Tube Technique Research Articles

A Study of Clinical and Serological Correlation of Positive Direct Antiglobulin Test in Blood Bank at a Tertiary Care Center.

Objectives Detection of red cell bound immunoglobulins and/or complement by direct antiglobulin test (DAT) is a crucial serological assay in the diagnosis of autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA). However, DAT may be positive in a variety of clinical conditions with or without hemolysis. We aimed at evaluating the clinical and serological correlation of positive DAT by categorizing the clinical conditions associated with positive DAT, estimating the presence of in vivo hemolysis in case of positive DAT with polyspecific and monospecific antisera and correlating the strength of positive DAT with the presence of hemolysis. Materials and Methods The prospective observational study was performed on 200 samples that were positive for DAT with polyspecific antiglobulin reagent as the baseline investigation. These samples were further tested with anti-immunoglobulin G and anti-C3 monospecific DAT reagents to evaluate the type of protein responsible for positive DAT. The antiglobulin tests were performed by tube technique. DAT positivity was graded (1+ to 4 + ) in each patient. Autocontrol test was included. The patients with positive polyspecific DAT were categorized into different clinical conditions. The presence or absence of in vivo hemolysis was evaluated in all clinical categories and also for each grade of positivity with polyspecific and monospecific antiglobulin reagents. Statistical Analysis Binomial logistic regression and Mann–Whitney U test were applied to between the group analyses. For categorical variables, Fisher's exact test and relative risk were used. The qualitative data were expressed in numbers and percentages. Results The highest number of patients (75/200, 37.5%) belonged to the autoimmune diseases group. Tuberculosis and hepatitis C were the main infectious diseases associated with positive DAT. Out of 200 DAT-positive patients, 98 (49%) had in vivo hemolysis and 102 (51%) did not have hemolysis. AIHA (22) and systemic lupus erythematosus (18) were the commonest clinical conditions associated with in vivo hemolysis. All the 11 samples that showed positivity with only anti-C3 reagent did not show any hemolysis. There was statistically significant increase in the incidence of in vivo hemolysis with increasing grades of DAT positivity with all the three antihuman globulin reagents. Conclusion There are different disease conditions which show positive DAT with or without hemolysis. So, it is important to clinically and serologically correlate positive DAT results.

Comparison of the tube thoracostomy techniques on treatment in COVID-19 patients with pneumothorax

Aim: Tube thoracostomy is an interventional procedure in which there is a high risk for the spread of COVID-19. In this study, we compare the tube thoracostomy procedures performed early on in the pandemic and those performed later after steps were taken in accordance with the new recommendations.
 Material and Method: It is a retrospective and single-center study. COVID-19 patients with spontaneous pneumothorax with indications for tube thoracostomy presented to our emergency department between March 10, 2020, and March 31, 2021. Based on the applied tube techniques, two groups were defined; group 1, patients who underwent classical tube thoracostomy, group 2, patients who underwent tube thoracostomy with the recommended preventive measures for COVID-19. The collected data were compared between the two groups.
 Results: 106 patients met the study criteria and were included in the study. The difference in the length of the tube duration time between the old or new technique was statistically significant (p < 0.05), no difference was identified in the duration of stay, intensive care unit admission, or mortality compared with the two techniques.
 Conclusions: In this study, the new measures recommended for tube thoracostomy were found to be effective for the treatment of patients.

