40 CFR 53.52 - Leak check test.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... MONITORING REFERENCE AND EQUIVALENT METHODS Procedures for Testing Physical (Design) and Performance Characteristics of Reference Methods and Class I and Class II Equivalent Methods for PM2.5 or PM10â2.5 § 53.52... to include the facility, including components, instruments, operator controls, a written procedure...

40 CFR 53.52 - Leak check test.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... MONITORING REFERENCE AND EQUIVALENT METHODS Procedures for Testing Physical (Design) and Performance Characteristics of Reference Methods and Class I and Class II Equivalent Methods for PM2.5 or PM10â2.5 § 53.52... to include the facility, including components, instruments, operator controls, a written procedure...

Modification of the BAX Salmonella test kit to include a hot start functionality (modification of AOAC Official Method 2003.09).

PubMed

Wallace, F Morgan; DiCosimo, Deana; Farnum, Andrew; Tice, George; Andaloro, Bridget; Davis, Eugene; Burns, Frank R

2011-01-01

In 2010, the BAX System PCR assay for Salmonella was modified to include a hot start functionality designed to keep the reaction enzyme inactive until PCR begins. To validate the assay's Official Methods of Analysis status to include this procedure modification, an evaluation was conducted on four food types that were simultaneously analyzed with the BAX System and either the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Bacteriological Analytical Manual or the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Food Safety and Inspection Service Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook reference method for detecting Salmonella. Identical performance between the BAX System method and the reference methods was observed. Additionally, lysates were analyzed using both the BAX System Classic and BAX System Q7 instruments with identical results using both platforms for all samples tested. Of the 100 samples analyzed, 34 samples were positive for both the BAX System and reference methods, and 66 samples were negative by both the BAX System and reference methods, demonstrating 100% correlation. No instrument platform variation was observed. Additional inclusivity and exclusivity testing using the modified test kit demonstrated the test kit to be 100% accurate in evaluation of test panels of 352 Salmonella strains and 46 non-Salmonella strains.

Reveal Listeria 2.0 test for detection of Listeria spp. in foods and environmental samples.

PubMed

Alles, Susan; Curry, Stephanie; Almy, David; Jagadeesan, Balamurugan; Rice, Jennifer; Mozola, Mark

2012-01-01

A Performance Tested Method validation study was conducted for a new lateral flow immunoassay (Reveal Listeria 2.0) for detection of Listeria spp. in foods and environmental samples. Results of inclusivity testing showed that the test detects all species of Listeria, with the exception of L. grayi. In exclusivity testing conducted under nonselective growth conditions, all non-listeriae tested produced negative Reveal assay results, except for three strains of Lactobacillus spp. However, these lactobacilli are inhibited by the selective Listeria Enrichment Single Step broth enrichment medium used with the Reveal method. Six foods were tested in parallel by the Reveal method and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration/Bacteriological Analytical Manual (FDA/BAM) reference culture procedure. Considering data from both internal and independent laboratory trials, overall sensitivity of the Reveal method relative to that of the FDA/BAM procedure was 101%. Four foods were tested in parallel by the Reveal method and the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) reference culture procedure. Overall sensitivity of the Reveal method relative to that of the USDA-FSIS procedure was 98.2%. There were no statistically significant differences in the number of positives obtained by the Reveal and reference culture procedures in any food trials. In testing of swab or sponge samples from four types of environmental surfaces, sensitivity of Reveal relative to that of the USDA-FSIS reference culture procedure was 127%. For two surface types, differences in the number of positives obtained by the Reveal and reference methods were statistically significant, with more positives by the Reveal method in both cases. Specificity of the Reveal assay was 100%, as there were no unconfirmed positive results obtained in any phase of the testing. Results of ruggedness experiments showed that the Reveal assay is tolerant of modest deviations in test sample volume and device incubation time.

Romer Labs RapidChek®Listeria monocytogenes Test System for the Detection of L. monocytogenes on Selected Foods and Environmental Surfaces.

PubMed

Juck, Gregory; Gonzalez, Verapaz; Allen, Ann-Christine Olsson; Sutzko, Meredith; Seward, Kody; Muldoon, Mark T

