Method For Quantitative Measurement Research Articles

Quantitative analysis of transferrin uptake into living cells at single-molecule level

Endocytosis, apart from providing a mechanism for cells to take up nutrients, is the principal route of entry for many nanomedicines. The evaluation of therapeutic delivery efficiency without providing quantitative parameters, like the number of molecules entering the cell and the time of their entry, is very limited. Despite advances in single-molecule methods for in-cell quantitative measurements, they have not become widely used in the study of endocytosis. Their application, however, is challenging owing to the appropriate experimental design and applicable analysis methods. Here, by using an integrated approach based on the multidimensional time-correlated single-photon counting (TCSPC) technique, we demonstrate the quantitative method to measure the time- and concentration-dependent uptake of TRITC-transferrin into living cells with single-molecule sensitivity. The methodology opens possibilities for quantitatively assessing the delivery efficiency of fluorescent molecules into living cells.

Ex Vivo Demonstration of a Novel Dual-Frequency Ultrasound Method for Quantitative Measurements of Liver Fat Content

ObjectiveThe rise in metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease prevalence, closely linked with metabolic syndromes and obesity, demands accurate, cost-effective diagnostic methods for early-stage fat quantification in the liver. Here we demonstrate a novel dual-frequency ultrasound method that enables the quantitative measurement of liver fat fraction ex vivo and its correlation with actual fat content. MethodsA total of 24 Wistar rats were divided into four different groups, where three groups were given a high-fat diet for 2, 4, and 6 wk, and the last group was given a control diet for 6 wk. Livers were imaged with ultrasound ex vivo in a water bath with a dual-frequency ultrasound transducer and experimental imaging protocol implemented on the Verasonics Vantage research ultrasound scanner. Ultrasound data were post-processed to estimate the non-linear bulk elasticity parameter and the liver samples were analyzed with respect to fat fraction and triglycerides. ResultsRats given a high-fat diet had increased mean levels of liver fat compared with the control group. More importantly, correlation between the ultrasound-based estimation of the non-linear bulk elasticity parameter and fat fraction and triglycerides on an individual level was found to be strong (R2 = 0.81, p = 5.8 × 10-9 and R2 = 0.72, p = 3.6 × 10-7, respectively). ConclusionThis study demonstrates the potential of the novel dual-frequency ultrasound method for the quantitative measurement of liver fat fraction in excised rat livers, showing great promise for this method to become clinically relevant in the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with fatty liver disease.

Quantitative analysis of the density of states distribution in N-type polymer filed-effect transistor

In the advancement of polymer field-effect transistors, both p-type and n-type polymer transistors are indispensable because they are the basic components of complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) logic circuitry. The scarcity of research on the interface properties of n-type polymer transistors, particularly regarding their density of state (DOS) distribution hinders the device modeling and further optimization of n-type polymer transistor. Consequently, the focus on understanding and investigating n-type polymer transistors interface properties holds substantial value and relevance, as it fills a critical knowledge gap in the polymer transistors. In view of this, an n-type poly((N,N0-bis(2-octyldodecyl)-naphthalene-1,4,5,8-bis(dicarboximide)-2,6-diyl)-alt-5,50-(2,29-bisthiophene)) (N2200) polymer transistor was fabricated and a dynamic quantitative measurement method was utilized to investigate the DOS distribution of polymer transistors. Comparative analyses were conducted on the drain current (ID), carrier charge (Q), and DOS with varying pulse fall times (Tf). Variations in pulse fall times revealed significant differences in the DOS near the edge of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO), with a maximum DOS of 8 × 1013 cm−2 eV−1 observed at Tf = 1000 μs and a maximum of 2 × 1013 cm−2 eV−1 at Tf = 100 μs. By using different Tf, an effective method was successfully utilized for analyzing the effects of water and oxygen molecules on the DOS distribution of n-type polymer transistors.

