Simple Test Procedure Research Articles

Detecting (non)parallel evolution in multidimensional spaces: angles, correlations and eigenanalysis.

Parallelism between evolutionary trajectories in a trait space is often seen as evidence for repeatability of phenotypic evolution, and angles between trajectories play a pivotal role in the analysis of parallelism. However, properties of angles in multidimensional spaces have not been widely appreciated by biologists. To remedy this situation, this study provides a brief overview on geometric and statistical aspects of angles in multidimensional spaces. Under the null hypothesis that trajectory vectors have no preferred directions (i.e. uniform distribution on hypersphere), the angle between two independent vectors is concentrated around the right angle, with a more pronounced peak in a higher-dimensional space. This probability distribution is closely related to t- and beta distributions, which can be used for testing the null hypothesis concerning a pair of trajectories. A recently proposed method with eigenanalysis of a vector correlation matrix can be connected to the test of no correlation or concentration of multiple vectors, for which simple test procedures are available in the statistical literature. Concentration of vectors can also be examined by tools of directional statistics such as the Rayleigh test. These frameworks provide biologists with baselines to make statistically justified inferences for (non)parallel evolution.

Experimental Verification of a Highly Simplified, Preliminary Machinability Test for Wood-Based Boards in the Case of Drilling

In contrast to metalworking there are no standardized or (at least) generally accepted, relative machinability tests for innovative or less known wood-based panels. The most reliable testing procedures are based on the use of a specialized, accurate system for measuring cutting forces and on conducting all tests in conditions that are similar to real industrial conditions (machine tool, cutting parameters etc.). However, the need for a more simplified testing procedure has often been voiced—not all scientists specializing in wood-based materials development have a machine tool comparable to one that can be found in a real furniture factory and piezoelectric force sensors at their unlimited disposal. To meet this need, the highly simplified, preliminary machinability test for wood-based boards in the case of drilling was developed and tried. The results of experimental research suggest that the simplified way of testing of relative machinability of wood-based boards (i.e., testing based on the photoelectric measurement of the time needed to make a 10 mm deep hole under constant feed force) can be a useful substitute of standard machinability testing procedure (based on accurate cutting forces measurements carried out in the standard industrial conditions). When verifying the simplified testing procedure, samples from each of the three basic groups of wood-based materials of substantially different internal structures (fiberboard, particleboard, and veneer boards) were tested. The relationship between significantly reliable and highly simplified machinability indexes turned out to be at a satisfactory level (R2 = 0.97 for particleboards and R2 = 0.95 for fiberboards or boards made of veneer or solid wood). The use of a simplified procedure can be especially pragmatic in case of any preliminary testing of innovative wood-based boards during the material development work.

A simple suggested approach to reduce the testing time of concrete surface abrasion using ASTM C1138

The ASTM C1138 standard underwater abrasion test can be considered as the best available experimental tool to qualitatively evaluate the abrasion resistance of concrete surfaces in hydraulic structures. It introduces an accelerated test procedure to simulate the high speed motion of water and waterborne materials on concrete surfaces. However, the test period is relatively long, which is composed of 6 time steps of 12 h each, totaling a complete 72 testing hours for each sample. Thus, although of the simple test procedure and good potential to simulate real abrasion in hydraulic structures, it is difficult to perform and requires a long time if many concrete samples are needed to be compared. At the aim of investigating the possibility of reducing the total testing time of ASTM C 1138, an experimental work was conducted in this research. Three concretes with low strength (LSC), normal strength (NSC) and high strength (HSC) were tested at different rotational speeds of 800, 1200 and 1600 rpm. The test results showed that increasing the test speed from the standard 1200 rpm–1600 rpm resulted in an average increase in an abrasion weight loss of 42.6–47.0%, which encourages the possibility of reducing the total testing time by 40 % if the test is performed at a speed of 1600 rpm. The test results of this study and others from the literature showed that the relationship between the abrasion weight loss and testing time (up to 72 h) can adequately be represented using a linear correlation. The R2 values of the linear correlations of 16 different concrete mixtures ranged from 0.936 to 0.999. Based on the obtained results, a simplified modified test procedure was suggested to reduce the total testing time from 72 h to 15 h.

