Application Of Test Research Articles

Precision Medicine for Peritoneal Carcinomatosis—Current Advances in Organoid Drug Testing and Clinical Applicability

Peritoneal carcinomatosis from gastrointestinal tumours is considered a poor prognostic factor, with a median overall survival of six to nine months in the absence of intervention. The advent of patient-derived organoid cultures (PDOs) has provided a breakthrough in personalised medicine, allowing researchers and clinicians to model the complexity and heterogeneity of individual tumours in vitro. PDOs hold great promise in this field, as variations in the management of peritoneal carcinomatosis due to differences in the method of delivery of chemotherapeutics, drug selection, exposure duration, and tumour pathology make it impractical to use a single, standardised treatment regimen. We aim to summarise the methodologies and limitations of studies encapsulating organoids derived from peritoneal metastases to encourage design considerations that may improve future clinical relevance, standardise protocols, and address translational challenges in personalising treatment strategies.

Billion-Scale Expansion of Functional hiPSC-Derived Cardiomyocytes in Bioreactors Through Oxygen Control and Continuous Wnt Activation.

Generation of upscaled quantities of human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CM), for therapeutic or testing applications, is both expensive and time-consuming. Herein, a scalable bioprocess for hiPSC-CM expansion in stirred-tank bioreactors (STB) is developed. By combining the continuous activation of the Wnt pathway, through perfusion of CHIR99021, within a mild hypoxia environment, the expansion of hiPSC-CM as aggregates is maximized, reaching 4 billion of pure hiPSC-CM in 2L STB. In particular, the importance of i) controlling the dissolved oxygen at 10% O2 to reduce reactive oxygen species production and upregulate genes involved in cell proliferation, resulting in higher expansion rates (tenfold) compared to normoxic conditions, and ii) maintaining constant power input per volume as a scale-up criteria is demonstrated. After expansion, hiPSC-CM further mature in culture, revealing more mature transcriptional signatures, higher sarcomere alignment and improved calcium handling. This new bioprocess opens the door to time- and cost-effective generation of hiPSC-CM.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning in cell-free-DNA-based diagnostics.

The discovery of circulating fetal and tumor cell-free DNA (cfDNA) molecules in plasma has opened up tremendous opportunities in noninvasive diagnostics such as the detection of fetal chromosomal aneuploidies and cancers and in posttransplantation monitoring. The advent of high-throughput sequencing technologies makes it possible to scrutinize the characteristics of cfDNA molecules, opening up the fields of cfDNA genetics, epigenetics, transcriptomics, and fragmentomics, providing a plethora of biomarkers. Machine learning (ML) and/or artificial intelligence (AI) technologies that are known for their ability to integrate high-dimensional features have recently been applied to the field of liquid biopsy. In this review, we highlight various AI and ML approaches in cfDNA-based diagnostics. We first introduce the biology of cell-free DNA and basic concepts of ML and AI technologies. We then discuss selected examples of ML- or AI-based applications in noninvasive prenatal testing and cancer liquid biopsy. These applications include the deduction of fetal DNA fraction, plasma DNA tissue mapping, and cancer detection and localization. Finally, we offer perspectives on the future direction of using ML and AI technologies to leverage cfDNA fragmentation patterns in terms of methylomic and transcriptional investigations.

Positive-Definite Converging Kernel Estimation of Long-Run Variance

Kernel estimators have been popular for decades in long-run variance estimation. To minimize the loss of efficiency measured by the mean-squared error in important aspects of kernel estimation, we propose a novel class of converging kernel estimators with three major properties: (a) the optimal bandwidth choice is model-free; (b) positive-definiteness is ensured through a principle-driven aggregation technique with no loss of theoretical efficiency; and (c) potentially misspecified prewhitening models and transformations of the time series do not harm the asymptotic efficiency. A shrinkage prewhitening transformation is proposed for more robust finite-sample performance. The estimator has a positive bias that diminishes with the sample size so that it is more conservative compared with the typically negatively biased classical estimators. The proposal improves upon standard kernel functions and can be well generalized to the multivariate case. We discuss its performance through simulation results and a real-data application in the forecast breakdown test.