A flow cytometry method for quantitative measurement and molecular investigation of the adhesion of bacteria to yeast cells

The study of microorganism interactions is important for understanding the organization and functioning of microbial consortia. Additionally, the interaction between yeast and bacteria is of interest in the field of health and nutrition area for the development of probiotics. To investigate these microbial interactions at the cellular and molecular levels, a simple, reliable, and quantitative method is proposed. We demonstrated that flow cytometry enables the measurement of interactions at a single-cell level by detecting and counting yeast cells with bound fluorescent bacteria. Imaging flow cytometry revealed that the number of bacteria attached to yeast followed a Gaussian distribution whose maximum reached 14 bacterial cells using a clinical Escherichia coli strain E22 and the laboratory yeast strain BY4741. We found that the dynamics of adhesion resemble a Langmuir adsorption model, albeit it is a rapid and almost irreversible process. This adhesion is dependent on the mannose-specific type 1 fimbriae, as E. coli mutants lacking these appendages no longer adhere to yeast. However, this type 1 fimbriae-dependent adhesion could involve additional yeast cell wall factors, since the interaction between bacteria and yeast mutants with altered mannan content remained comparable to that of wild-type yeast. In summary, flow cytometry is an appropriate method for studying bacteria-yeast adhesion, as well as for the high-throughput screening of candidate molecules likely to promote or counteract this interaction.

Development of a robust and generalizable algorithm "gQuant" for accurate normalizer gene selection in qRT-PCR analysis

The emergent role of nucleic acid-based biomarkers—microRNAs(miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs(lncRNAs), and messenger RNAs(mRNAs), is becoming increasingly prominent in disease diagnostics and risk assessment. qRT-PCR is the primary analytical method for quantitative measurement of biomarkers. Yet, the relative infancy of non-coding RNAs recognition as biomarkers poses a challenge due to the absence of a consensus on a universally accepted normalizer gene, an absolute requirement for accurate quantification. Current tools normalizer selection are fraught with statistical limitations and suboptimal graphical user interface for data visualisation. These deficiencies underscore the necessity for a balanced tool tailored to handle qRT-PCR datasets. Addressing the identified challenges, we have developed 'gQuant' tool crafted to address these limitations. We employed voting classifiers that combine predictions from multiple statistical methods. Tool's efficacy was validated through different available and in house data derived from urinary exosomal miRNAs datasets. Comparative analysis with existing tools revealed that their integrated methodologies could skew the ranking of normalizer genes, whereas 'gQuant' consistently yielded rankings characterised by lower standard-deviation, reduced covariance, and enhanced kernel density estimation values. Given 'gQuant's' promising performance, normalizer gene identification will be greatly improved, improving precision of gene expression quantification in a variety of research scenarios. The gQuant tool developed for this study is available for public use and can be accessed at [https://github.com/ABHAYHBB/gQuant-Tool]."

Underwater quantitative thickness mapping through marine growth for corrosion measurement using shear wave EMAT with high lift-off performance

Underwater inspection is important to ensure the safety, integrity and functionality of underwater structures. Although numerous conventional methods have been adopted for underwater inspection, successful application of most methods relies on the surface condition of the object, which, however, is typically covered by marine growth. Consequently, routine inspection requires thorough cleaning of marine growth, which is time-consuming and costly. Hence a method which can inspect objects without the need for extensive surface cleaning is necessary. Two methods have the potential to achieve this: pulse eddy current (PEC) and electromagnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT). PEC attains a significant lift-off distance, enabling inspection through marine growth. However, it suffers from high sensitivity to environmental conditions and low inspection accuracy due to ‘relative’ property which means its results are interpreted by comparing received signals to reference values. In contrast to PEC, EMAT provides ‘absolute’ measurements, ensuring precise results in the inspection. But it is limited by a small lift-off distance (<2∼3 mm), rendering it unsuitable for underwater applications with marine growth. Therefore, if the lift-off distance can be enhanced to a specific value, this method may offer a superior solution for underwater inspections. In this paper, a quantitative measurement method is proposed through employing a shear wave EMAT with high lift-off performance. A repelling configuration of magnets is introduced to achieve a significantly improved maximum effective lift-off distance of up to 5 mm in both air and seawater conditions with only 400 Vpp applied. This EMAT is then demonstrated to measure thickness through marine growth, showing excellent underwater performance in quantitative thickness mapping for corrosion inspection.

