Status Of Instrument Research Articles

The Visual Monitoring Camera (VMC) on Mars Express: A new science instrument made from an old webcam orbiting Mars

The Visual Monitoring Camera (VMC) is a small imaging instrument onboard Mars Express with a field of view of ∼40°x30°. The camera was initially intended to provide visual confirmation of the separation of the Beagle 2 lander and has similar technical specifications to a typical webcam of the 2000s. In 2007, a few years after the end of its original mission, VMC was turned on again to obtain full-disk images of Mars to be used for outreach purposes. As VMC obtained more images, the scientific potential of the camera became evident, and in 2018 the camera was given an upgraded status of a new scientific instrument, with science goals in the field of Martian atmosphere meteorology. The wide Field of View of the camera combined with the orbit of Mars Express enable the acquisition of full-disk images of the planet showing different local times, which for a long time has been rare among orbital missions around Mars. The small data volume of images also allows videos that show the atmospheric dynamics of dust and cloud systems to be obtained. This paper is intended to be the new reference paper for VMC as a scientific instrument, and thus provides an overview of the updated procedures to plan, command and execute science observations of the Martian atmosphere. These observations produce valuable science data that is calibrated and distributed to the community for scientific use.

Bridging length scales in hard materials with ultra-small angle X-ray scattering - a critical review.

Owing to their exceptional properties, hard materials such as advanced ceramics, metals and composites have enormous economic and societal value, with applications across numerous industries. Understanding their microstructural characteristics is crucial for enhancing their performance, materials development and unleashing their potential for future innovative applications. However, their microstructures are unambiguously hierarchical and typically span several length scales, from sub-ångstrom to micrometres, posing demanding challenges for their characterization, especially for in situ characterization which is critical to understanding the kinetic processes controlling microstructure formation. This review provides a comprehensive description of the rapidly developing technique of ultra-small angle X-ray scattering (USAXS), a nondestructive method for probing the nano-to-micrometre scale features of hard materials. USAXS and its complementary techniques, when developed for and applied to hard materials, offer valuable insights into their porosity, grain size, phase composition and inhomogeneities. We discuss the fundamental principles, instrumentation, advantages, challenges and global status of USAXS for hard materials. Using selected examples, we demonstrate the potential of this technique for unveiling the microstructural characteristics of hard materials and its relevance to advanced materials development and manufacturing process optimization. We also provide our perspective on the opportunities and challenges for the continued development of USAXS, including multimodal characterization, coherent scattering, time-resolved studies, machine learning and autonomous experiments. Our goal is to stimulate further implementation and exploration of USAXS techniques and inspire their broader adoption across various domains of hard materials science, thereby driving the field toward discoveries and further developments.

A method for assessing the operational status of a microseismic monitoring system using energy distribution changes of observed data

Abstract The operational status of geophones plays a pivotal role in ensuring the accuracy and reliability of microseismic monitoring systems. However, conventional techniques used to evaluate the operational status of geophones require human intervention or significant time delays. To address this issue, we propose a method for online monitoring of geophone status using observed data obtained from a microseismic system. Firstly, the energy features of the preprocessed observation data are extracted via wavelet packet decomposition. Subsequently, the distribution parameters of energy features are obtained through loglogistic distribution fitting. These parameters are then applied to a change-point detection model, enabling the online monitoring of seismic geophones. In addition, we selected long short-term memory (LSTM) network to classify the operational status of the geophones, which is trained using the obtained energy distribution data and the time-frequency characteristics of the observed data. The experimental results indicate that the model achieves an accuracy of 98.33%, surpassing the 89.58% accuracy of the support vector machine (SVM). The proposed method not only contributes to online monitoring and precise determination of the operating status of detectors, but also has enormous application potential in other fields that require monitoring and evaluating the operating status of instruments.