Sugarcane bagasse waste fibers as novel thermal insulation and sound-absorbing materials for application in sustainable buildings

Global warming and noise pollution have emerged as the most serious environmental problems ever to confront humanity. In recent years, the use of natural fibers as thermal insulation and sound absorption construction materials has received much attention. Sugarcane bagasse waste (SBW) is an agro-industrial by-product, abundantly produced in sugar processing plants. Endowed with intrinsic surface roughness, SBW fibers are expected to exhibit high thermal and acoustic performance. To this end, SBW as an eco-friendly material was used to fabricate fibrous samples of different densities and thicknesses. The thermal insulation and sound absorption performance of the specimens were investigated using the guarded hot plate and impedance tube techniques, respectively. Additionally, the surface morphology and tensile properties of the SBW fibers were investigated using the FE-SEM and universal tensile tester. The thermal conductivity values of the specimens were found to range between 0.034 and 0.042 W/mK. The sound absorption average (SAA) and noise reduction coefficient (NRC) of the prepared samples were between 0.26-0.64 and 0.27–0.62, respectively. The results pointed to the good performance of the SBW fibers in the low- and mid-frequency ranges. The acoustic characteristics of the specimens were also studied by the Johnson-Champoux-Allard and statistical models and good agreement with experimental data was noticed. It was concluded that SBW as an innovative sustainable construction material provides competitive performance in terms of thermal and acoustical characteristics compared with its natural and nonrenewable counterparts.

Spectrum of clinically significant anti-M antibody in patients requiring transfusion

Aims: The study aimed to determine the frequency and serological characteristics of anti-M antibody in patient population. Methods: It was a retrospective study over for a period of two years (April, 2016 to March, 2018). Blood grouping was performed by tube technique. In case of incompatible cross-match, antibody screening and identification were performed using LISS Coombs’ anti-human globulin (AHG) gel cards (Bio-Rad, Switzerland). Di-thiothreitol (DTT) treatment was also performed to demonstrate the existence of a potentially clinical significant IgG antibody. Results: The frequency of anti-M antibody was 0.05% in patients (51 out of 101,364 requisitions). DTT treatment could be done in 12 samples which showed it was IgM type in 11 (91.7%) and mixture of IgM and IgG type in 1 (8.3%) case. Transfusion history was present in 21 (41.2%), absent in 13 (25.5%), and not known in 17 (33.3%) patients. M antigen phenotyping in 42 patients showed that 41/42 patients were M-negative (six of them gave a “mixed-field” agglutination due to recent transfusion of M+ PRBC unit). The 42nd patient was typed as M+ which could be again due to history of recent transfusion of PRBC. Conclusion: Most of the anti-M antibodies were IgM type, however, serological characterization revealed the IgG type also which were found to be reactive at 37°C in AHG phase and thus clinically significant.

Laboratory screening technique for filariasis in tropical endemic area: Thick smear versus buffy coat capillary tube versus low-concentration normal saline technique: A cost analysis

Laboratory screening technique for filariasis in tropical endemic area: Thick smear versus buffy coat capillary tube versus low-concentration normal saline technique: A cost analysis

Comparative Evaluation of Heat-Inactivated ABO Isoagglutinin Titers with Solid-Phase Red Cell Adhesion Titers

Background and Objectives: Measurement of actual concentration of IgG requires methods like heat inactivation (HI) of serum. This study was aimed at comparing of heat-treated ABO titers performed by conventional test tube technique (CTT) and column agglutination technique (CAT) with hemagglutination (HA)/solid-phase red cell adherence (SPRCA). Methods: This was a prospective, observational study conducted between October 2019 and March 2020. All consecutive A, B, and O group donors who gave consent for participation in the project were included. All samples were tested by CTT and CAT before and after HI (post DTT treatment performed by CTT [pCTT] and post DTT treatment performed by CAT [pCAT]) and with HA/SPRCA. Results: A total of 300 donors were included: 100 each with A, B, and O blood groups. For group O, IgG titers were higher than IgM titers among group O, whereas that among group A and group B, IgM titer was found to be higher than IgG titer by both HA/SPRCA and pCTT. The titer values among all the three blood groups were highest when the test was performed by pCAT, though the results of pCTT and SPRCA, pCTT, and pCAT were significant in group O donors. For groups A and B, results of pCTT and pCAT, pCAT, and HA/SPRCA were found to be statistically significant. Conclusion: Results obtained by HA/SPRCA were closer to pCTT, with respect to time consumption, expertise required, and lack of inter-observer variation. Titers obtained by pCAT were higher in comparison to pCTT obviously due to its relative higher sensitivity. Hence, these methods cannot be used interchangeably.