EMPD-based moisture buffering quantification with moisture-dependent properties (І): Modelling and simulations

Materials with excellent moisture buffering performances have considerable application potential in the future developments of building moisture design. The appropriate application of building materials is determined via the effective assessment of their hygroscopic performance, however, currently available test methods (e.g., moisture buffer value test) can evaluate only the moisture buffering abilities of materials under limited circumstances. Advanced numerical prediction methods (e.g., heat, air and moisture transfer (HAM) models) are not practical because of unavailable hygrothermal properties and excessive computation times. Integrating the effective moisture penetration depth (EMPD) model with an inverse approach allows both identifying and predicting the effect of moisture buffering on room conditions effectively and efficiently. This paper reports that the existing EMPD models have limited application conditions, and hence proposes a modified two-layer EMPD model considering both the moisture-dependent hygric properties of materials and reasonable moisture transfer resistance distributions. A novel dynamic moisture test is presented in terms of typical moisture fluctuations in office buildings. Compared to standard hygric property tests, the combination of the inverse approach and the dynamic moisture test can extract key parameters of EMPD models efficiently and effectively. Thus, the actual performance of materials can be accurately predicted for wider spectrum of conditions. The precision of the modified EMPD model and proposed approach is validated by comparing the numerical predictions with both the measured results and HAM results. This method, with the advantages of a simple test procedure, low experimental cost, high test efficiency, and wide applicable range, is advisable for practical applications.

Correlation between results obtained from four-point bending tests (4PBT) and double punch tests (DPT) in concrete reinforced with hooked-end steel fibers

Most building codes prescribe the performance of steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) from beam test results and, therefore, correlation models are required to estimate beam performance from more simplified tests such as double punch test (DPT). DPT provides advantages in terms of specimen size, equipment and simplified testing procedures. It also causes less variations in results, as compared to other methodologies of indirect tensile tests. The objective of this study is to propose correlations between SFRC’s strength and toughness test results measured from 4PBT in beams and DPT in cylinders. The variables of the experimental program were the dosage and the number of hooks at the ends of the steel fibers. The proposed correlation models were developed from the results of the 80 samples tested in this study and the 34 additional tests reported in previous studies. Results from Analysis of Variance helped to identify that correlations between the strength from 4PBT and DPT can be used for SFRC with compressive strength varying between 21 and 45 MPa. Results from box-and-whisker analysis show that the mean value of the calculated to measured strength and toughness ratios, associated to the developed correlations, are lower than and close to unity, which indicates that the prediction provides conservative results and close to the measured values. The correlations were developed using a practical functional form that can be easily implemented in design codes.

Highly Accurate Chip-Based Resequencing of SARS-CoV-2 Clinical Samples.

SARS-CoV-2 has infected over 128 million people worldwide, and until a vaccine is developed and widely disseminated, vigilant testing and contact tracing are the most effective ways to slow the spread of COVID-19. Typical clinical testing only confirms the presence or absence of the virus, but rather, a simple and rapid testing procedure that sequences the entire genome would be impactful and allow for tracing the spread of the virus and variants, as well as the appearance of new variants. However, traditional short read sequencing methods are time consuming and expensive. Herein, we describe a tiled genome array that we developed for rapid and inexpensive full viral genome resequencing, and we have applied our SARS-CoV-2-specific genome tiling array to rapidly and accurately resequence the viral genome from eight clinical samples. We have resequenced eight samples acquired from patients in Wyoming that tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. We were ultimately able to sequence over 95% of the genome of each sample with greater than 99.9% average accuracy.

Plant-produced recombinant SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain; an economical, scalable biomaterial source for COVID-19 diagnosis.

ABSTRACTThe outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), spread rapidly causing a severe global health burden. The standard COVID-19 diagnosis relies heavily on molecular tests to detect viral RNA in patient samples; however, this method is costly, requires highly-equipped laboratories, multiple reagents, skilled laboratory technicians, and takes 3-6 hours to complete. To overcome these limitations, we developed a plant-based production platform for the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain as an economical source of detection reagents for a lateral-flow immunoassay strip (LFIA) which is suitable for detection of IgM/IgG antibodies in human samples. Further, we validated the plant-produced SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain-based LFIA as a useful diagnostic tool for COVID-19. A total of 51 confirmed COVID-19 serum samples were tested using the LFIA, and the obtained results were consistent with those from polymerase chain reaction assays, while providing sensitivity and specificity of 94.1% and 98%, respectively. The developed LFIA is rapid, scalable, user-friendly, and relatively inexpensive with a simple test procedure, making it useful for the routine monitoring of COVID-19 in clinical settings. This study was approved on March 19, 2020 by the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University (COA No. 354/2020 and IRB No. 236/63).