Measurement of CO2 leakage from pipelines under CCS conditions through acoustic emission detection and data driven modeling

CO2 leakage from carbon capture and storage (CCS) networks may lead to ecological hazards, bodily injury and economic losses. In addition, captured CO2 often contains impurities which affect the leakage behavior of CO2. This paper presents a method for continuous and quantitative measurements of CO2 leakage flowrate and the volume fraction of impurities by combining data-driven models with acoustic emission (AE) and temperature sensors. Three data-driven models based on artificial neural network (ANN), random forest (RF), and least squares support vector machine (LS-SVM) algorithms are established. The outputs from the three data-driven models are then integrated to give improved results. Experimental work was conducted on a purpose-built CO2 leakage test rig under a range of conditions. N2 was injected to the CO2 gas stream as an impurity medium. Results show that the integrated model yields a relative error within ±4.0 % for leakage flowrate and ±3.4 % for volume fraction of N2.

Development of Luminescent Biosensors for Calprotectin.

Calprotectin, a metal ion-binding protein complex, plays a crucial role in the innate immune system and has gained prominence as a biomarker for various intestinal and systemic inflammatory and infectious diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and tuberculosis (TB). Current clinical testing methods rely on enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), limiting accessibility and convenience. In this study, we introduce the Fab-Enabled Split-luciferase Calprotectin Assay (FESCA), a novel quantitative method for calprotectin measurement. FESCA utilizes two new fragment antigen binding proteins (Fabs), CP16 and CP17, that bind to different epitopes of the calprotectin complex. These Fabs are fused with split NanoLuc luciferase fragments, enabling the reconstitution of active luciferase upon binding to calprotectin either in solution or in varied immobilized assay formats. FESCA's output luminescence can be measured with standard laboratory equipment as well as consumer-grade cell phone cameras. FESCA can detect physiologically relevant calprotectin levels across various sample types, including serum, plasma, and whole blood. Notably, FESCA can detect abnormally elevated native calprotectin from TB patients. In summary, FESCA presents a convenient, low-cost, and quantitative method for assessing calprotectin levels in various biological samples, with the potential to improve the diagnosis and monitoring of inflammatory diseases, especially in at-home or point-of-care settings.

Modeling Charging Current Dynamics at Microelectrodes and their Interfaces with Electrolyte and Insulators with a Focus on Microfabricated Gold Microband Electrodes on an SU-8 Substrate

The suitability of electrochemical methods for quantitative measurements at microdevices is influenced by the relatively large electrode-insulator interface-to-electrode area ratio, greatly impacting charging dynamics due to interactions among electrolyte, conductor material, and insulator layers. The resulting charging current can overwhelm the faradaic current from redox chemistry. The device studied here features a 70 μm × 100 μm electroactive window, hosts gold coplanar microband electrodes, and is insulated by SU-8, which serves as both overlayer and substrate. The overlayer defines the electroactive length and isolates the leads of the electrodes from the sample solution. Cyclic voltammetry in 0.10 M KCl yields an unexpected, nonlinear dependence of current on scan rate, which can be explained with two empirical approaches. The first employs an equivalent circuit model, involving leakage resistance and double-layer capacitance in parallel, to address both background processes and electrode imperfections as a function of scan rate. The second associates the enhanced current to a changing-chargeable area resulting from interface irregularities. Prior publications on alternative conductor-insulator materials are benchmarked in this study. The comparison of the materials shows that the charging dynamics for devices made with SU-8 lead to more favorable electrochemical performance than for those constructed with glass, epoxy, and silicon nitride, and under certain circumstances, polyimide.

Quantitative blood loss measurement methods for early detection of primary postpartum haemorrhage following vaginal birth: A scoping review.

To map the commonly used quantitative blood loss measurement methods in clinical practice and provide a solid foundation for future studies. This study adhered to the JBI methodology for scoping reviews and preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses extension for scoping reviews. We conducted a literature search using five databases to retrieve articles published between January 2012 and September 2022. The search was repeated on 29 February 2024. Data extraction and verification were carried out by two independent researchers using a self-designed data extraction form. Ultimately, 26 studies published between 2012 and 2024 were considered eligible for inclusion. Six categories of methods were identified from the 26 articles. Among the included studies, only two involved randomized controlled trials, with the majority being observational studies. The World Health Organization (2012) version of the postpartum haemorrhage diagnostic criteria was predominantly used in most studies. Gravimetric and volumetric methods emerged as the most commonly used methods for quantifying postpartum haemorrhages. The timing of blood collection was inconsistent among the included studies. Only 12 studies mentioned measures for the management of amniotic fluid. This scoping review supports the replacement of the visual estimation of blood loss with quantitative assessment methods. Supporting a specific assessment approach is not feasible due to the variability of the study. Future research should focus on establishing the best practices for specific quantitative methods to standardize the management of postpartum haemorrhage and reduce the incidence of postpartum haemorrhage-related adverse outcomes. Healthcare professionals need to acknowledge the low accuracy of visual estimation methods and implement quantitative methods to assess postpartum blood loss. Given the limitations inherent in each assessment method, quantification of blood loss should be combined with assessment of maternal vital signs, physiologic indicators and other factors.