2018-04-27

The Romer Labs RapidChek ® Listeria monocytogenes test system (Performance Tested Method ℠ 011805) was validated against the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Food Safety and Inspection Service Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook (USDA-FSIS/MLG), U.S. Food and Drug Association Bacteriological Analytical Manual (FDA/BAM), and AOAC Official Methods of Analysis ℠ (AOAC/OMA) cultural reference methods for the detection of L. monocytogenes on selected foods including hot dogs, frozen cooked breaded chicken, frozen cooked shrimp, cured ham, and ice cream, and environmental surfaces including stainless steel and plastic in an unpaired study design. The RapidChek method uses a proprietary enrichment media system, a 44-48 h enrichment at 30 ± 1°C, and detects L. monocytogenes on an immunochromatographic lateral flow device within 10 min. Different L. monocytogenes strains were used to spike each of the matrixes. Samples were confirmed based on the reference method confirmations and an alternate confirmation method. A total of 140 low-level spiked samples were tested by the RapidChek method after enrichment for 44-48 h in parallel with the cultural reference method. There were 88 RapidChek presumptive positives. One of the presumptive positives was not confirmed culturally. Additionally, one of the culturally confirmed samples did not exhibit a presumptive positive. No difference between the alternate confirmation method and reference confirmation method was observed. The respective cultural reference methods (USDA-FSIS/MLG, FDA/BAM, and AOAC/OMA) produced a total of 63 confirmed positive results. Nonspiked samples from all foods were reported as negative for L. monocytogenes by all methods. Probability of detection analysis demonstrated no significant differences in the number of positive samples detected by the RapidChek method and the respective cultural reference method.

Measuring Thermal Conductivity at LH2 Temperatures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Selvidge, Shawn; Watwood, Michael C.

2004-01-01

For many years, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) produced reference materials for materials testing. One such reference material was intended for use with a guarded hot plate apparatus designed to meet the requirements of ASTM C177-97, "Standard Test Method for Steady-State Heat Flux Measurements and Thermal Transmission Properties by Means of the Guarded-Hot-Plate Apparatus." This apparatus can be used to test materials in various gaseous environments from atmospheric pressure to a vacuum. It allows the thermal transmission properties of insulating materials to be measured from just above ambient temperature down to temperatures below liquid hydrogen. However, NIST did not generate data below 77 K temperature for the reference material in question. This paper describes a test method used at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to optimize thermal conductivity measurements during the development of thermal protection systems. The test method extends the usability range of this reference material by generating data at temperatures lower than 77 K. Information provided by this test is discussed, as are the capabilities of the MSFC Hydrogen Test Facility, where advanced methods for materials testing are routinely developed and optimized in support of aerospace applications.

40 CFR 53.63 - Test procedure: Wind tunnel inlet aspiration test.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... the sampler inlet opening centered in the sampling zone. To meet the maximum blockage limit of § 53.62(c)(1) or for convenience, part of the test sampler may be positioned external to the wind tunnel... = reference method sampler volumetric flow rate; and t = sampling time. (iii) Remove the reference method...

46 CFR 160.174-3 - Incorporation by reference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... by reference in this subpart are: American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. ASTM C 177-85 (1993), Standard Test Method for Steady-State...—160.174-17 ASTM C 518-91, Standard Test Method for Steady-State Heat Flux Measurements and Thermal...

Comparison of high-pressure liquid chromatography and microbiological assay for determination of ciprofloxacin tablets in human plasma employed in bioequivalence and pharmacokinetics study.

PubMed

Khan, Muhammad Khalid; Khan, Muhammad Farid; Mustafa, Ghulam; Sualah, Mohammed

2012-01-01

Ciprofloxacin was given orally to 28 healthy male volunteers for single oral dose of 500mg; Plasma samples were collected at different time's interval between 0 and 12h and analyzed both by high pressure liquid chromatography and by a microbiological assay. The detection limits (LOD) were 0.02μg/ml and 0.1μg/ml, for both methods respectively. For each method, coefficients of variation (R(2)) were 0.9995 and 0.9918 in plasma and limit of quantitation (LOQ).02 and 0.5μg/ml. The Comparison of means maximum concentration 2.68 μg/ml at 1.5 hr for test and 2.43 μg/ml are attain in HPLC method of Reference at 2hrs respectively. The plasma concentrations measured by microbiological assay of reference tablet are 3.95μg/ml (mean ± SE) at 1 hour and 3.80μg/ml (mean ± SE) at 1 hour. The concentrations in plasma measured by microbiological method were markedly higher than the high-pressure liquid chromatography values which indicates the presence of antimicrobially active metabolites. The mean ± SE values of pharmacokinetic parameters calculated by HPLC method, for total area under the curve (AUC 0-oo) were 13.11, and 11.91 h.mg/l for both test and reference tablets respectively. The mean ± SE values of clearance measured in l/h were 44.91 and 48.42 respectively. The elimination rate constant Kel [l/h] showed 0.17 l/h for test and 0.15 l/h reference tablets and likewise, absorption half-life expressed in hours shown 0.67 h for test and 1.04 h for reference respectively. The Mean Residence Time for test is 5.48 h and 5.49 h for reference. The mean ± SE values of pharmacokinetic parameters (Microbiological assay) for total area under the curve (AUC 0-oo) were 22.11 and 19.33 h.mg/l for both test and reference tablets respectively. The mean ± SE values of clearance measured in l/h were 29.02 and 31.63 respectively. The elimination rate constant Kel [l/h] showed 0.21 l/h for test and 0.20 l/h reference tablets and likewise, absorption half-life expressed in hours shown 0.86h for test and 0.56 h for reference respectively. The Mean Residence Time for test is 5.27 h and 4.67 h for reference. Significant difference observed between two methods.