Bounced Cheque as an Enforceable Instrument: A Comparative Study between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) & French Legislations

Purpose: This research aims to define the bounced cheque, which is considered an Enforceable Instrument, and to clarify its cases, implementation procedures, and the conditions associated with this execution through a comparative study of the prevailing legal provisions in both Emirati and French law. Theoretical reference: The study examines the concept of a bounced cheque as an Enforceable Instrument under the legal frameworks of the UAE and France. It analyzes the criteria, cases, and procedural requirements for executing a bounced cheque in both jurisdictions, highlighting the differences and similarities in their legislative approaches. Method: A comparative analysis was conducted, scrutinizing the legal provisions and enforcement procedures related to bounced cheques in Emirati and French law. The study involved reviewing relevant statutes, case laws, and legal commentaries to understand the practical implications of treating a bounced cheque as an Enforceable Instrument in both countries. Results and Conclusion: The research reveals that in UAE law, a bounced cheque is considered an Enforceable Instrument as soon as the bank notes the absence of sufficient funds or that the drawer's account has been closed. In contrast, French legislation grants Enforceable Instrument status to an unpaid cheque only after a thirty-day period, allowing the drawer time to settle the cheque's value or reach a settlement with the beneficiary. The study concludes that while both legal systems recognize the enforceability of bounced cheques, they differ significantly in the timing and conditions under which this enforceability is granted. Implications of research: The findings suggest that while the immediate enforceability of bounced cheques in the UAE provides swift recourse for beneficiaries, the French approach of granting a grace period offers a more balanced consideration for the drawer. The research implies that incorporating a reasonable time frame for fulfilling the value of the bounced cheque, as suggested in the recommendations, could harmonize the interests of both parties involved. Originality/value: The research provides a comprehensive comparative analysis of the enforcement of bounced cheques in Emirati and French law, offering valuable insights into the strengths and weaknesses of each system. The proposed recommendation of a balanced time frame for cheque fulfillment contributes to the ongoing discourse on optimizing legal procedures for financial instruments, potentially influencing future legislative reforms.

The Charged Particle Detection System of the SRD Module onboard the China Space Station

The radiation field environment outside the Earth varies greatly with space location and the cycle of solar activity, and the radiation environment near the space station’s orbit is much more complex than that on the Earth’s surface. Various high-energy cosmic ray particles and secondary particles produced by them and the bulkhead of the space station greatly impact the health of astronauts and the working conditions of instruments. Each aircraft is always equipped with some dedicated radiation monitoring instruments to assess the exposure risk for astronauts, and to analyze the causes of instrument failures. The Space Radiation Detector Module (SRDM) is working in the China Space Station (CSS) to measure the radiation environment inside, including two parts: the Charged Particle Detection System (CPDS) and the Neutron Detection System (NDS). The CPDS, which is the main content of this paper, contains a detector unit, that consists of three silicon detectors a BGO calorimeter, and the corresponding readout electronics unit of the detector unit. Ground test results show that the detection system can detect various charged particles from hydrogen to nitrogen ions with an energy resolution of less than 15%. The actual measurement results for a period in orbit show that the main types of charged particles in the cabin are protons and α particles, with measured energies ranging from 0.8 to 265.2 MeV for protons and from 1.0 to 61.6 MeV/A for α particles(where A is the mass number), and linear energy density (LET) range mainly from 1.0 to 612.4 keV/μm. The radiation environment data measured in CSS can provide an important reference value for the exposure risk, life science experiments, and the status of instruments on board.

EXPLORING THE STAGES IN THE EVOLUTION OF PRIMA-KOBYZ PERFORMANCE

The article presents a structural analysis of the dynamics of the development of the prima-kobyz instrument, alongside methodological advancements. The aim of the research is to identify the distinctive features of the evolution of playing techniques on the prima-kobyz. The research tasks included studying the program for teaching the prima-kobyz and structuring the development of the school for playing this instrument by analyzing performance data and employing performance analysis methods to gain a comprehensive understanding of the history and development of performance technique. The result of this research is a synthesis of performance analysis, demonstrating the main trends in the development of this national instrument. The comparative analysis allowed to identify characteristic features of the dynamics of development of modern performance techniques. The peculiarity of performance style has been disclosed and analyzed. Clear examples of research illustrating the development of performance technique are presented. The main conclusions of the research are that although the school for playing the prima-kobyz borrowed violin playing techniques and cello bowing techniques, while adapting national compositions and techniques of various string instruments, it has achieved the status of a national instrument. This study represents promising material for further investigation into the development of the national instrument.