Real-time adsorption of optical brightening agents on cellulose thin films

Optical brightening agents (OBAs) are commonly used in textile and paper industry to adjust product brightness and color appearence. Continuous production processes lead to short residence time of the dyes in the fiber suspension, making it necessary to understand the kinetics of adsorption. The interaction mechanisms of OBAs with cellulose are challenging to establish as the fibrous nature of cellulosic substrates complicates acquisition of real-time data. Here, we explore the real-time adsorption of different OBAs (di, tetra- and hexasulfonated compounds) onto different cellulose surfaces using surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy. Ionic strength, surface topography and polarity were varied and yielded 0.76–11.35 mg m−2 OBA on cellulose. We identified four independent mechanisms governing OBA-cellulose interactions. These involve the polarity of the cellulose surface, the solubility of the OBA, the ionic strength during adsorption and presence of bivalent cations such as Ca2+. These results can be exploited for process optimization in related industries as they allow for a simple adjustment and experimental testing procedures including performance assessment of novel OBAs.

Differential diagnosis of thalassemia and iron deficiency anemia using the CellaVision Advanced Red Blood Cell software

Red blood cells (RBCs) in patients with thalassemia and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) exhibit different patterns of morphological changes. However, manual quantitative analysis of the morphological changes in the RBCs is time-consuming and subjective, limiting its use in differential diagnosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the CellaVision Advanced RBC software as a prescreening tool for differential diagnosis of thalassemia and IDA. The study cohort consisted of 54 thalassemia and 46 IDA cases in the training group and 36 thalassemia and 31 IDA patients in the validation group. The CellaVision DM96 Advanced RBC software was used to analyze the RBC morphology. Specific patterns of quantitative changes in RBC shapes were found in thalassemia and IDA patients. As a single parameter, target cell was the best morphological cell type to distinguish thalassemia from IDA, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.79, followed by hypochromatic cells with an AUC of 0.70. Combination of target and hypochromatic cells expressed as a ratio of the percentage of target cells to percentage of hypochromatic cells (T/H ratio) presented better differential diagnostic ability with an AUC of 0.88. A cutoff value of 1.755 for T/H ratio showed a sensitivity and specificity of 80.43% and 81.48% in the training group and 88.89% and 80.65% in the validation group, respectively. Assessment of the T/H ratio using the CellaVision Advanced RBC software represents a relatively simple and economical screening procedure for diagnostic testing of thalassemia and IDA.

Development of healing model and simplified characterization test procedure for asphalt concrete

Fatigue cracking is one of the major distresses in asphalt pavement. Numerous and significant efforts have been undertaken to predict the fatigue life of pavements. One of the mechanisms that affects fatigue life is healing, and thus, including healing in fatigue performance prediction models is necessary. For this study, twelve healing tests at three temperatures and four rest periods were conducted to evaluate the healing characteristics of asphalt materials. The percentage of healing (%Hs) used in this study is defined as the ratio of the internal state variable (S) before the rest period to the incremental internal state variable due to the rest period. A %Hs mastercurve was constructed by applying the time–temperature superposition (t-TS) principle to the %Hs versus rest period curves and thereby proved that the t-TS principle works for healing. The %Hs mastercurves at different damage levels were shifted vertically to construct one reference %Hs mastercurve. The amount of vertical shifting is referred to as the vertical healing shift factor. The reference %Hs mastercurve with the vertical healing shift factor and t-TS principle led to the proposed shift healing model as a function of rest period, temperature, and damage level. A test protocol to calibrate the model also is suggested in this work. The protocol requires only three specimens, and thus, testing can be completed within a day. The proposed shift healing model characterized by the suggested protocol test was implemented successfully in twelve healing tests to predict the healing behavior of the test specimens, which indicates the prediction capability of the suggested model and test protocol.

Making Audiology Work During COVID-19 and Beyond

Making Audiology Work During COVID-19 and Beyond

Testing Procedures for Claiming Success on at Least k Out of m Hypotheses with an Application to Biosimilar Development

Multiplicity is a common issue in clinical drug development and there exists many proposals for the handling of multiple testing in clinical trials. However, the literature on testing procedures for claiming success on at least k out of m tests and the operating characteristics of these procedures is still sparse. Such testing is very relevant in biosimilar drug development, for example, where products have gained regulatory approval in the past, even though not all hypotheses could be rejected. Obviously, simple adjustments for multiplicity like the Bonferroni-adjustment or the Holm-procedure are valid as well for this testing problem, but can be conservative. In this article, we propose simple testing procedures for claiming success on at least k out of m tests which are more powerful than standard procedures while still providing strong control of the family-wise error rate. We illustrate their applicability in practice using an example from biosimilar drug development. In the supplementary materials, we provide proofs of the properties of our testing procedures and demonstrate the superiority of the proposed methodologies using simulations.

