery flavor, and umami flavor compared to those with no copies of the F94L (P < 0.04). In summary, one copy of the F94L allele utilized in beef × dairy cross steers improved strip loin steak dimensionality, did not affect cooked steak tenderness across seven muscles, and decreased fat-associated flavors in the PM and ST. Use of F94L homozygous terminal beef sires would be an easily implemented strategy for dairy producers to improve steak portion size and shape in carcasses from non-replacement calves.

Forensic efficiency evaluation of a novel multiplex panel of InDels and STRs in the Guizhou Han population and its phylogenetic relationships with other reference populations

Background Insertion/deletion polymorphism (InDel), as the third genetic marker, has been given a lot of attention by forensic geneticists since it has the advantages of extensive distributions in the human genome, small amplicon, and low mutation rate. However, the extant InDel panels were only viewed as supplemental tools for kinship analyses. In addition, these panels were not conductive to mixture deconvolution because InDels in these panels mainly displayed two alleles. Aims The purpose of this study is to investigate genetic distributions of a novel panel of InDels and STRs in the Guizhou Han population; assess the forensic application value of the panel; and conduct population genetic analyses of the Guizhou Han and other reference populations based on the overlapping loci. Subjects and methods The bloodstain samples of 209 Guizhou Han were gathered and genotyped by the novel panel. Allelic frequencies and forensic parameters of two miniSTRs and 59 InDels in the panel were estimated. In addition, we assessed phylogenetic relationships among the Guizhou Han and other reference populations by principal component analysis, DA genetic distance, and neighbor-joining tree. Results A total of 139 alleles of 61 loci could be observed in the Guizhou Han population. Polymorphic information content values of 59 InDels were greater than 0.3 in the Guizhou Han population. The cumulative power of discrimination and probability of exclusion of two miniSTRs and 59 InDels in the Guizhou Han population were 0.999999999999999999999999997984 and 0.9999986, respectively. Principal component analysis of 14 populations showed that the Guizhou Han population located closer to Hunan Han and Southern Han Chinese (CHS) populations. Similar results were also discerned from DA genetic distances and the neighbor-joining tree. Conclusion To sum up, the novel panel could be employed for forensic personal identification and paternity testing in the Guizhou Han population as a promising independent tool. Besides, the principal component analysis and phylogenetic tree of the Guizhou Han and other compared populations revealed that the Guizhou Han population possesses close genetic affinities with Hunan Han, CHS, and Han Chinese in Beijing (CHB) populations.

A Pain in the Neck: Lessons Learnt from Genetic Testing in Fetuses Detected with Nuchal Fluid Collections, Increased Nuchal Translucency versus Cystic Hygroma—Systematic Review of the Literature, Meta-Analysis and Case Series

Fetal Nuchal fluid collections can manifest with two distinct presentations attributable to the same phenotypic spectrum: increased nuchal translucency (iNT) and cystic hygroma. The prenatal detection of these findings should prompt an accurate assessment through genetic counseling and testing, including karyotype, chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) and multigene RASopathy panel. We performed a systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis, to calculate diagnostic yields of genetic testing in fetuses with iNT and cystic hygroma. We compared the results with a cohort of 96 fetuses with these isolated findings. Fetuses with isolated NT ≥ 2.5 mm showed karyotype anomalies in 22.76% of cases and CMA presented an incremental detection rate of 2.35%. Fetuses with isolated NT ≥ 3 mm presented aneuploidies in 14.36% of cases and CMA had an incremental detection rate of 3.89%. When the isolated NT measured at least 3.5 mm the diagnostic yield of karyotyping was 34.35%, the incremental CMA detection rate was 4.1%, the incremental diagnostic rate of the RASopathy panel was 1.44% and it was 2.44% for exome sequencing. Interestingly, CMA presents a considerable diagnostic yield in the group of fetuses with NT ≥ 3.5 mm. Similarly, exome sequencing appears to show promising results and could be considered after a negative CMA result.

Differences by transplant type in stool multiplex PCR testing for acute diarrhea in post-solid organ transplantation

BackgroundDiarrhea in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients is common, morbid, and increasingly evaluated using multiplex gastrointestinal PCR panel (GI panel) testing. We aimed to characterize differences between transplant organ types in GI panel evaluation of acute diarrhea in SOT recipients.MethodsWe performed a dual-center retrospective cross-sectional study of adult SOT recipients with acute diarrhea who underwent GI panel testing. Demographic, transplant, testing context, and GI panel data were collected. Patients were stratified by transplant type. The primary outcome was a positive GI panel.ResultsOf 300 transplant recipients (58 heart, 65 liver, 68 lung, and 109 renal), 118 had a positive GI panel. Renal transplant status correlated with more frequently positive GI panel and less frequent hospitalization. In a multivariate analysis adjusting for demographic factors, hospitalization, immunosuppression, and transplant age, renal transplantation was independently associated with a positive GI panel compared to lung transplantation (aOR 2.98, 95% CI 1.27-7.16). Older transplant age and outpatient testing were also independently associated with a positive GI panel. The GI panel result was associated with changes to antibiotic management.ConclusionsIn the evaluation of SOT recipients with acute diarrhea, GI panel result varies by transplant type, transplant age, and testing location and may affect subsequent antimicrobial therapy.