Design Of Tests Research Articles

Two immunodominant antigens from Madurella mycetomatis were identified by IgG antibodies in infected mice

Abstract Madurella mycetomatis is the most frequent etiological agent of eumycetoma, a chronic infectious disease that is acquired by traumatic inoculation of the microbe, mainly in the lower limbs. It usually affects young people between the ages of 15 and 30 and its treatment is complicated, involving surgical approach and chronic use of antifungals. To date there is lack of accessible immunological test for the diagnosis of this disease. In this work we obtained protein antigens from the cellular extract of M. mycetomatis, which can be used in the design of an immunodiagnostic test. 8-12 week old female BALB/C mice were infected with a suspension of M. mycetomatis using 3 different inoculation routes: intraperitoneal, dorsal subcutaneous and foot pad. Crude cellular extract of M. mycetomatis, protein antigens were analyzed on an SDS-PAGE gel, which were recognized by serum of mice infected with M. mycetomatis using the Western blot technique. The IgG anti-M. mycetomatis identified 2 immunodominant antigens were recognized by antibodies in all infected mice with M. mycetomatis. The identification of these antigens in sera from patients with eumycetoma has diagnostic potential.

Physics-Informed Design of Hybrid Pulse Power Characterization Tests for Rechargeable Batteries

Industry-standard diagnostic methods for rechargeable batteries, such as hybrid pulse power characterization (HPPC) tests for hybrid electric vehicles, provide some indications of state of health (SoH), but lack a physical basis to guide protocol design and identify degradation mechanisms. We develop a physics-based theoretical framework for HPPC tests, which are able to accurately determine specific mechanisms for battery degradation in porous electrode simulations. We show that voltage pulses are generally preferable to current pulses, since voltage-resolved linearization more rapidly quantifies degradation without sacrificing accuracy or allowing significant state changes during the measurement. In addition, asymmetric amounts of information gain between charge /discharge pulses are found from differences in electrode kinetic scales. We demonstrate our approach of physics-informed HPPC on simulated Li-ion batteries with nickel-rich cathodes and graphite anodes. Multivariable optimization by physics-informed HPPC rapidly determines kinetic parameters that correlate with degradation phenomena at the anode, such as solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) growth and lithium plating, as well as at the cathode, such as oxidation-induced cation disorder. If validated experimentally, standardized voltage protocols for HPPC tests could play a pivotal role in expediting battery SoH assessment and accelerating materials design by providing new electrochemical features for interpretable machine learning of battery degradation.

Evaluation of infiltration testing methods for design of stormwater drywell systems

The current infiltration testing and drywell design methods do not always provide accurate estimates of the capacity of production-scale dry wells. In numerous cases, the predicted capacities appear to be considerably lower than the actual drywell capacity, resulting in more drywells than required and significantly higher construction and long-term maintenance costs. In other cases, the uncertainty in the measurements results in the predicted capacities being higher than the actual drywell capacity, resulting in fewer drywells being required. In this study, we discuss the reasons for these inaccurate predictions of drywell performance using current methods, as well as the results of recent studies to develop improved methods for predicting the capacity of stormwater infiltration drywells. These studies, funded by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Los Angeles County Safe Clean Water Program (SCW), include numerical simulations and field studies in California. These test methods rely on steady-state infiltration tests in small-diameter boreholes and produce an estimate of the saturated hydraulic conductivity, which can be used to reliably predict the performance of large-diameter drywells. The methods were validated by testing small- and large-diameter test wells in close proximity using three different drilling methods. The results of this study describe the design and conduct of a borehole infiltration test that accurately represents drywell performance. Furthermore, based on a combination of numerical simulations and field studies, reduction factors were developed to account for test uncertainty, test duration, analytical error, field variability, potential for groundwater mounding, and clogging.

Microwave Signal Replicator Design for Testing of the Multi-Channel Transcranial Magnetic Stimulator

Microwave Signal Replicator Design for Testing of the Multi-Channel Transcranial Magnetic Stimulator

Exploring Propolis as a Sustainable Bio-Preservative Agent to Control Foodborne Pathogens in Vacuum-Packed Cooked Ham.