Endoscopic subannular tube technique for patients with middle ear ventilatory impairment

Endoscopic subannular tube technique for patients with middle ear ventilatory impairment

Determination of C,c,E and e Antigens Section Prevalence in Rh D Negative Individuals: Is it Good Exercise with Utilities in Clinical Blood Transfusion Practices?

Introduction: Besides D antigen, C,c,E and e antigens of Rh blood group system are the most important antigens involved in alloimmunisation. The prevalence of C,c,E and e antigens in Rh D negative individuals in local population has many utilities in transfusion medicine practice. Aim: To determine the prevalence of C,c,E and e antigens in Rh D negative individuals. Materials and Methods: This prospective observational study was performed at Bhanumati clinical laboratory, Navsari, Gujarat, India, from January 2020 to January 2022. A total of 270 Rh D negative samples irrespective of ABO blood group status were typed for C,c,E and e antigen using monoclonal reagents from two different manufacturers using conventional tube technique. The most likely phenotype and genotype were determined using reference textbooks. Possibility of weak D in these 270 samples was ruled out using polyspecific Antihuman Globulin Reagent performing test for weak D antigens. Results were analysed using Excel spread sheet. Results: Prevalence of C,c,E, and e antigen in the 270 Rh D negative samples were, C (17, 6.29%), c (267, 98.88%), E (1, 0.37%) and e (270, 100%). Most probable genotypes were dce/ dce(rr), dCe/dce(r’r), dCe/dCe(r’r’) and dcE/dce(r’’r). Conclusion: Data obtained of C,c,E and e antigen prevalence in Rh D negative individuals is having varied utilities in blood transfusion services such as formulating rare blood group registry, preparing in house screening and panel red cells, and maintaining inventory of rare blood group units using freezing technology, if available.

Prevalence of Bombay Phenotype in O Blood Group Donors and Patients in Peshawar Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Background: The Bombay phenotype is an uncommon blood group identified using forward and reverses plasma categorizing. Individuals with the Bombay phenotype lack the antigens A, B, and H on their blood cells, but their serum has high levels of anti-A, anti-B, and anti-H antibodies. The Bombay phenotype needed donation of the same blood as the Bombay phenotype or homologous blood. As a result, it is critical to do blood grouping appropriately. Objective: The objective of this is to determine the prevalence of Bombay phenotype among the O blood group donors and patients in Peshawar Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Material and methods: This research was done at Khyber Medical University Peshawar's Institute of Paramedical Science. This trial lasted six months. The samples came from Peshawar's transfusion centres and hospitals. A total of 1050 O blood donors and patients were tested. The tube technique was used to categorise forward and backward blood. Forward blood grouping used anti-sera A, B, and D, whereas reverse blood grouping used known as red blood cells from A, B, and O blood types. Results: No cases of Bombay phenotype were detected in the entire study. Conclusion: According to the findings of this research, the Bombay phenotype is not prevalent in Peshawar. Keywords: Bombay blood group, O blood group donors and patients, forward and Reverse blood grouping.

Solid solubility extension and nano-mechanical properties of rapidly solidified Fe-Zr eutectic alloys under free fall condition