Evaluation of Ballistic Limit Velocity Using Instrumented Indentation Test of 7xxx Aluminum Alloys After Friction Stir Welding

Friction stir welding has the advantages of producing less material deformation and of simple joining of relatively thick materials, but the disadvantages of forming relatively large heat-affected zones around weld areas. In addition, in research on reductions in bulletproof performance in heat-affected zones, it is necessary to evaluate the ballistic limit velocity (V50), which measures bulletproof performance, and this requires specimens of a certain minimum size and has only limited application to local areas such as heat-affected zones. Instrumented indentation testing (IIT), a method of measuring material properties by utilizing load-depth curves measured by a small indenter leaving fine marks on the material, has no specimen size requirements; in addition, it has simple test procedures and is nondestructive. Here a theoretical model is proposed for evaluating V50 of aluminum alloys by ductile hole formation using IIT. Heat-affected zones generated after friction stir welding of for 7000-series aluminum alloys were simulated, and the model was validated through comparison with the conventional V50 test. In addition, there is currently no way to directly evaluate V50 for welded areas in 7000-series aluminum, but here IIT was used to assess V50 for each local part of the welded specimen. The conventional V50 test takes 15 min per shot and cannot be reused of specimens, but the test using IIT takes 1 min to complete one test and has benefits in terms of time, cost and safety.

A simple test for zero multiple correlation coefficient in high-dimensional normal data using random projection

The multiple correlation coefficient (MCC) is a measure of linear relationship between a given variable and a set of covariates. Testing the hypothesis of zero MCC has always been important in multiple correlation analysis. For testing this hypothesis, due to the singularity of the sample covariance matrix in high-dimensional data, the classical testing procedures are no longer usable. To test the null hypothesis of zero MCC in high-dimensional normal data, a simple testing procedure is proposed by using the random projection and union-intersection methodologies. Some simulations are carried out to verify the performance evaluation of the proposed test. The results are found to be very convincing. In the end, the experimental validation of the proposed test is carried out on mice tumor data.

Photostability of Semiconductor Quantum Dots in Response to UV Exposure.

The interest in quantum dots (QDs) and their popularity in life science applications stems from their high photostability and unique optical properties such as superior light absorption. Photostability of semiconductor QDs is reportedly higher than that of organic dyes, but QDs may also be affected by light exposure. The outcome of such exposure may depend on many experimental factors, can lead to either an increase or decrease in the photoluminescent efficiency of QDs and is difficult to predict. QDs may therefore require experimental testing for their photostability especially prior to quantitative applications. A simple QD testing procedure described here showed a substantial degree of photobleaching when exposed to UV; nevertheless, the rate of change was noticeably lower than that measured for traditional organic dyes, as expected. The procedure reported is also applicable to traditional organic dyes and allows for quantitative comparisons to be conducted.

A New Cyclic Simple Shear Test Procedure with Multidirectional Loading

Abstract This article presents a new procedure for cyclic simple shear tests with a change in the loading direction. For the experimental investigation of sand under drained condition, a conventional simple shear test device (unidirectional simple shear) was used. After modification of the specimen cell, the cell can rotate during the test, enabling the load direction to be changed. The construction of this modified version and its test procedure are explained in detail. This modification and test procedure can also be used for different simple shear devices of the same type. Furthermore, a test series involving Berlin sand was conducted with the direction of cyclic loading being changed once during each test. The test results indicate that a change in the cyclic direction has a significant influence on the accumulated deformation of sand.

Identifying configurations of multiple co‐located clusters by analyzing within‐ and between‐cluster linkages

AbstractThe Beijing economy has an unusual industrial configuration consisting of multiple industry parks in the biomedical industry with a cluster‐like structure, specifically Yizhuang Park, Daxing Park, and ZLS (Zhongguancun Life Science) Park. If these industry parks can indeed be conceptualized as clusters, a number of questions arise regarding their collaborative or competitive relationships that can potentially be both beneficial and detrimental. We begin analyzing this case of three biomedical industry clusters by conceptualizing four ideal‐type scenarios of co‐located cluster configurations and identifying their within‐cluster and between‐cluster linkage patterns. Based on a relational research design, we develop a simple testing procedure that allows us to identify the specific empirical cluster configuration at hand. Based on a survey of labor market, government event, research, and production linkages of 164 firms in the three biomedical industry parks, we conduct statistical tests and conclude that Beijing represents a case of three collaborating clusters, with some elements of integration.