The search for natural food additives makes propolis an exciting alternative due to its known antimicrobial activity. This work aims to investigate propolis' behavior as a nitrite substitute ingredient in cooked ham (a ready-to-eat product) when confronted with pathogenic microorganisms of food interest. The microbial evolution of Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, and Clostridium sporogenes inoculated at known doses was examined in different batches of cooked ham. The design of a challenge test according to their shelf life (45 days), pH values, and water activity allowed the determination of the mesophilic aerobic flora, psychotropic, and acid lactic bacteria viability. The test was completed with an organoleptic analysis of the samples, considering possible alterations in color and texture. The cooked ham formulation containing propolis instead of nitrites limited the potential growth (δ < 0.5 log10) of all the inoculated microorganisms until day 45, except for L. monocytogenes, which in turn exhibited a bacteriostatic effect between day 7 and 30 of the storage time. The sensory analysis revealed the consumer's acceptance of cooked ham batches including propolis as a natural additive. These findings suggest the functionality of propolis as a promising alternative to artificial preservatives for ensuring food safety and reducing the proliferation risk of foodborne pathogens in ready-to-eat products.

Analysis of the Relationship between Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Sharia Compliance with Increasing Leverage on the Impact of Covid-19 (Case Study of MSMEs in Bandung City, Indonesia)

The purpose of this study was to identify the importance of shari'a compliance in the context of MSMEs, MSME's reputation, access to funding, and the impact on the role of shari'a compliance during increased leverage, to determine whether shari'a compliance is associated with increased leverage in MSMEs. is to analyze the impact discussed. This study takes a descriptive-analytical approach to verificative how Shariah compliance affects MSMEs' ability to utilize resources. Primary data sources and the technique for collecting data in this research uses a questionnaire technique. The analysis used in this research is likert scale analysis, hypothesis testing design using confirmatory factor analysis is a method of one of the multivariate analysis methods part of SEM (Structural Equation Modeling) whose function is to confirm or test the model to be hypothesized. To test the hypothesis model, this research uses the outer model for the measurement model and the inner model for the structural model. The Micro, SME population of Islamic Banking customers is his 156 companies and consists of his sample of 50 respondents using non-probability sampling. The study found a correlation and impact between Shariah compliance and leverage in MSMEs in Bandung. Findings from the study highlight the application of Shariah principles in the business activities of MSMEs, in particular the ban on Riba, transparency and fairness, social and environmental responsibility, and resilience to challenges in applying Shariah elements to their business activities. is shown. Shariah compliance impacts MSMEs' reputation, investor confidence, and access to finance

Design and Development of an Antigen Test for SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid Protein to Validate the Viral Quality Assurance Panels.

The continuing mutability of the SARS-CoV-2 virus can result in failures of diagnostic assays. To address this, we describe a generalizable bioinformatics-to-biology pipeline developed for the calibration and quality assurance of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 variant panels provided to Radical Acceleration of Diagnostics programs (RADx)-radical program awardees. A heuristic genetic analysis based on variant-defining mutations demonstrated the lowest genetic variance in the Nucleocapsid protein (Np)-C-terminal domain (CTD) across all SARS-CoV-2 variants. We then employed the Shannon entropy method on (Np) sequences collected from the major variants, verifying the CTD with lower entropy (less prone to mutations) than other Np regions. Polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies were raised against this target CTD antigen and used to develop an Enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) test for SARS-CoV-2. Blinded Viral Quality Assurance (VQA) panels comprised of UV-inactivated SARS-CoV-2 variants (XBB.1.5, BF.7, BA.1, B.1.617.2, and WA1) and distractor respiratory viruses (CoV 229E, CoV OC43, RSV A2, RSV B, IAV H1N1, and IBV) were assembled by the RADx-rad Diagnostics core and tested using the ELISA described here. The assay tested positive for all variants with high sensitivity (limit of detection: 1.72-8.78 ng/mL) and negative for the distractor virus panel. Epitope mapping for the monoclonal antibodies identified a 20 amino acid antigenic peptide on the Np-CTD that an in-silico program also predicted for the highest antigenicity. This work provides a template for a bioinformatics pipeline to select genetic regions with a low propensity for mutation (low Shannon entropy) to develop robust 'pan-variant' antigen-based assays for viruses prone to high mutational rates.