The liquid-solid phase transitions and solidified microstructures of highly undercooled Fe-Zr eutectic melts were investigated by the drop tube technique. The quantitative relationships among droplet diameter (D), undercooling (ΔT) and cooling rate (Rc) were calculated for three types of eutectic alloys (Fe-9.8 at. % Zr, Fe-6 at. % Zr and Fe-16 at. % Zr alloys). Furthermore, the evolutions of solidified microstructure with droplet diameter were studied. The results show that the eutectic microstructure for Fe-9.8 at. % Zr droplet transforms from regularly lamellar shape to anomalous shape as the diameter reduces. The α-Fe dendrite in Fe-6 at. % Zr droplet transforms from coarse dendrite to refined dendrite with the decrease of droplet diameter, while the Fe2Zr dendrite in Fe-16 at. % Zr droplet transforms from faceted dendrite to non-faceted grain. Besides, a remarkable solid solubility extension was found in both the α-Fe dendrites of Fe-6 at. % Zr alloy and the Fe2Zr dendrites of Fe-16 at. % Zr alloy. The solid solubility of the α-Fe dendrite increases from 3 at. % to 5.6 at. % when the droplet diameter reduces from 1069 to 212 µm, while it decreases from 31 to 22 at. % in the Fe2Zr dendrite as the diameter reduces from 991 to 228 µm. The microstructural morphology and solid solubility are directly related to the nano-hardness and Young’s elastic modulus of alloys. The nano-mechanical properties of the eutectic gradually increase with the refinement of the layers, and gradually decrease as the irregularity of the anomalous eutectic increases. With the reduction of droplet diameter, the nano-hardness rises and Young’s elastic modulus continuously diminishes for the α-Fe dendrite due to the increase in the solute content of Zr, while these two mechanical properties gradually decrease for the Fe2Zr dendrite because of the reduction in the solute content of Zr.

Effect of geometric parameters on spray characteristics of air assisted pressure swirl atomizer

In the present work, a modified Pressure Swirl Atomizer (PSA) was introduced to operate as an Assisted Pressure Swirl Atomizer (AAPSA). Different mass flow rates of assisted air were experimentally tested. The studied parameters are the orifice length to diameter ratio (L/Do), swirl chamber length/diameter ratio (Ls/Ds) and swirling passage size (width × depth). The spray characteristics were studied using water as the atomized liquid. The spray was photographed using a high-speed camera to determine the spray shape, the cone angle and the spray breakup length. Moreover, photos taken by the high-speed camera were processed using IMAGE J software to obtain the droplet size diameters. The spray concentrations were measured by the patternator tubes technique. The results indicated that the spray cone angle increased by increasing the value of the L/Do ratio or by decreasing the assisted air mass flow rate. The spray concentration maximum value is shifted inward with the assist air injection. The breakup length decreased by about 65% for the PSA and 77% for the AAPSA when the value of the Ls/Ds ratio is decreased from 1.163 to 0.664. With the injection of assist air at a rate of 2 g/s, the Sauter Mean Diameter (SMD) is reduced by about 64% compared to a PSA having the same geometry.