Validation of a modification to Performance-Tested Method 070601: Reveal Listeria Test for detection of Listeria spp. in selected foods and selected environmental samples.

PubMed

Alles, Susan; Peng, Linda X; Mozola, Mark A

2009-01-01

A modification to Performance-Tested Method (PTM) 070601, Reveal Listeria Test (Reveal), is described. The modified method uses a new media formulation, LESS enrichment broth, in single-step enrichment protocols for both foods and environmental sponge and swab samples. Food samples are enriched for 27-30 h at 30 degrees C and environmental samples for 24-48 h at 30 degrees C. Implementation of these abbreviated enrichment procedures allows test results to be obtained on a next-day basis. In testing of 14 food types in internal comparative studies with inoculated samples, there was a statistically significant difference in performance between the Reveal and reference culture [U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Bacteriological Analytical Manual (FDA/BAM) or U.S. Department of Agriculture-Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS)] methods for only a single food in one trial (pasteurized crab meat) at the 27 h enrichment time point, with more positive results obtained with the FDA/BAM reference method. No foods showed statistically significant differences in method performance at the 30 h time point. Independent laboratory testing of 3 foods again produced a statistically significant difference in results for crab meat at the 27 h time point; otherwise results of the Reveal and reference methods were statistically equivalent. Overall, considering both internal and independent laboratory trials, sensitivity of the Reveal method relative to the reference culture procedures in testing of foods was 85.9% at 27 h and 97.1% at 30 h. Results from 5 environmental surfaces inoculated with various strains of Listeria spp. showed that the Reveal method was more productive than the reference USDA-FSIS culture procedure for 3 surfaces (stainless steel, plastic, and cast iron), whereas results were statistically equivalent to the reference method for the other 2 surfaces (ceramic tile and sealed concrete). An independent laboratory trial with ceramic tile inoculated with L. monocytogenes confirmed the effectiveness of the Reveal method at the 24 h time point. Overall, sensitivity of the Reveal method at 24 h relative to that of the USDA-FSIS method was 153%. The Reveal method exhibited extremely high specificity, with only a single false-positive result in all trials combined for overall specificity of 99.5%.

Reveal Salmonella 2.0 test for detection of Salmonella spp. in foods and environmental samples. Performance Tested Method 960801.

PubMed

Hoerner, Rebecca; Feldpausch, Jill; Gray, R Lucas; Curry, Stephanie; Islam, Zahidul; Goldy, Tim; Klein, Frank; Tadese, Theodros; Rice, Jennifer; Mozola, Mark

2011-01-01

Reveal Salmonella 2.0 is an improved version of the original Reveal Salmonella lateral flow immunoassay and is applicable to the detection of Salmonella enterica serogroups A-E in a variety of food and environmental samples. A Performance Tested Method validation study was conducted to compare performance of the Reveal 2.0 method with that of the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Food Safety and Inspection Service or U.S. Food and Drug Administration/Bacteriological Analytical Manual reference culture methods for detection of Salmonella spp. in chicken carcass rinse, raw ground turkey, raw ground beef, hot dogs, raw shrimp, a ready-to-eat meal product, dry pet food, ice cream, spinach, cantaloupe, peanut butter, stainless steel surface, and sprout irrigation water. In a total of 17 trials performed internally and four trials performed in an independent laboratory, there were no statistically significant differences in performance of the Reveal 2.0 and reference culture procedures as determined by Chi-square analysis, with the exception of one trial with stainless steel surface and one trial with sprout irrigation water where there were significantly more positive results by the Reveal 2.0 method. Considering all data generated in testing food samples using enrichment procedures specifically designed for the Reveal method, overall sensitivity of the Reveal method relative to the reference culture methods was 99%. In testing environmental samples, sensitivity of the Reveal method relative to the reference culture method was 164%. For select foods, use of the Reveal test in conjunction with reference method enrichment resulted in overall sensitivity of 92%. There were no unconfirmed positive results on uninoculated control samples in any trials for specificity of 100%. In inclusivity testing, 102 different Salmonella serovars belonging to serogroups A-E were tested and 99 were consistently positive in the Reveal test. In exclusivity testing of 33 strains of non-salmonellae representing 14 genera, 32 were negative when tested with Reveal following nonselective enrichment, and the remaining strain was found to be substantially inhibited by the enrichment media used with the Reveal method. Results of ruggedness testing showed that the Reveal test produces accurate results even with substantial deviation in sample volume or device development time.