Equivocal diagnostics: Making a 'good' point-of-care test for elimination in global health.

What is a diagnostic test for? We might assume the answer to this question is straightforward. A good test would help identify what disease someone suffers from, assist health providers to determine the correct course of treatment and/or enable public health authorities to know and intervene in health at the level of the population. In this article, we show that what a specific diagnostic test is for, the value it holds for different actors, and what makes it good, or not, is often far from settled. We tell the story of the development and design of a rapid antibody test for onchocerciasis, or river blindness, tracking multiple iterations of the device through three configurational moments in the framing of onchocerciasis disease and reshaping of the global health innovation ecosystem. Efforts to build that ecosystem for diagnostics are often premised on the notion that public health needs for diagnostics are pre-given and stable; the challenge is seen to be how to incentivize investment and find a customer base for diagnostics in under-resourced settings. By contrast, we show that for any disease, diagnostic needs are both multiple and constantly in flux, and are unlikely to be met by a single, stand-alone product. In the case of the onchocerciasis Ov-16 rapid test, the failure to recognize and address the multiplicity and instability of diagnostic needs in the innovation process resulted in the development of a rapid point of care test that might be manufactured, procured and used, but is unloved by public health experts and commercial manufacturers alike. The equivocal value of the onchocerciasis rapid test, we suggest, reveals the inadequacy of the current global health innovation ecosystem for developing diagnostic 'goods'.

Black Measurement: The Contributions of People Racialized as Black to the Field of Psychometrics

Psychometrics is a branch of psychology concerned with the measurement of mental attributes, behavior, and performance, in addition to the design and analysis of tests and other instruments. The origins of this field are rooted in the explorations of 18th century scientists concerned with capturing phenomena in empirical ways. Less discussed is the use of tests and assessments to validate racialization, which thrusts persons racialized as Black into the early discourse on psychometrics. Scholars, scientists, and psychometricians racialized as Black have long engaged psychometrics providing two major contributions: infrastructure via personnel and training programs built by persons racialized as Black; and interdisciplinarity, which include disciplinary standards and knowledge production. This commentary names these important figures and describes their contributions to the field of psychometrics.

Метод викликаних потенціалів як перспективний напрямок дослідження ноцицепції у наркотизованих тварин

The sensation of pain is a pathogenetic link in a wide range of diseases, and the study of nociception as its component is an important area of physiology and medicine. However, modern requirements for research conducted using laboratory animals require the search for new approaches to studying nociception and analgesia with minimizing the suffering of subjects in ethological testing and maximizing the transition to instrumental testing. We proposed the use of a standard formalin model of pain in combination with the recording of changes in somatosensory cortex potentials caused by electrical stimulation of efferents at the level of the forelimb. It was found that after subcutaneous injection of 0.30 ml of 4% formalin, the amplitude of evoked potentials increased. Under the conditions of the proposed testing design, both dosedependent and time-dependent effects of the formalin model of pain were observed in an anesthetized animal. The peculiarity of the obtained results was that the fixed somatosensory potentials of the brain in the S1 forelimb region showed sensitivity to the administration of a nociceptive agent in those areas of the body that topographically did not belong to the cortical representation of the forelimbs. This probably indicates the potential universality of this test approach. Thus, it was shown that evoked potentials in the forelimb representation of the primary somatosensory cortex demonstrate a clearly fixed response to painful stimulation in the formalin model of pain and can be used in studies of nociceptive and analgesic effects as a partial alternative to standard ethological testing.