COVID-19 Antibody Detection and Assay Performance Using Red Cell Agglutination

Background. Serologic assays detecting antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 spike or nucleocapsid proteins have been developed to advance our understanding of the prognosis and clinical course of the COVID-19 disease. We recently developed a red cell agglutination-based assay to detect severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies. This assay uses peptide fragments of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to label red cells (C19-kodecytes). We performed a clinical evaluation of this C19-kodecyte assay in COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) donors previously assessed with 2 commercial immunoassays and a virus neutralizing assay.Methods. Red cells were coated with peptide fragments of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. We tested plasma samples from 140 CCP donors. The results were compared with those of a virus neutralizing assay and 2 commercial chemiluminescent antibody tests: anti-SARS-CoV-2 Total (IgG, IgM and IgA) assay and anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG assay (Ortho). Inter-rater agreement between the different assays was measured using Cohen's kappa. Specificity was tested with 150 plasma samples, collected in 2008, more than a decade before the COVID-19 outbreak and with 125 plasma samples, collected in 2020 from consecutive healthy volunteer donors, who tested negative for the Ortho Total assay. Testing was performed using the column agglutination technique commonly employed for blood typing.Results. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for the C19-kodecyte assay reached 0.95 (95% CI: 0.93 - 0.97) with sensitivity of 92.8% (95% CI: 86.9% - 96.3%) and specificity of 96.3% (95% CI: 93.2% - 98.1%). In almost all of the 40 CCP donors with longitudinal data, the antibody concentration decreased during the follow-up, which ranged from 7 to 44 weeks. In the 140 CCP donors, we compared the C19-kodecyte score to the antibody concentrations from the 2 FDA authorized assays (Ortho Total and Ortho IgG) and the titer in the neutralizing assay. There was a positive relationship between the results of all 4 assays. The Spearman's correlation of our assay was 0.20 with the neutralizing assay (0.49 with IgG, and 0.41 with Total assays).Conclusions. Sensitivity and specificity of the C19-kodecyte assay were within the minimum performance range required by the FDA for EUA authorization of serology tests. The limited correlation in assay reaction strengths suggested that the assays may be influenced by different antibody specificities. Unlike the other 84 FDA authorized serologic tests for SARS-CoV-2, this C19-kodecyte assay is a simple and rapid test that can be easily established in any blood typing laboratory worldwide using its routine setup for column agglutination or tube technique. The technique could vastly improve assay capacity, particularly in resource limited hospital blood banks. DisclosuresBovin: Kode Biotech: Current Employment, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company. Henry: Kode Biotech: Current Employment, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company.

Preliminary Assessment of Water Quality in Some Hydrocarbon-imparted Ogoni Communities in River State, Nigeria

Aim: This study aimed to assess the quality of drinking water in some hydrocarbon-impacted Ogoni communities.
 Study Design: The study employ a cross-sectional and analytical design using stratified sampling method.
 Place and Duration of Study: Department of Medical Laboratory Science of Rivers State University, Giolee Global Resource Limited and Environmental Consultancy Services between March 2020 and March 2021.
 Methodology: Water samples were collected from (20 hydrocarbon- impacted communities) in the 4 Local Government Area (LGAs) of Ogoni land. These water samples were analyzed to determine the physicochemical, bacteriological, heavy metal and total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) parameters using standard methods and operational procedures. The data obtained were subjected to descriptive statistical analysis. The general linearized model (GIG) was used to generate analysis of variance (ANOVA) mean and standard error and arrange, statistically significant was set as p-value of .05 (95% confidence limit). Pearson correlation test was used to calculate the correlation between TPH, Heavy metal, and physicochemical parameters in hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbon impacted communities. All statistical analyses were performed using GraphPad Prism (Version 8).
 Results: The results obtained for physicochemical parameters were pH 4.3±0.8 mg/l, EC 0.03±0.05 mg/l, DO 5.5±1.6 mg/l, Temp 25.0±0.0 mg/l, Mv 0.32±0.27 mg/l, Nitrite 0.0058±013 mg/l, Nitrate 0.1530±158 mg/l. These results were all below the recommended standard for Nigeria standard of drinking water quality (NSDWQ) and World Health Organization (WHO). The bacteriological analyses were carried out using multiple tubes technique (Most Probable Number), total coliform count, (TC), total heterotrophic count (THBC) and total fungal count (TFC). The results obtained were 0.941±2.397 cfu/ml, 89.3±176.6 cfu/ml, 297.8±144.4 cfu/ml, and 0.32±0.84 cfu/ml respectively. The p-values for TFC (<0.0002) were statistically significant. Heavy metal profiling was: Cr 0.194±0.320 mg/l, Cd 0.469±0.569 mg/l, Cu 0.211±0.348 mg/l, Pb 0.0336±0.20 mg/l, Fe 0.705±1.244 mg/l, Zn 0.258±0.249 mg/l, respectively. Generally, the concentration of heavy metal increased more than the standard recommended by NSDWQ and WHO except for Zn 0.255±0.249 mg/l, and Cu 0.56±0.50 mg/l, that is slightly lower than the acceptable limit recommended by WHO and NSWWQ. The sequences of heavy metal concentration were in Cd > Cr> Pb>Fe> Cu.>Zn. The statistical significance values for Pb p=.003 and for Zn p=.009 were statistically significant. The concentration of TPH were (349.9 ppm/ml) higher than the recommended values for NSDWQ and WHO.
 Conclusion: The findings in this research reviewed a worrisome level of TPH and Pb, and which could have devastating impact on bacterial biodiversity.