Penguatan Organisasi Pembelajar Pada Organisasi Wanita Peduli dan Inspiratif (Tapis) Lampung Berjaya

The strength and excellence of the organization will be realized with the positive character of its members. Community service activities (PKM) at the Tapis Lampung Berjaya organization of Pringsewu Regency aim to create a learning organization. The methods carried out are situation analysis, training, and evaluation. Evaluation and Reflection. Evaluation is carried out with pre and post-tests as a quantitative measurement method of changes in cognition. Reflection was carried out at the end of the activity to strengthen commitment and awareness to actively participate in realizing learning organization. The activity was carried out on April 26, 2021. As a result of this activity, the average score of participants before participating was 55.5 and rose to 73.65 after the activity. The average increase was 18.15 points. The highest pre-test score was 75, and the lowest was 15. The highest post-test score was 83, and the lowest value was 61. This service activity can have a positive impact on realizing learning organization.

Mixed experimental-numerical method for quantitative measurement of mode II fibre/matrix interface debonding and comparison of fibre sizings in single short fibre composites

In short fibre composites, debonding cracks usually initiate from fibre tips and their growth is governed by the properties of the fibre/matrix interface. These properties are ideally acquired from a model test similar to the real composite, while excluding the effects of fibre fractures and the induced debonding interactions. Therefore, in this study, debonding growth was examined in detail, using novel single short fibre specimens, which were fabricated using a new methodology. These experiments were further complemented with a continuous fibre case study, where the established single fibre fragmentation specimens were evaluated. The progression of debonding and pull-out damages versus remote stress was studied for two fibre sizings utilizing real-time in-situ polarized light microscopy. A finite element model was built to obtain the fibre/matrix interfacial fracture toughness considering thermal residual stresses, friction and matrix plasticity, and a very good correlation was obtained between the model and the experiments.

Non-contact near-field cavity perturbation method for quantitative dielectric measurement and metallic defect inspection

Low dielectric constant (low-k) materials are essential in electronic industry aiming at new generation high-speed communications. Dielectric constant of these materials are measured by standard procedures and instruments with conventional contact configuration. Non-contact and in-situ techniques for low-k dielectric measurement are highly demanded in practice and worth of investigation. We hereby proposed a near-field microwave probe (NFMP) to accurately measure dielectric constant of low-k samples in a non-contact manner with a quantitative electromagnetic (EM) cavity perturbation theory. An NFMP set was designed, optimized by finite-element method (FEM) and fabricated with handy materials in the lab. Frequency response of the NFMP was tested experimentally and further used for subsequent frequency displacement analysis. Various low-k samples were tested by the non-contact NFMP set and dielectric constant were extracted based on the field perturbation theory. The relative error was obtained less than 0.5 % for low-k materials. The NFMP was then fixed on a micrometer stage and worked in a line-scan mode to inspect conductive defects in a low-k substrate. Both surface and subsurface defects were inspected by analyzing displaced central frequencies. The NFMP system is promising to facilitate quantitative and non-contact dielectric property measurement in electronics.

Application of non-contact video quantitative measurement method in reservoir bank landslide monitoring

The geological structure of the reservoir bank landslide is complex and intricate. After deformation and damage, it causes river blockage, surges, and loss of people’s lives and property, posing a huge threat. At present, in academia and engineering applications, a large number of techniques such as inclinometers, rain gauges, and surface GNSS deformation monitoring are still used for monitoring landslides on reservoir banks. This type of monitoring method has the problem of “point to surface” which can easily lead to missed detection and reporting in some areas, some disaster points are close to water and steep, difficult to reach, and equipment installation is difficult. This work designs and implements a non-contact video quantitative monitoring system for surface deformation of geological disaster. By constructing a deep learning neural network, deformation area recognition and displacement quantitative calculation are achieved; By obtaining continuous images for a long time, draw the surface displacement-time curve, and output the surface deformation data and landform changes of the disaster. Meanwhile, this work explores the impact of different lighting conditions on the recognition results of target areas. This work can provide non-contact monitoring methods and dynamic warning support for large-scale monitoring of geological disasters.