Метод викликаних потенціалів як перспективний напрямок дослідження ноцицепції у наркотизованих тварин

The sensation of pain is a pathogenetic link in a wide range of diseases, and the study of nociception as its component is an important area of physiology and medicine. However, modern requirements for research conducted using laboratory animals require the search for new approaches to studying nociception and analgesia with minimizing the suffering of subjects in ethological testing and maximizing the transition to instrumental testing. We proposed the use of a standard formalin model of pain in combination with the recording of changes in somatosensory cortex potentials caused by electrical stimulation of efferents at the level of the forelimb. It was found that after subcutaneous injection of 0.30 ml of 4% formalin, the amplitude of evoked potentials increased. Under the conditions of the proposed testing design, both dosedependent and time-dependent effects of the formalin model of pain were observed in an anesthetized animal. The peculiarity of the obtained results was that the fixed somatosensory potentials of the brain in the S1 forelimb region showed sensitivity to the administration of a nociceptive agent in those areas of the body that topographically did not belong to the cortical representation of the forelimbs. This probably indicates the potential universality of this test approach. Thus, it was shown that evoked potentials in the forelimb representation of the primary somatosensory cortex demonstrate a clearly fixed response to painful stimulation in the formalin model of pain and can be used in studies of nociceptive and analgesic effects as a partial alternative to standard ethological testing.

A benefit risk approach in cutoff determination for diagnostic tests

A crucial step in the design of a diagnostic test is determining the cutoff point, the threshold which separates a negative measurement from a positive one. The results of a diagnostic test have clinical consequences: only when disease is accurately detected, proper treatments be administered, and vice versa. Benefit-Risk (BR) analysis should be used to determine the optimal cutoff point that optimizes the consequence. Quantitative BR analysis requires measurable benefit and risk and a function, e.g., linear or ratio, to combine all the components. When BR corresponding to the four possible diagnostic test outcomes are all scaled in units of risk resulting from an untreated disease, we propose a net BR (linear BR) equation as a function of diagnostic parameters, disease prevalence, benefit of correct diagnosis and risk of false diagnostic results. Optimal cutoff of a diagnostic test can be obtained using this function. Comparison of diagnostic tests based on their benefit and risk of tests is also discussed. Use of this function is illustrated with a biosensor rapid antigen test for SARS-CoV-2.

Acute toxicity of rich triethylene glycol on juvenile African freshwater catfish (Clarias gariepinus) around a natural gas dehydration facility

Triethylene glycol (TEG) removes equilibrium water from natural gas but may spill during equipment maintenance and other poor safety practices. Studies on the toxicity of rich TEG in aquatic habitats are scarce. In this study, the toxicity of rich TEG on freshwater juvenile African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) test organism was conducted. The experimental design for the toxicity tests was 3 × 5 × 6 factor in a randomized complete block design, with six levels of treatment, observed at five intervals and in three replicates. The acute toxicity was carried out by exposing them to various lethal concentrations of the Rich TEG in solution. Physicochemical parameters, including temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, and total dissolved solids, were measured and recorded for five test concentrations of 25.92, 12.96, 6.48, 3.24, 1.62, and 0.0 ml/l (control). The concentration responses for the fish mortality at 24, 48, 72, and 96 h were also derived. No mortality was observed between Rich TEG concentrations of 0 ml/l to 25.92 ml/l after 72 h of exposure. However, some mortality was observed between 1.62 ml/l to 25.92 ml/l after 96 h of exposure. The highest concentration of 25.92 ml/l recorded a higher mortality of 6.0 ± 0.4, which is an average of 60%, while the lowest mortality was recorded in the control (0 ml/l), at an average of 0% mortality rate. The results underscore the concentration-dependent effects of rich TEG on the test organism, highlighting the need for targeted attention to higher concentration levels.

Robustness Assessment of AI-Based 2D Object Detection Systems: A Method and Lessons Learned from Two Industrial Cases

The reliability of AI-based object detection models has gained interest with their increasing use in safety-critical systems and the development of new regulations on artificial intelligence. To meet the need for robustness evaluation, several authors have proposed methods for testing these models. However, applying these methods in industrial settings can be difficult, and several challenges have been identified in practice in the design and execution of tests. There is, therefore, a need for clear guidelines for practitioners. In this paper, we propose a method and guidelines for assessing the robustness of AI-based 2D object detection systems, based on the Goal Question Metric approach. The method defines the overall robustness testing process and a set of recommended metrics to be used at each stage of the process. We developed and evaluated the method through action research cycles, based on two industrial cases and feedback from practitioners. Thus, the resulting method addresses issues encountered in practice. A qualitative evaluation of the method by practitioners was also conducted to provide insights that can guide future research on the subject.