Comparative assessment of dithiothreitol‐treated ABO isoagglutinin titres performed by two methods

Background and aimsTo determine actual concentration of clinically significant IgG antibodies, there is need to inactivate IgM antibodies. Aim of this study was to study effect of dithiothreitol (DTT) on ABO isoagglutinin titres performed by column agglutination technology (CAT) and conventional tube technique (CTT) and to compare results obtained by DTT treatment.Materials and methodsThis was a prospective, observational study conducted from October 2019 to March 2020. All consecutive A, B and O group donors were included. All samples were consecutively tested by CTT and CAT, before and after DTT treatment (pCTT, pCAT).ResultsA total of 300 donors were included, 100 each from group A, B and O. IgG titres were found to be more than IgM titres. For group O, IgG titre results were higher for both anti‐A and anti‐B compared with group A and B. Reduction in IgG titres was observed with DTT. With the use of DTT, one log reduction in group O IgG titres was observed and three log reduction in group A/B IgG titres was observed. When comparing anti‐A and anti‐B IgG results for group O individuals, results of CTT and pCAT were not found to be significant. IgG measurement of anti‐A and anti‐B of group O individuals showed strong to very strong correlation between CTT and CAT, before and after DTT treatment.ConclusionThere is significant difference between antibody titres estimated using DTT‐treated and DTT‐untreated plasma. Use of DTT for ABO isoagglutinin titre estimation is recommended.

Mid-Term Effects of Forest Thinning on N Mineralization in a Semi-Arid Aleppo Pine Forest

In order to assess the sustainability of silvicultural treatments in semiarid forests, it is necessary to know how they affect the nutrient dynamics in the forest. The objective of this paper is to study the effects of silvicultural treatments on the net N mineralization and the available mineral N content in the soil after 13 years following forest clearings. The treatments were carried out following a randomized block design, with four treatments and two blocks. The distance between the two blocks was less than 3 km; they were located in Chelva (CH) and Tuéjar (TU) in Valencia, Spain. Within each block, four experimental clearing treatments were carried out in 1998: T0 control; and T60, T75 and T100 where 60%, 75% and 100 of basal area was eliminated, respectively. Nitrogen dynamics were measured using the resin tube technique, with disturbed samples due to the high stoniness of the plots. Thirteen years after the experimental clearings, T100, T75 and T60 treatments showed a twofold increase in the net mineralization and nitrification rates with respect to T0 in both blocks (TU and CH). Within the plots, the highest mineralization was found in sites with no plant cover followed by those covered by undergrowth. These results can be explained in terms of the different litterfall qualities, which in turn are the result of the proportion of material originating from Pinus halepensis Mill. vs. more decomposable undergrowth residues.

In vitro compatibility testing of canine and rabbit blood.