Expert consensus on genetic testing and clinical application of congenital heart disease in children (2025)

Expert consensus on genetic testing and clinical application of congenital heart disease in children (2025)

Improved Defect Sizing in Adhesive Joints Through Feature-Based Data Fusion

The current study focuses on the examination of adhesive-bonded materials, comprising different type of flaws like brass inclusions and delamination, through the application of ultrasound and X-ray non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques. The findings from both ultrasound and X-ray inspection were used to extract unique features, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of the distinct characteristics demonstrated by each method. Several distinct features like absolute time of flight difference, peak-to-peak amplitude, variation coefficient in time and frequency domain, mean value of amplitude in frequency domain, and absolute energy were extracted from ultrasound testing results. Similarly, features like maximum amplitude, features from accelerated segment test, dilation, watershed segmentation, wiener deconvolution, and morphological gradient extracted from X-ray data underwent fusion. Different fusion techniques were applied to combine these features into a unified data set. A quantitative evaluation was performed for the individual features and their corresponding fused features from the ultrasound and X-ray results. A systematic analysis was conducted to quantify the improvement in defect sizing within the individual features and fused features from both the X-ray and ultrasonic investigations. The minimum absolute error of 0.02 mm was achieved with average fusion of absolute energy at 2nd interface and X-ray dilate features. This research not only delves into the diverse capabilities of ultrasonic and X-ray NDT methods in identifying flaws but also emphasizes the synergistic advantages arising from the integration of their distinct features. The qualitative study of defect estimation using the proposed fusion methods demonstrate that the distinctive fusion approaches significantly highlight the complimentary benefits of ultrasound and X-ray non-destructive testing methods, resulting in a quantifiable improvement in probability of defect detection.

Cognitive Bias in Adult Zebrafish (Danio rerio): A Systematic Review.

In recent years, the use of zebrafish (Danio rerio) as laboratory models has significantly increased. Ensuring their welfare is crucial, with the cognitive bias test emerging as a valuable tool to assess their emotional state. This systematic review examines the application of the cognitive bias test in zebrafish research. The review adhered to PRISMA guidelines. A systematic search was conducted in scientific databases, including PubMed and Scopus, yielding 30 articles. Additionally, one abstract identified through bibliographic screening of selected papers was included. Six studies were selected for analysis, and their quality was assessed using SYRCLE's risk-of-bias tool. Three experimental models were employed to conduct the cognitive bias test in zebrafish, focusing on the relationship between their affective state and environmental conditions, cognitive abilities, and life-history strategies but none of the studies adequately reported the techniques employed to reduce bias. The cognitive bias test proved effective in assessing the emotional state of zebrafish; however, methodological biases may have influenced the results. The cognitive bias test offers valuable insights into how emotional states affect cognitive abilities, responses to environmental changes (e.g., physical enrichment), and stress responses. Further research addressing methodological limitations is necessary to validate these findings and improve data reproducibility.

Application of Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test to Evaluation of Population Distrbution by Age in Single Years

This study examines the evaluation of population distribution by sex and age in single years. The aim is to assess the validity of the assumption that when data on population by age in single years is correctly reported then the population is uniformly distributed among end digits. The data used is a secondary data derived from the census populations reported by age in single years from Nigeria, Ghana, Indonesia and United State of America. Measures of digit preference are computed using the Ramachandran Index (RI), one of the most commonly algebraic methods of evaluation of age data in single years. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to test the Goodness-of-Fit of the discrete uniform distribution to the distribution of population among end digits in the selected countries. The results of the analyses show that the null hypotheses were all rejected at 1% level of significance, indicating that the distribution of population among the 10 end digits is not uniform for both sexes in all the selected countries. In other words, the distribution of population by age in single years in none of the countries studied is completely free from digit preference/avoidance. The study therefore, recommends that the age data should be adjusted for the error of digit/avoidance before using them for further estimation of demographic parameters or at least used with caution.

Assessment of Peak Particle Velocity of Blast Vibration using Hybrid Soft Computing Approaches