Quantifying the freeze-thaw performance of air-entrained concrete using the time to reach critical saturation modelling approach

Many State Highway Agencies have been working to develop performance-based specifications for concrete pavements and concrete bridge decks in freeze-thaw environments. A time to reach critical saturation (TTRCS) model has been proposed to estimate the freeze-thaw performance of concrete. This study evaluates the TTRCS model for thirty different concrete mixtures with varying w/c, air volumes, and quality of air void (size and spacing). Simple quality control test procedures are used to determine the input parameters for the TTRCS model. The estimated time to reach critical saturation is compared with the measured durability factor using ASTM C 666–15. Results indicate that 86% of the mixtures with air volume above 4.5% and a Sequential Air Method (SAM) Number below 0.30 have a normalized time to reach critical saturation of greater than 20, and a durability factor that is greater than 75%. The mixtures with a high range water reducer require a higher volume fraction of entrained air to satisfy the recommended limit for the durability factor. This appears to be due to an interaction between the high range water reducer and air entraining admixture which results in greater air void spacing (i.e., larger air voids). However, the addition of high range water reducer was also found to increase the time to reach critical saturation in the mixtures with a low w/c due to a refined pore structure with a reduction in the connectivity of the matrix pores. Reducing the w/c improves the freeze-thaw performance due to a reduction in the pore volume, connectivity, and absorption rate of the concrete. A relationship is developed to estimate the time to reach critical saturation based on SAM Number and apparent formation factor. In addition, a relationship is proposed to estimate the critical degree of saturation based on air void content and quality.

Strategies for increasing participation in mail-out colorectal cancer screening programs: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundPopulation mail-out bowel screening programs are a convenient, cost-effective and sensitive method of detecting colorectal cancer (CRC). Despite the increased survival rates associated with early detection of CRC, in many countries, 50% or more of eligible individuals do not participate in such programs. The current study systematically reviews interventions applied to increase fecal occult blood test (FOBT) kit return, specifically in population mail-out programs.MethodsFive electronic databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, CINAHL, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses) were searched for articles published before the 10th of March 2018. Studies were included if they reported the results of an intervention designed to increase the return rate of FOBT kits that had been mailed to individuals’ homes. PRISMA systematic review reporting methods were applied and each study was assessed using Cochrane’s Risk of Bias tool. Pooled effect sizes were calculated for each intervention type and the risk of bias was tested as a moderator for sensitivity analysis.ResultsThe review identified 53 interventions from 30 published studies from which nine distinct intervention strategy types emerged. Sensitivity analysis showed that the risk of bias marginally moderated the overall effect size. Pooled risk ratios and confidence intervals for each intervention type revealed that telephone contact RR = 1.23, 95% CI (1.08–1.40), GP endorsement RR = 1.19, 95% CI (1.10–1.29), simplified test procedures RR = 1.17, 95% CI (1.09–1.25), and advance notifications RR = 1.09, 95% CI (1.07–1.11) were effective intervention strategies with small to moderate effect sizes. Studies with a high risk of bias were removed and pooled effects remained relatively unchanged.ConclusionsInterventions that combine program-level changes incorporating the issue of advance notification and alternative screening tools with the involvement of primary health professionals through endorsement letters and telephone contact should lead to increases in kit return in mail-out CRC screening programs.Systematic review registrationThis review is registered with PROSPERO; registration number CRD42017064652

Evaluation of temperature and loading rate effect on fracture toughness of fiber reinforced asphalt mixture using edge notched disc bend (ENDB) specimen

A number of specimen configuration and testing method have been developed till now for determining the fracture toughness of asphalt concrete. The Edge Notch Disc Bend (ENDB) specimen is among the suitable test specimens in this regard due to its some primary advantages such as simple geometry and testing procedure and also covering different combination of mode I and III fracture case. In this paper the influence of fiber, temperature and loading rate is investigated experimentally on mode I and III fracture toughness of asphalt mixtures tested with the ENDB specimen. The fracture toughness experiments were conducted on three different low temperature value, three loading rates and different fiber percentages.