To determine thein vitrocompatibility of rabbit and canine blood using both a tube and slide agglutination crossmatch technique and to compare the results obtained from these 2 methods. Prospective observational laboratory study from January to March 2020. University veterinary teaching hospital. Sixclient-owned rabbits≥3.5kgundergoing phlebotomy for a clinical reason."Pigtail"blood samples from 3 dog erythrocyte antigen (DEA) 1-positive and 3 DEA 1-negative canine packed red blood cell units. Blood from each rabbit was crossmatched with a single unit of caninebloodusingbotha standard laboratory tube agglutinationtechniqueand a simple slide agglutination method with each rabbit/canineunit serving as its own intraassay control.Tube crossmatches wereevaluated for agglutination both macro- and microscopicallyand assessed for hemolysis. Slide crossmatches were assessed for the presence of agglutinationboth macro- and microscopically. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: All crossmatches were incompatible.Varying degrees of agglutination were seen for all crossmatches. Hemolysis was observed with all minor tube crossmatches.Results of both crossmatch techniques were in close agreement. CONCLUSIONS: The crossmatch results in this present study strongly demonstratein vitroincompatibility between canine and rabbit blood. Agreement between the 2techniquesin this study indicates that the slide agglutination technique may be quicker, require less blood, and providereliable results in exclusively assessing the compatibility of canine and rabbit blood. Based on theresults of this study,emergency xenotransfusion of canine blood to rabbits cannot be recommended.

P-044: Comparison of 10 Color Flowcytometry and PET/CT for prognosticating MM post-transplant: results from IMPOSE-BORTECON trial

<h3>Background</h3> The primary hurdle in curing MM is defining a validated minimal residual disease (MRD). Commonly used techniques for assessing MRD in India are multicolor flow cytometry (MFC) and PET/CT. We intended to compare the efficacy of the 10 Color-MFC and PET/CT for prognosticating MM post-transplant. <h3>Methods</h3> The study is a prospective multicentric randomized controlled study – IMPOSE BORTECON (AFMRC-4905/2016). The primary objective was to compare the PET/CT and MFC for prognosticating the MM patients post-transplant for OS. The secondary objectives were to evaluate universal availability and applicability, patient satisfaction scoring, and financial implications of the MRD techniques. The data from patients enrolled till 31 Dec 2020 were analyzed. All patients underwent MFC and PET/CT (within seven days gap) starting D+100 post-transplant four times at six-monthly intervals. 18F-FDG-PET/CT was scored using IMPeTUs scoring with Deauville 3 considered as Positive (Target Lesion SUVmax > Liver SUVmax). Two readers interpreted the reports with a CoV of 1.2%. MFC was done using Beckmann Coulter, 10 Color 2 tube technique with standard antibodies as EMN guidelines, with the single reader, and all reports were counterchecked by the company scientist for accuracy. PFS and OS were defined as per IMWG guidelines. JMP 15.0 was used for data analysis. <h3>Results</h3> Of 106 patients constituting 434 simultaneous MRD evaluations, the median age was 52 years (35-66) with male preponderance (61.3%). Of all the patients analyzed, the 2y and 3y were 80% and 60.4%. 29.8% were positive for MRD by MFC, and 37.2% were positive for PET/CT. PET positivity was preceded by a mean of 102d before MFC positivity (SD-338d). On average, PET/CT was positive six months before the MFC and 12 months before clinical relapse by swimmer's analysis. PET/CT positivity was significantly associated with inferior OS compared to positive MFC (p<0.001, p-0.239 respectively) using Kaplan-Meier analysis. The concordance between MFC and PET-CT was not statistically significant (R=-0.101, p-0.7811). Universal availability of MFC was more difficult owing to a lack of standardization and expertise to report the test in real-world settings. On the evaluation of patient feedbacks, 18 patients withdrew consent due to fear of repeated bone marrows for MRD by MFC. Costs were comparable by Markov analysis. <h3>Conclusion</h3> We have reported higher efficacy of positive PET/CT in predicting the inferior OS than MFC in MM post-transplant. The results of the PET/CT are more easily interpretable, with PET/CT being more acceptable to patients and more widely available with no additional costs. This is the first study from our country to compare the two MRD analysis methods in MM patients.