The relation between teacher–student interaction and executive function performance in children: A cross-cultural meta-analysis

Executive function (EF) is critical to students’ academic behaviors and well-being. Environmental influences, particularly teacher-student interaction (TSI), play a key role in enhancing EF development. Previous studies have linked TSI quality to children’s EF, yet the relationships between subdimensions of TSI—such as closeness, conflict, dependency, emotional support, classroom management, and instructional support—and EF outcomes remain unclear. Moreover, it is unclear whether these relations hold true across different cultural contexts. From an initial pool of 14,915 articles, in this meta-analysis, we considered 84 empirical studies across 18 cultural regions, revealing that TSI subdimensions are consistently related to EF with small-to-medium effect sizes. The analysis also identified statistically significant moderating factors, such as individualism, power distance, EF type, EF instrument, and socioeconomic status. Notably, stronger TSI-EF correlations were found among children from cultures with low-individualism and high-power-distance, as well as among children from higher socioeconomic backgrounds. These patterns were particularly pronounced in studies measuring hot EF through adult-reported data. This comprehensive meta-analysis bridges knowledge gaps in TSI-EF dynamics, and supporting theories, such as attachment theory, social learning theory, and socio-cultural theory within educational settings. Crucially, it provides cross-cultural perspectives showing how cultural and contextual factors may intertwine with TSI-EF interactions.

Logistic analysis of delayed reporting of emergency blood potassium and comparison of improved outcomes

Potassium testing is an essential test in emergency medicine. Turnaround time (TAT) is the time between specimen receipt by the laboratory and the release of the test report. A brief in-laboratory TAT increases emergency department effectiveness. Optimizing processes to shorten TAT using other tools requires extensive time, resources, training, and support. Therefore, we aimed to find a convenient way to shorten TAT, identify risk factors affecting the timeliness of emergency potassium test reporting, and verify the intervention’s effects. The dependent variable was emergency potassium reporting time > 30 or < 30 min. Logistic analysis was performed on monitorable factors, such as sex, age, potassium results, number of items, specimen processing time (including centrifugation and time before specimen loading), critical value ratio, instrument status, shift where the report was issued, specimen status, and work experience, as independent variables. In the multivariate analysis, work experience, instrument failure rate, and specimen processing time were risk factors for emergency blood potassium reporting exceeding 30 min. Improvement measures were implemented, significantly decreasing the timeout rate for acute potassium reporting. Our study confirms the usefulness of logistics in reducing the time required to report potassium levels in the emergency department, providing a new perspective on quality management.

Standardism Performance of Dental Workers and Infection Control Status of Corrective Patient Instruments

Objective: This study aims to understand the performance of standardism through the performance of orthodontic workers and the infection control of orthodontic patients, and to contribute to the improvement of oral health of orthodontic patients and provide it as academic basic data. Methods: A study was conducted on 111 dental workers working at dental clinics in Gwangju Metropolitan City and Gyeonggi-do from March 1, 2023. The number of students participating in the study was calculated as the G. power 3.1 program, with an effect size of 0.3, a significant level of 0.05, and a power of 0.95. Participants in the survey understood the purpose of the study and agreed to participate in the study, and a self-written survey was conducted. The questionnaire was measured on a Likert 5-point scale, and 5 points were given to "very important" on the Likert 5-point scale and 1 point to "not important" so the higher the score, the higher the degree of practice. Results: Number of sterilizations of braces * In cross-analysis of clinical experience, sterilization was most common once a week, followed by sterilization once every two weeks. It can be said that there is no significant difference in the number of times and clinical experience. Conclusion: Clinical experience and regression analysis of instrument sterilization showed minimal levels of clinical experience, contaminated instrument management, hand hygiene, personal protective equipment, respiratory etiquette, and instrument sterilization methods.

Computer Vision-Based Method for Digitizing the Surface of the Dial Instrument and Tracking the Pointer’s Movement

Using the dial instrument for reading the oxygen pressure in the medical environment demands monitoring the pointer’s movement and keeping track of its readings. Usually, the monitoring task is done by the administrator in the medical facilities. To ensure real time and accurate monitoring, the administrator must be supported by vision-based advanced methods to digitize the surface of the dial instrument and to track the pointer’s movement. In this paper, a method is proposed to localize the three main references in the dial instrument, namely Pointer, FULL indicator, and EMPTY indicator. Once these references have been precisely determined, the proposed method records the status of the dial instrument. An emergency alert must be triggered while the pointer is moved toward the EMPTY area. Different computer vision techniques have been developed to implement the digitizing and monitoring in terms of real time constraint. The proposed method has been experimentally verified over 750 frames while the dial instrument was run and monitored the oxygen pressure. The obtained result unveil that the average running time is 0.316 s. The detection accuracy of the proposed method for these reference indicators varied from 88.5% to 100% over the first 30 frames of the tested video streams. Since the proposed method has been developed to keep track for the pointer’s movement, it can recover the detection failure while dial instrument is running. Moreover, the proposed method can overcome the reading error of the pointer’s centre point compared to the Hough transform method. Compared with the development of the Hough transform, the proposed method distinguishes itself by successfully employing morphological operations and color space processing to highlight region of interest, regardless of its high intensity values. In context of the applications of the pointer extraction of the dial instrument, another comparison has been conducted for the proposed method. The latter distinguished itself by digitizing the surface of the dial instrument without using the neural network mechanism; offering a recovery of the failure detection, and employing the idea of the black-white mask to concentrate the proposed method’s developments.