A Digital Platform (Telepalliation) for Patients in Palliative Care and Their Relatives: Protocol for a Multimethod Randomized Controlled Trial.

The World Health Organization defines end-of-life palliative care as "prevention and relief of suffering, by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual." Over 20 million people worldwide are in need of palliative care. In Denmark, palliative care is given at a general and a specialist level. The general level comprises health care professionals (HCPs) who do not perform palliative care full-time. The specialist level comprises specialized palliative care (SPC), where HCPs perform palliative care full-time. In total, 20%-30% of patients who need palliative care are referred to SPC. Challenges with SPC include a short time span from referral to end of life, patients who are very ill and may therefore find it hard to travel to an outpatient clinic, and the SPC unit having a relatively small staff. The need for SPC is expected to rise, as the number of patients dying from terminal diseases is increasing. Telehealth has been successfully implemented in different home care settings, including palliative care. The aim of the study is to present the research design of the clinical testing of a telepalliation program by the use of a digital platform for patients in palliative care and their relatives. The telepalliation program will be conducted as a multimethod randomized controlled trial. The intervention group will follow the telepalliation program, while the control group will follow the traditional standard of care program for palliative care. The primary outcome of the study is increased quality of life. Secondary outcomes include enhanced sense of security; reduced experience of pain; satisfactory experiences of patients and relatives with the TelePal platform and degree of satisfaction in being a part of the program; experiences with the use of the TelePal platform on the part of HCPs and the professionals' experiences of being a part of the program; the use of a cross-sector communication platform and the telepalliation program by patients, relatives, and HCPs; and the projected lower cost of health care services. These outcomes will be assessed using questionnaires, data generated by digital technologies, and semistructured interviews. The collection of data began in May 2021 and will be completed in August 2024. The results of the study will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at international conferences. Results from the telepalliation program are expected to be published by fall 2024. The expected outcomes of the study are increased quality of life and increased sense of security. We also expect that the study will have a clinical impact on future telepalliation for those patients who are referred to a palliative team. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04995848; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04995848. DERR1-10.2196/49946.

Design of Magnetic Shield and System Test of Strong Static Magnetic Field for ITER Radial X-Ray Camera Electronics

Design of Magnetic Shield and System Test of Strong Static Magnetic Field for ITER Radial X-Ray Camera Electronics

高速作业种肥播深可控的花生播种机的设计与试验研究

Aiming at the traditional peanut planter seed and fertilizer sowing depth inconsistency caused by seed burning and injury, fertilizer waste and low seed emergence rate, the design of a peanut planter with high-speed operation and controllable seed and fertilizer sowing depth was performed. The laser sensor is added to detect the height of the ridge and the furrow opener position feedback, and the speed sensor detects the operating speed of the peanut planter. The mechanical analysis of the four-link rod clarifies the control principle, improves the PID algorithm of the integral term, designs the control strategy based on the operating speed of the planter, controls the electro-hydraulic system, and realizes the sowing and fertilizing depth adjustment of the furrow opener. Through the design of three-factor three-level orthogonal simulation test, it is concluded that the vehicle speed and height deviation value are significant factors affecting the sowing and application depth, and under the verification of the field test, it is obtained that when the sowing depth is 50 mm under the speed of 3 km/h, the dynamic sowing depth qualification rate is 96.26%, and the maximum coefficient of variation of the sowing depth is 2.58%, which improves the effect of the existing control of the sowing depth of the peanut by 6.05%, and reduces the variation of the sowing depth by 2.85%. The research has demonstrated superior performance compared to traditional mechanical adjustment in regulating the planting depth of peanuts, thereby achieving the intended design objective.