Performance Augmentation of the Flat Plate Solar Thermal Collector: A Review

The need for hot water in residential buildings requires a significant energy potential. Therefore, an efficient water heating system is important to achieve the goal of saving high-grade energy. The most simple and cheapest solar water heater is a flat plate solar collector (FPSC), which can increase the thermal energy of fluid by absorbing solar radiation. The performance of FPSC is comparatively low due to the dilute nature of solar insolation. Therefore, advancement of FPSC is being undertaken to improve the performance and achieve size reduction. In past, several techniques have been exploited to improve the performance of FPSC, which are presented in the present paper. These techniques include surface modifications, use of nanofluids, solar selective coating, and applications of a mini/macro channel, heat pipe, and vacuum around absorber. Surface modification on the absorber/absorber tube techniques are exploited to transfer the maximum possible solar energy to working fluids by increasing the heat transfer rate. Insertion of wire mesh, coil, and twisted tapes in the flow has great potential to increase the Nusselt number by 460% at the expense of a large pressure drop. Selective coating of Cu0.44 Ti0.44 Mn0.84 helps to absorb up to 97.4% of the incident solar energy, which is more significant. Many nanofluids have been exploited as heat transfer fluids, as they not only increase the performance but also reduce the fluid inventory. So, these techniques play a very prominent role in the performance of FPSC, which are discussed in detail. Summaries of the results are presented and recommendations proposed.

Cervical Spine Reconstruction with Chest Tube Technique After Metastasis Resection: A Single-Center Experience

The silastic tube technique, in which a chest tube is placed into the vertebral body defect and impregnated with polymethyl methacrylate, showed good results in patients with lumbar and thoracic neoplastic diseases. There has been only 1 study about the effectiveness and safety of this technique in patients with cervical metastases. We aimed to report our experience in using this technique to reconstruct the spine after corpectomy for cervical metastasis. All patients with cervical spinal metastasis who underwent surgical treatment using a chest tube impregnated with polymethyl methacrylate in conjunction with anterior cervical plate stabilization were retrospectively recruited. Demographics, tumor histology, revised Tokuhashi score, preoperative and postoperative American Spinal Injury Association score, preoperative and postoperative ambulatory status, perioperative complications, and survival time were collected. This study included 16 patients. The most common primary tumor site was the lung (6 patients; 37.5%). The mean (SD) survival time was 408 (795) days (range, 1-2797 days), and the median survival time was 72 days (95% confidence interval 28-116 days). Four patients (25%) died within 30 postoperative days. There was no surgical site infection or instrument failure after the surgery. Five patients (31.2%) lived >180 days, and 3 patients (18.8%) lived >360 days. One patient (6.2%) was still alive at the end of the study. The silastic tube technique in conjunction with anterior cervical plate stabilization might be safe, effective, and cost-effective for patients with cervical spine metastasis.

High-sensitivity detection of clinically significant red blood cell antibodies by the column agglutination technique.

The detection of clinically significant antibodies to red blood cell antigens is important for the selection of compatible blood for patients. The conventional test tube technique (CTT) is commonly used as the gold standard test, but manual testing and visual detection of hemagglutination may produce errors. A more recently developed method, the column agglutination technique (CAT), facilitates ease of testing. To investigate the specificity and sensitivity of the CAT compared to the CTT for the screening of clinically significant antibodies from the Rh blood group. Standard antibodies to the Rh blood group, anti-D, -C and -E, were used as examples of clinically significant antibodies in transfusion science. The antibodies were serially diluted by two-fold, then reacted with screening cells with different antigen expression. The hemagglutination reaction was investigated using both techniques, and the grades and scores of the reactions were used to analyze the sensitivity and specificity of the CTT and CAT. The CAT had a better sensitivity than the CTT. The lowest antibody dilution of 1:8192 could be detected using CAT, while a dilution of only 1:2048 could be detected with CTT. However, the CTT and CAT were equal in specificity. The 2 techniques specifically detected all antibodies to the screening cells. Both the CAT and CTT showed 100% specificity. However, the CAT exhibited more sensitivity than the CTT, and can be used in substitution of, or in parallel with, the CTT technique for red blood cell phenotyping, antibody screening, identification, and crossmatching.