Abstract Blasting vibration is a major adverse effect in rock blasting excavation, and accurately predicting its peak particle velocity (PPV) is vital for ensuring engineering safety and risk management. This study proposes an innovative IHO-VMD-CatBoost model that integrates variational mode decomposition (VMD) and the CatBoost algorithm, with hyperparameters globally optimized using the improved hippocampus optimization algorithm (IHO). Compared to existing models, the proposed method improves feature extraction from vibration signals and significantly enhances prediction accuracy, especially in complex geological conditions. Using measured data from open-pit mine blasting, the model extracts key features such as maximum section charge, total charge, and horizontal distance, achieving superior performance compared to 13 traditional models. It reports a root mean square error of 0.28 cm/s, a mean absolute error of 0.17 cm/s, an index of agreement of 0.993, and a variance accounted for value of 97.28%, demonstrating superior prediction accuracy, a high degree of fit with observed data, and overall robustness in PPV prediction. Additionally, analyses based on the SHapley Additive Explanations framework provide insights into the complex nonlinear relationships between factors like horizontal distance and maximum section charge, improving the model's interpretability. The model demonstrates robustness, stability, and applicability in various tests, confirming its reliability in complex engineering scenarios, and offering a valuable solution for safe mining and optimized blasting design.

Influence of Financial Management Accountability and The Spirituality of Pastoral Services In the Parishes of The Tomohon Victory Towards The Achievement of Pastoral Work

The Manado Diocese Catholic Church implements a Church financial management system within the framework of transparent, objective and responsible financial management. In this context, it is necessary to involve lay pastoral staff who are considered capable and competent and have a high spirituality of service in order to realize the pastoral works of the Manado Diocese Church. This research aims to examine the phenomenon of the influence of accountability in parish financial management and the spirituality of pastoral servants in the context of achieving pastoral work. This research was conducted in all churches or parishes in the Kevikepan Tomohon area by taking 95 samples from 133 populations. The research method used is a quantitative research method with a survey approach. Through this method, researchers want to test hypotheses and at the same time explain the relationship between variables. The data analysis process uses the application of correlation statistics and multiple regression test to analyze the influence between variables and measure the level of relationship between each variable studied. The research results show that: First, there is a significant and linear influence between Financial Management Accountability and Pastoral Work Achievement, meaning that if Financial Management Accountability is implemented well and appropriately it will increase Pastoral Work Achievement in the Tomohon Kevikepan Parishes. Second, there is a relationship between the Spirituality of Pastoral Servants and the Achievement of Pastoral Work. This means that if the Spirituality of Pastoral Servants is interpreted well and effectively, then this will have the effect of increasing the Achievement of Pastoral Work in Tomohon Kevikepan Parishes. Third, the results of hypothesis testing and multiple correlation and multiple regression analysis prove that there is an influence between Financial Management Accountability and Pastoral Servant Spirituality together on Pastoral Work Achievement. Furthermore, it can be concluded that an accountable financial management model supported by the spirituality of pastoral servants can increase the achievement of pastoral work in parishes.

The Landmark Series: Testing in Thyroid Nodule Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology.

There has been remarkable growth in our understanding of the biologic behavior and molecular signature of thyroid malignancies, which has led to the introduction, application, and evolution of molecular testing of thyroid nodule FNA cytology. Next-generation sequencing molecular testing is an important, well-validated diagnostic tool for management of cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules. It reduces unnecessary thyroid surgery for benign disease, avoiding associated surgical risks for the patient and reducing healthcare expenses. This article reviews the development and implementation of thyroid nodule cytologic classification and subsequent testing and how it has improved the diagnostic considerations in thyroid nodule and thyroid cancer management algorithms. The use of molecular testing as a prognostic tool is evolving and although the data are limited, they suggest a promising role in prognostication for oncologic outcomes. However, future studies are needed to further evaluate this.

Inaccuracy and divergence measures based on survival extropy with applications in testing and image analysis

Inaccuracy and divergence measures based on survival extropy with applications in testing and image analysis

Application of Statistical Tests in Measuring the Influence of Product Quality and Brand Image

Application of Statistical Tests in Measuring the Influence of Product Quality and Brand Image

Polydopamine-Mediated, Centrifugal Force-Driven Gold Nanoparticle-Deposited Microneedle SERS Sensors for Food Safety Monitoring Theoretical Study of the SERS Substrate Fabrication.