혼합형 문항으로 구성된 단계적 적응검사에서 교차 라우팅 방법의 효과 탐색

Multistage testing among several adaptive testing types has been more frequently applied into&#x0D; practice because it can accurately and efficiently estimate abilities with relatively short tests. However,&#x0D; it has been also criticized due to its low level of adaptability. To address this issue, the intersectional&#x0D; routing method was proposed and its effectiveness has been partly confirmed. This study aims to&#x0D; explore the effectiveness of the intersectional routing method with mixed-format MST by applying the&#x0D; bi-factor MIRT model, and the UIRT model, extending previous researches. Based upon the results of&#x0D; this study, when the module length was short (8 items), and the correlation between sections was&#x0D; high (0.9), the accuracy of ability estimates using the intersectional routing was higher than the&#x0D; typical multistage testing design regardless of the IRT model. The application of the intersectional&#x0D; routing technique decreased the differences of ability estimate accuracy in accordance with panel&#x0D; designs. Considering the high inter-correlation values between sections in actual tests (ranging from 0.6&#x0D; to 0.9), the application of the intersectional routing method into multistage testing could be a choice&#x0D; for broadening options in test designs and obtaining more accurate ability estimates. The results also&#x0D; indicate the necessity of selecting an appropriate IRT model based on test characteristics in&#x0D; multidimensional adaptive testing situations.

Scaling analysis of the Loop Seal Plugging and Clearing phenomena in a SB-LOCA transient on the BETHSY facility

The objective of this work is to investigate what controls the duration between the Loop Seal Plugging (LSP) and Clearing (LSC) phenomena occurring in a 6% cold leg break LOCA transient carried out on the French BETHSY facility. This influences the duration of a possible core uncovery and the height of the associated Peak Clad Temperature (PCT). This work presents these phenomena, which are complex and difficult to predict by the codes and a scaling analysis is performed on experimental data of the 6.2-TC test. The Fractional Scaling Analysis (FSA) method is applied to a pressure difference equation between an upper control volume and a lower control volume of the BETHSY primary circuit. The relative magnitude of the processes that control the pressure difference between the two control volumes is evaluated. Through a phenomenological analysis, the bottom-up approach correlates the scaling analysis results (i.e. the magnitude of the obtained scaling criteria) with the behaviour of the transient at the system scale. Sensitivity analyses on key parameters are performed in order to establish hypotheses on the code difficulty to predict these phenomena. Finally, conclusions are drawn regarding the behaviour of LSP and LSC, and recommendations on the design of integral tests with respect to the best preservation of these phenomena are made.

Design and validation of initial diagnostic tests for preservice teachers as a tool for teacher education effectiveness

ABSTRACT Teacher education quality and effectiveness have been at the centre of policy discussions in the last decades. As part of efforts to improve teacher preparation, law 20.903 requires Chilean universities to design and apply diagnostic tests assessing the construct of their choice to all first-year preservice teachers. Based on these results, universities must design strategies to support their students. However, universities are facing challenges in implementing these tests, primarily due to the complexity, time and cost associated with developing high-quality tests. In collaboration with three universities, we developed three diagnostic tests: Social Thinking Test, Attitudes Towards Diversity Questionnaire, and Mathematics test for Teaching in Primary Education. Unlike many of the tests currently used by universities, these instruments were specifically designed to measure core teaching skills and attitudes defined by the national standards for Chilean teachers. To collect validity and reliability evidence, the tests were piloted with over 850 Chilean preservice teachers. Reliability was analysed using Cronbach’s alpha, with results ranging between 0.67 and 0.92. Validity was examined based on content and internal structure evidence. The analysis of content evidence indicated good coverage of the target domains as defined by the assessment frameworks, and internal structure results point towards the presence of multidimensionality in two of the three tests. This paper discusses the results of these pilot studies and how diagnostic tests that are constructed and analysed from the perspective of the standards (American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association y National Council on Measurement in Education, 2014) can provide valuable information to improve the effectiveness of teaching education.