Backscatter measurement of cancellous bone using the ultrasound transit time spectroscopy.

Recently, ultrasound transit time spectroscopy (UTTS) was proposed as a promising method for bone quantitative ultrasound measurement. Studies have showed that UTTS could estimate the bone volume fraction and other trabecular bone structure in ultrasonic through-transmission measurements. The goal of this study was to explore the feasibility of UTTS to be adapted in ultrasonic backscatter measurement and further evaluate the performance of backscattered ultrasound transit time spectrum (BS-UTTS) in the measurement of cancellous bone density and structure. First, taking ultrasonic attenuation into account, the concept of BS-UTTS was verified on ultrasonic backscatter signals simulated from a set of scatterers with different positions and intensities. Then, in vitro backscatter measurements were performed on 26 bovine cancellous bone specimens. After a logarithmic compression of the BS-UTTS, a linear fitting of the log-compressed BS-UTTS versus ultrasonic propagated distance was performed and the slope and intercept of the fitted line for BS-UTTS were determined. The associations between BS-UTTS parameters and cancellous bone features were analyzed using simple linear regression. The results showed that the BS-UTTS could make an accurate deconvolution of the backscatter signal and predict the position and intensity of the simulated scatterers eliminating phase interference, even the simulated backscatter signal was with a relatively low signal-to-noise ratio. With varied positions and intensities of the scatterers, the slope of the fitted line for the log-compressed BS-UTTS versus ultrasonic propagated distance (i.e., slope of BS-UTTS for short) yield a high agreement (r2 = 99.84%-99.96%) with ultrasonic attenuation in simulated backscatter signal. Compared with the high-density cancellous bone, the low-density specimen showed more abundant backscatter impulse response in the BS-UTTS. The slope of BS-UTTS yield a significant correlation with bone mineral density (r = 0.87; p < 0.001), BV/TV (r = 0.87; p < 0.001), and cancellous bone microstructures (r up to 0.87; p < 0.05). The intercept of BS-UTTS was also significantly correlated with bone densities (r = -0.87; p < 0.001) and trabecular structures (|r|=0.43-0.80; p < 0.05). However, the slope of the BS-UTTS underestimated attenuation when measurements were performed experimentally. In addition, a significant non-linear relationship was observed between the measured attenuation and the attenuation estimated by the slope of the BS-UTTS. This study demonstrated that the UTTS method could be adapted to ultrasonic backscatter measurement of cancellous bone. The derived slope and intercept of BS-UTTS could be used in the measurement of bone density and microstructure. The backscattered ultrasound transit time spectroscopy might have potential in the diagnosis of osteoporosis in the clinic.

KESAHAN DAN KEBOLEHPERCAYAAN INSTRUMEN PERKEMBANGAN LITERASI BAHASA MURID PEMULIHAN KHAS BERISIKO DISLEKSIA

This study discusses the validity and reliability of the instrument for the purpose of evaluating the constructed research questionnaire. All items were developed from various theories and models of language literacy, as well as domestic and international literature studies. There are four constructs in measuring the language literacy development of special remedial pupils at risk of dyslexia in primary school, namely letters, syllables and words, simple sentences and text. The pilot study that has been carried out involves 34 remedial teachers as respondents. A total of five panelists were involved as content validity experts. In addition, to determine whether the item should be retained or dropped, a quantitative measurement method, the Content Validity Ratio (CVR), is used. As a result, 19 out of 52 items were dropped while another 33 items were retained. Next, the reliability of the instrument was assessed through Cronbach's alpha internal consistency method by obtaining at least 0.84 and above for each instrument construct. In conclusion, the results of the study show that all the constructs and items that were built meet the instrument's measurement requirements and can be used as a tool in measuring the language literacy development of special remedial students at risk of dyslexia in primary schools.