Microneedle (MN) sensors have great promise for food safety detection, but the rapid preparation of MNs for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensors with tunable and homogeneous nanoparticles remains a great challenge. To address this, a SERS sensor of gold nanoparticles@polydopamine@poly(methyl methacrylate) MN (AuNPs@PDA@PMMA-MN) was developed. The extended-Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek theory was applied to calculate the interaction energy between AuNPs and PDA. It was confirmed that an appropriate centrifugal force could be utilized to overcome the electrostatic repulsion between AuNPs and PDA. Together with the adhesion force of PDA, AuNPs can therefore be uniformly and densely deposited on the MN substrate. The AuNPs@PDA@PMMA-MN had an enhancement factor of up to 1.74 × 106 for R6G. Furthermore, a MN sensor for the selective detection of putrescine and cadaverine was successfully constructed by modifying 4-mercaptobenzaldehyde (4-MBA) on AuNPs@PDA@PMMA-MN substrates. This sensor could quantitatively detect putrescine and cadaverine in meat. It has been successfully applied to the in situ detection of putrescine and cadaverine in real meat samples. The AuNPs@PDA@PMMA-MN SERS sensor has the advantages of facile fabrication, high sensitivity, high specificity, and online, in situ detection capability. It is expected to have applications in food quality testing, environmental monitoring, and disease diagnosis.

Investigation of the Ocular Response and Corneal Damage Threshold of Exposure to 28 GHz Quasi-millimeter Wave Exposure.

Electromagnetic radiation energy at millimeter wave frequencies, typically 30 GHz to 300 GHz, is ubiquitously used in society in devices for telecommunications; radar and imaging systems for vehicle collision avoidance, security screening, and medical equipment; scientific research tools for spectroscopy; industrial applications for non-destructive testing and precise measurement; and military and defense applications. Understanding the biological effects of this technology is essential. We have been investigating ocular responses and damage thresholds comparing various frequencies using rabbit eyes and dedicated experimental apparatus. In this study we investigated the 28 GHz quasi-millimeter wave band (wavelength: 10.7 mm), a candidate for 5G communication. Similar to millimeter wave frequencies, ocular damage from exposure to 28 GHz for 6 min (400 mW cm-2) included corneal epithelial damage, corneal edema, and opacity. The incident power density threshold, indicating a 50% probability of ocular damage from exposure for 6 min, was found to be 359 mW cm-2 for 28 GHz. Comparing the ocular exposure area for various millimeter wave frequencies (40, 75, 95 GHz) and 28 GHz quasi-millimeter waves using a thermosensitive liquid crystal capsule, we found that for millimeter waves, even at identical incident power densities, the ocular exposure area decreases as the frequency increases (lens effect). However, this lens effect was not observed at 28 GHz, where the entire anterior segment area was exposed to radio waves.

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth: from malabsorption to misinterpretation.

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) was originally described as a cause of maldigestion and malabsorption in situations where disruptions of intestinal anatomy or physiology favored the proliferation of bacteria normally confined to the colon. In this context, the pathogenesis of symptoms resulting from SIBO was well described. More recently, the concept of SIBO was extended to explain symptoms such as bloating, altered bowel habit and discomfort among individuals with irritable bowel syndrome and since then a whole host of gastrointestinal and extragastrointestinal disorders have been attributed to SIBO. In these more recent studies, the diagnosis of SIBO has been largely based on breath hydrogen testing; an approach that is subjected to misinterpretation. Here we critically assess the "modern" (as against the "classical") concept of SIBO and plead for caution in the application of breath tests, and those that employ lactulose as the substrate, in particular, to the diagnosis of this disorder. We look forward to the application of modern molecular microbiological techniques to the assessment of the small intestinal microbiome and metabolome and the delineation of what is truly normal.

Synthetic Data Generation: Enabling Secure Use of Data for AI, Machine Learning, and Testing

This paper explores the critical role of synthetic data generation in enabling secure and privacy-preserving use of data for artificial intelligence, machine learning, and software testing applications. As organizations face increasing regulatory pressures and data privacy concerns, synthetic data emerges as a powerful solution to maintain data utility while mitigating risks associated with sensitive information. We examine the challenges in using real-world data, the need for synthetic data generation, and technical approaches to implementing robust synthetic data solutions. The paper also addresses how synthetic data can enhance AI and ML model development, improve testing processes, and support overall data governance strategies in enterprise environments. This paper explores the challenges organizations face in accessing secure and compliant data, highlights the need for synthetic data, and presents a technical framework for implementing synthetic data generation solutions. Furthermore, it outlines metrics for measuring effectiveness and provides insights into the future potential of synthetic data. Index terms: synthetic data, data privacy, machine learning, artificial intelligence, data security, data augmentation, generative models (key words)

The Bacterial and pathogenic landscape of African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) whole blood and serum from Kenya