The High Energy Light Isotope eXperiment program of direct cosmic-ray studies

HELIX is a new NASA-sponsored instrument aimed at measuring the spectra and composition of light cosmic-ray isotopes from hydrogen to neon nuclei, in particular the clock isotopes 10Be (radioactive, with 1.4 Myr lifetime) and 9Be (stable). The latter are unique markers of the production and Galactic propagation of secondary cosmic-ray nuclei, and are needed to resolve such important mysteries as the proportion of secondary positrons in the excess of antimatter observed by the AMS-02 experiment. By using a combination of a 1 T superconducting magnet spectrometer (with drift-chamber tracker) with a high-resolution time-of-flight detector system and ring-imaging Cherenkov detector, mass-resolved isotope measurements of light cosmic-ray nuclei will be possible up to 3 GeV/n in a first stratospheric balloon flight from Kiruna, Sweden to northern Canada, anticipated to take place in early summer 2024. An eventual longer Antarctic balloon flight of HELIX will yield measurements up to 10 GeV/n, sampling production from a larger volume of the Galaxy extending into the halo. We review the instrument design, testing, status and scientific prospects.

The Politics of the Purdue Spatial Visualization Test of Rotations (PSVT:R) and its Use in Engineering Education

The Purdue Spatial Visualization Test: Rotations (PSVT:R) is commonly used in engineering education to measure spatial ability in efforts to predict academic or vocational success, or as a placement test. However, the politics of the instrument are rarely discussed. Here I provide a critical review of the historical literature that provides the basis for current work using the PSVT:R. I examine the validation and popularization of the PSVT:R, discuss how the instrument may not actually measure mental rotation, and explain how the construct of ‘gestalt processing’ was created in an effort to raise the status of spatial instruments which favored men. I argue that the isometric imagery style used in the test, which is rooted in the masculinized discipline of engineering graphics, further politicizes the test. I discuss the usage of the PSVT:R in spatial training efforts targeting historically excluded groups, and how understanding the politics of the PSVT:R should inform future efforts.

Use of Questionnaire-Based Research in Hand Surgery

Introduction Questionnaire-based research is ubiquitous, and careful survey design is paramount to obtaining meaningful results. This study characterizes the use of questionnaire-based studies in the current hand surgery literature. Methods We conducted a systematic review of questionnaire-based studies published between 2010 and 2020 in 4 major American journals. We included studies in which questionnaire results represented a primary outcome. Validation status of the survey instruments was assessed, and topics of study were categorized. Nonvalidated instruments were assessed for reporting of parameters to limit bias. Results Three hundred fifty-four studies were identified, including 186 (52.5%) using validated instruments, 98 (27.7%) using nonvalidated instruments, 64 (18.1%) using a combination, and 6 (1.7%) that sought to validate an instrument. Of the studies that used validated instruments, 84.9% focused on patient-reported outcomes and 15.1% focused on other patient-centered topics. In contrast, of studies that used nonvalidated instruments, 44.9% focused on physician practice, 30.6% were patient centered, and 13.3% focused on education. Among nonvalidated questionnaires, 74.5% did not report predistribution testing, 49.0% did not publish full survey questions, and 33.3% did not report response rates. Conclusions Survey research is common in the hand surgery literature. Forty-six percent of examined studies included at least some nonvalidated elements. Techniques to limit bias in the design and reporting of studies based on nonvalidated surveys were not uniformly disclosed. Identified areas for improvement include (1) pilot testing to assess for question clarity; (2) publication of full texts to improve transparency; and (3) better reporting on sample selection, respondents, and nonrespondents.