A Study on Quantitative Evaluation Methods for Measurement of Disaster Response Robot Operator Proficiency, and Verification of Training Effectiveness using ANOVA

Recently, as social infrastructure has become more complex, disasters have become large-scale and difficult to predict. Responding to disasters using the existing equipment is challenging because of this complexity. In this situation, the demand for robotic technology to reduce human casualties and respond effectively to disasters is gradually increasing. To increase the field usability of disaster response robots, not only the distribution of robots but also the development of appropriate robot training methods should be conducted in parallel. This study proposes a disaster response robot operator training method and quantitatively verifies its effectiveness. To increase the proficiency of trainees, we propose a training method involving sequential beginner, intermediate, and advanced training stages. To quantitatively verify the effectiveness of the training, the experimental group was divided into three groups: control, general test, and MR test, and the results were confirmed through ANOVA.

Statistical models for assessing agreement for quantitative data with heterogeneous random raters and replicate measurements.

Agreement between methods for quantitative measurements are typically assessed by computing limits of agreement between pairs of methods and/or by illustration through Bland-Altman plots. We consider the situation where the observed measurement methods are considered a random sample from a population of possible methods, and discuss how the underlying linear mixed effects model can be extended to this situation. This is relevant when, for example, the methods represent raters/judges that are used to score specific individuals or items. In the case of random methods, we are not interested in estimates pertaining to the specific methods, but are instead interested in quantifying the variation between the methods actually involved making measurements, and accommodating this as an extra source of variation when generalizing to the clinical performance of a method. In the model we allow raters to have individual precision/skill and permit linked replicates (i.e., when the numbering, labeling or ordering of the replicates within items is important). Applications involving estimation of the limits of agreement for two datasets are shown: A dataset of spatial perception among a group of students as well as a dataset on consumer preference of French chocolate. The models are implemented in the MethComp package for R [Carstensen B, Gurrin L, Ekstrøm CT, Figurski M. MethComp: functions for analysis of agreement in method comparison studies; 2013. R package version 1.22, R Core Team. R: a language and environment for statistical computing. Vienna, Austria: R Foundation for Statistical Computing; 2012].

A Pavement Crack Detection and Evaluation Framework for a UAV Inspection System Based on Deep Learning

Existing studies often lack a systematic solution for an Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) inspection system, which hinders their widespread application in crack detection. To enhance its substantial practicality, this study proposes a formal and systematic framework for UAV inspection systems, specifically designed for automatic crack detection and pavement distress evaluation. The framework integrates UAV data acquisition, deep-learning-based crack identification, and road damage assessment in a comprehensive and orderly manner. Firstly, a flight control strategy is presented, and road crack data are collected using DJI Mini 2 UAV imagery, establishing high-quality UAV crack image datasets with ground truth information. Secondly, a validation and comparison study is conducted to enhance the automatic crack detection capability and provide an appropriate deployment scheme for UAV inspection systems. This study develops automatic crack detection models based on mainstream deep learning algorithms (namely, Faster-RCNN, YOLOv5s, YOLOv7-tiny, and YOLOv8s) in urban road scenarios. The results demonstrate that the Faster-RCNN algorithm achieves the highest accuracy and is suitable for the online data collection of UAV and offline inspection at work stations. Meanwhile, the YOLO models, while slightly lower in accuracy, are the fastest algorithms and are suitable for the lightweight deployment of UAV with online collection and real-time inspection. Quantitative measurement methods for road cracks are presented to assess road damage, which will enhance the application of UAV inspection systems and provide factual evidence for the maintenance decisions made by road authorities.

Measuring body composition in dogs using bioelectrical impedance spectroscopy

Assessment of body composition is an essential aspect of veterinary canine care, particularly as prevalence of overweight and obesity in dogs is increasing. Few quantitative objective methods for body composition measurement are available for routine clinical use. Bioelectrical impedance analysis is widely used in human medicine and nutritional assessment and although it has shown promise in production animals it has not yet been adopted for companion animals. The present study validated bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) against the reference method of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.Resistivity coefficients for use in BIS were determined: ρe = 444.8 and ρi = 1477.8 ohm.cm and used to predict fat-free mass (FFM) in a cohort of 35 mixed breed dogs. Overall, FFM was predicted to within 3.5% of reference values. At an individual level, FFM was predicted within 2 standard deviations (95% confidence) of 10%. BIS provides an objective quantitative alternative to the widely used semi-quantitative body condition scoring. In addition, BIS provides estimates of body water volumes (total, extra-and intracellular), information that can be useful in fluid management. BIS is inexpensive, and simple to perform but does require brief (<5 min) sedation of the animal.