BackgroundAfrican buffalo (Syncerus caffer) is a significant reservoir host for many zoonotic and parasitic infections in Africa. These include a range of viruses and pathogenic bacteria, such as tick-borne rickettsial organisms. Despite the considerations of mammalian blood as a sterile environment, blood microbiome sequencing could become crucial for agnostic biosurveillance. This study investigated the blood microbiome of clinically healthy wild buffaloes in Kenya to determine its applicability in agnostic testing for bacteria in apparently healthy wild animals.MethodsWhole blood and serum samples were collected from 46 wild African buffalos from Meru National Park (30), Buffalo Springs (6) and Shaba (10) National Reserves in upper eastern Kenya. Total deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was extracted from these samples and subjected to amplicon-based sequencing targeting the 16 S rRNA gene. The bacteria operational taxonomic units (OTU) were identified to species levels by mapping the generated V12 and V45 regions of 16 S rRNA gene to the SILVA database. These OTU tables were used to infer the microbial abundance in each sample type and at the individual animal level. The sequences for the corresponding OTUs were also used to generate phylogenetic trees and thus infer evolution for the OTUs of interest.ResultsHere, we demonstrate that buffaloes harbor many bacteria in their blood. We also report a diversity of 16 S rRNA gene sequences for Anaplasma and Mycoplasma from individual animals. By sequencing both whole blood and serum in triplicate for each animal, we provide evidence of the differences in detecting bacteria in both sample types.ConclusionsDiverse bacteria, including some potential pathogens, can be found in the blood of clinically healthy wild African buffalo. Agnostic surveillance for such pathogens can be achieved through blood microbiome sequencing. However, considerations for the question being asked for the blood microbiome in wildlife will impact the choice for using whole blood or serum for sequencing.

The influence of the dry ashing procedure on the correctness of 210Pb determination in lichens and mosses.

Mosses and lichens are often used to assess atmospheric deposition of 210Pb. The most widely used method for determining this isotope is gamma spectrometric analysis. There is often a need to enhance the sensitivity of the method, which can be achieved by pre-concentrating 210Pb. The simplest method in this case is direct dry ashing according to commonly accepted standardized procedures. However, the question of potential losses of 210Pb during the combustion of mosses and lichens remains unclear. The main objective of this study is to investigate the effect of the dry ashing procedure on the accuracy of determining 210Pb concentrations in the studied samples. The conducted experiment showed that ashing samples with low (< 8%) ash content, which includes all mosses and lichens, at a temperature of 450°C leads to significant losses of 210Pb (up to 40%). For samples with an ash content > 14% (litter), the losses of this isotope do not exceed 3-4%. For both groups, the value of ashing losses has a nearly linear dependence, inversely proportional to the ash content in the studied material. The obtained relationships allowed us to calculate the corrections necessary to account for 210Pb losses during ashing of both low and high ash materials. The application of several statistical tests demonstrated good convergence and consistency of the results of 210Pb determination obtained by direct measurement in unashed samples and those calculated through the measured activity of this isotope in ashes, corrected for ashing losses.

Clinical genetic services in the Emilia-Romagna region, Italy: current activity and open issues: a mixed-method study.

In 2002, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, a comprehensive strategic plan was developed with the aim of improving the integration and efficiency of the genetic services. Two decades later, this report aims to explore the current functioning of the regional network, with special focus on clinical genetics in the evolving scenarios. To this aim, we analyzed the activity data of the medical genetics services in the region, to identify and possibly improve currently open issues. This is a mixed-method study, analyzing quantitatively and qualitatively the activities of seven medical genetics services in Emilia-Romagna region. Quantitative analysis considered the number of consultations and the composition of the staff in the year 2021. Qualitative analysis examined a focus group of directors of the services through reflexive thematic analysis. A total of 14,925 counseling sessions have been delivered by the medical genetics services, staffed with 22.4 full-time equivalent clinical geneticists. A physician performed an average of 14.5 consultations per week and approximately 1166h of patient care per year. The clinical geneticists/inhabitants ratio was 0.54 per 100,000 inhabitants, and it is estimated that one every 278 inhabitants, on average, underwent a genetic counseling session in 2021. Qualitative analysis highlighted issues concerning patients' access to service, general organization and staff composition. In order to meet the growing demand for genetic counseling services, expansion of the workforce and adjustment of current practice models are required to increase the access to genetic services and the application of test results to clinical management.