Analysis on status quo of outcomes and measurement instruments of randomized controlled trials of acupuncture for post-stroke dysphagia

To analyze the report status of outcomes and measurement instruments of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of acupuncture for post-stroke dysphagia, so as to provide a basis for designing clinical trials and developing the core outcome set in acupuncture for post-stroke dysphagia. RCTs of acupuncture for post-stroke dysphagia were searched in databases i.e. CNKI, SinoMed, Wanfang, PubMed, EMbase, Web of Science and clinical trial registries i.e. ClinicalTrials.gov and Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR), from January 1st, 2012 to October 30th, 2021. By literature screening and data extraction, outcomes and measurement instruments were summarized and analyzed. A total of 172 trials (including 165 RCTs and 7 ongoing trials registrations) were included, involving 91 outcomes. The outcomes could be classified into 7 domains according to functional attributes, namely clinical manifestation, physical and chemical examination, quality of life, TCM symptoms/syndromes, long-term prognosis, safety assessment and economic evaluation. It was found that there were various measurements instruments with large differences, inconsistent measurement time point and without discriminatively reporting primary or secondary outcomes. The status quo of outcomes and measurement instruments of RCTs of acupuncture for post-stroke dysphagia is not conducive to the summary and comparison of each trial's results. Thus, it is suggested to develop a core outcome set for acupuncture for post-stroke dysphagia to improve the normative and research quality of their clinical trial design.

Design of Microbial Corrosion Assessment Model for Protective Coatings based on Combined Weight TOPSIS

Instrumentation has a wide range of applications in various fields. In today’s rapid development of information technology and the economy, it plays an indispensable role. The application environment of instrumentation in many fields is complex and harsh. Therefore, the requirements for instrumentation materials are also more stringent. This paper mainly focuses on the special fields of aerospace, petrochemical, marine, and nuclear energy. The application status of instrumentation and its harsh application environment have been researched. This paper researched the main corrosion failure modes of instrumentation materials, and put forward suggestions and solutions for corrosion protection methods.

Status of the science instruments and their detector plans at the giant magellan telescope

AbstractWe present a description and status of the first‐generation science instruments for the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT), and the current plans for their scientific detectors. The first‐generation suite includes two visible (G‐CLEF and GMACS) and two infrared (GMTNIRS and GMTIFS) instruments, which will deliver data from wide‐band imaging to R 200,000 spectroscopy, with a combined spectral coverage from 300 nm to 5 m. All four instruments are designed for use with diffraction‐limited or ground‐layer adaptive optics modes. G‐CLEF is already in fabrication, while the other three are still in preliminary design. The first‐generation suite also includes a robotic fiber‐feed system called MANIFEST, which enables spectroscopy on objects anywhere in the 20 arcmin field of view of the telescope with custom fibers for G‐CLEF and GMACS. An additional facility instrument, GMagAO‐X, is being developed to provide high‐contrast imaging at visible and near‐infrared wavelengths. We also discuss the cameras that will be used for alignment, verification, and commissioning of the active and adaptive optics modes of the telescope and enable early science activities: ComCam and AOTC.

Design and Implementation of Data Service Middleware in Earthquake Precursor Instrument Platform

With the gradual development of the earthquake signal early warning system, more and more earthquake precursor signal observation instruments and equipment have been added to the earthquake signal early warning system, which has also caused various compatibility issues. This article designs a data service middleware solution based on B/S architecture for the interaction between earthquake precursor signal observation equipment and remote access terminals on the earthquake precursor instrument platform. Combining embedded technology, it achieves compatible and universal deployment of heterogeneous terminals, and achieves the ideal function of data service middleware. At the same time, in the data service middleware system, real-time data access, presentation, and log upload and download of earthquake precursor instruments are implemented, as well as remote editing of basic information such as instrument IP addresses and station positions, as well as instrument status monitoring and other functions.

Concordance-Based Batch Effect Correction for Large-Scale Metabolomics.

For a large-scale metabolomics study, sample collection, preparation, and analysis may last several days, months, or even (intermittently) over years. This may lead to apparent batch effects in the acquired metabolomics data due to variability in instrument status, environmental conditions, or experimental operators. Batch effects may confound the true biological relationships among metabolites and thus obscure real metabolic changes. At present, most of the commonly used batch effect correction (BEC) methods are based on quality control (QC) samples, which require sufficient and stable QC samples. However, the quality of the QC samples may deteriorate if the experiment lasts for a long time. Alternatively, isotope-labeled internal standards have been used, but they generally do not provide good coverage of the metabolome. On the other hand, BEC can also be conducted through a data-driven method, in which no QC sample is needed. Here, we propose a novel data-driven BEC method, namely, CordBat, to achieve concordance between each batch of samples. In the proposed CordBat method, a reference batch is first selected from all batches of data, and the remaining batches are referred to as "other batches." The reference batch serves as the baseline for the batch adjustment by providing a coordinate of correlation between metabolites. Next, a Gaussian graphical model is built on the combined dataset of reference and other batches, and finally, BEC is achieved by optimizing the correction coefficients in the other batches so that the correlation between metabolites of each batch and their combinations are in concordance with that of the reference batch. Three real-world metabolomics datasets are used to evaluate the performance of CordBat by comparing it with five commonly used BEC methods. The present experimental results showed the effectiveness of CordBat in batch effect removal and the concordance of correlation between metabolites after BEC. CordBat was found to be comparable to the QC-based methods and achieved better performance in the preservation of biological effects. The proposed CordBat method may serve as an alternative BEC method for large-scale metabolomics that lack proper QC samples.

Process Evaluation of Decontamination, Cleaning and Sterilization of Medical Instruments at Public Health Centers of Mekelle Zone, Tigray, Ethiopia, 2018

Background: Today Health Care Associated Infections are the major public health problems in majority of developing world including Ethiopia. The use of disposable equipment is the best way to ensure patient comfort and security, however, low income country health system could not acquire disposable format for certain devices due to the cost. Then some instruments need to be sterilized for re-use. In this study we have evaluated the sterilization status of medical instruments. Method: Descriptive study design was employed in this evaluation study. The evaluation was conducted in 147 health care workers and nine public health centers of Mekelle zone from January to June, 2017. Systematic random sampling method was conducted to select study participants. In the quantitative part, observation of health care workers’ practice and availability of materials were conducted using checklists. As a complement, key informant interviews were also conducted. Collected quantitative data were checked, coded and entered into SPSS version 20 for analysis. Frequencies, Mean, percentage, tables were used for results presentation. Result: Availability, compliance and safety of health care workers’ dimensions were used to evaluate the implementation of the intervention. Accordingly, availability of resources in the studied health centers has been rated as good (74.2%). And compliance level of health care workers has found to be fair (66.1%). However, practice of safety by the health care workers has found to be poor (48%). Conclusion: According the judgment criteria, the overall implementation status of decontamination, cleaning and sterilization service has been rated as fair (63.4%).

Standardized evaluation of Zika nucleic acid tests used in clinical settings and blood screening.

Early detection of Zika virus (ZIKV) transmission within geographic regions informs implementation of community mitigation measures such as vector reduction strategies, travel advisories, enhanced surveillance among pregnant women, and possible implementation of blood and organ donor screening or deferral. Standardized, comparative assessments of ZIKV assay and testing lab performance are important to develop optimal approaches to ZIKV diagnostic testing and surveillance. We conducted an expanded blinded panel study to characterize and compare the analytical performance of fifteen diagnostic and blood screening ZIKV NAT assays, including detection among single- and multiplex assays detecting ZIKV, dengue virus (DENV) and chikungunya virus (CHIKV). A 300 member blinded panel was constructed, consisting of 11 serial half-log dilutions ranging from ~104 to 10-1 genome equivalents/mL in 25 replicates each of the Tahitian Asian ZIKV isolate in ZIKV-negative human serum. Additionally, clinical samples from individuals with DENV-like syndrome or suspected ZIKV infection in Brazil were evaluated. The majority of assays demonstrated good specificity. Analytical sensitivities varied 1-2 logs, with a substantially higher limit of detection (LOD) in one outlier. Similar analytical sensitivity for ZIKV RNA detection in singleplex and multiplex assays of the Grifols and ThermoFisher tests were observed. Coefficient of Assay Efficiency (CE), calculated to characterize assays' RNA extraction and amplification efficiency, ranged from 0.13 for the Certest VIASURE multiplex and 0.75 for the Grifols multiplex assays. In general, assays using transcription mediated amplification (TMA) technology had greater CE compared to assays using conventional PCR technology. Donor screening NAT assays were significantly more sensitive than diagnostic RT-qPCR assays, primarily attributable to higher sample input volumes. However, ideal assays to maximize sensitivity and throughput may not be a viable option in all contexts, with other factors such as cost, instrumentation, and regulatory approval status influencing assay availability and selection, particularly in resource constrained settings.