40 CFR Table E-1 to Subpart E of... - Summary of Test Requirements for Reference and Class I Equivalent Methods for PM 2.5 and PM 10-2.5

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

.... accuracy 3. Filter temp. control accuracy, sampling and non-sampling 1. 2 °C2. 2 °C 3. Not more than 5 °C... Reference and Class I Equivalent Methods for PM 2.5 and PM 10-2.5 E Table E-1 to Subpart E of Part 53... MONITORING REFERENCE AND EQUIVALENT METHODS Procedures for Testing Physical (Design) and Performance...

40 CFR Table E-1 to Subpart E of... - Summary of Test Requirements for Reference and Class I Equivalent Methods for PM2.5 and PM10-2.5

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

.... accuracy 3. Filter temp. control accuracy, sampling and non-sampling 1. 2 °C2. 2 °C 3. Not more than 5 °C... Reference and Class I Equivalent Methods for PM2.5 and PM10-2.5 E Table E-1 to Subpart E of Part 53... MONITORING REFERENCE AND EQUIVALENT METHODS Procedures for Testing Physical (Design) and Performance...

40 CFR Table E-1 to Subpart E of... - Summary of Test Requirements for Reference and Class I Equivalent Methods for PM2.5 and PM10-2.5

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

.... accuracy 3. Filter temp. control accuracy, sampling and non-sampling 1. 2 °C2. 2 °C 3. Not more than 5 °C... Reference and Class I Equivalent Methods for PM2.5 and PM10-2.5 E Table E-1 to Subpart E of Part 53... MONITORING REFERENCE AND EQUIVALENT METHODS Procedures for Testing Physical (Design) and Performance...

40 CFR Table E-1 to Subpart E of... - Summary of Test Requirements for Reference and Class I Equivalent Methods for PM 2.5 and PM 10-2.5

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

.... accuracy 3. Filter temp. control accuracy, sampling and non-sampling 1. 2 °C2. 2 °C 3. Not more than 5 °C... Reference and Class I Equivalent Methods for PM 2.5 and PM 10-2.5 E Table E-1 to Subpart E of Part 53... MONITORING REFERENCE AND EQUIVALENT METHODS Procedures for Testing Physical (Design) and Performance...

Further evaluation of traditional icing scaling methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, David N.

1996-01-01

This report provides additional evaluations of two methods to scale icing test conditions; it also describes a hybrid technique for use when scaled conditions are outside the operating envelope of the test facility. The first evaluation is of the Olsen method which can be used to scale the liquid-water content in icing tests, and the second is the AEDC (Ruff) method which is used when the test model is less than full size. Equations for both scaling methods are presented in the paper, and the methods were evaluated by performing icing tests in the NASA Lewis Icing Research Tunnel (IRT). The Olsen method was tested using 53 cm diameter NACA 0012 airfoils. Tests covered liquid-water-contents which varied by as much as a factor of 1.8. The Olsen method was generally effective in giving scale ice shapes which matched the reference shapes for these tests. The AEDC method was tested with NACA 0012 airfoils with chords from 18 cm to 53 cm. The 53 cm chord airfoils were used in reference tests, and 1/2 and 1/3 scale tests were made at conditions determined by applying the AEDC scaling method. The scale and reference airspeeds were matched in these tests. The AEDC method was found to provide fairly effective scaling for 1/2 size tests, but for 1/3 size models, scaling was generally less effective. In addition to these two scaling methods, a hybrid approach was also tested in which the Olsen method was used to adjust the LWC after size was scaled using the constant Weber number method. This approach was found to be an effective way to test when scaled conditions would otherwise be outside the capability of the test facility.

The PneuCarriage Project: A Multi-Centre Comparative Study to Identify the Best Serotyping Methods for Examining Pneumococcal Carriage in Vaccine Evaluation Studies

PubMed Central

Satzke, Catherine; Dunne, Eileen M.; Porter, Barbara D.; Klugman, Keith P.; Mulholland, E. Kim

2015-01-01

Background The pneumococcus is a diverse pathogen whose primary niche is the nasopharynx. Over 90 different serotypes exist, and nasopharyngeal carriage of multiple serotypes is common. Understanding pneumococcal carriage is essential for evaluating the impact of pneumococcal vaccines. Traditional serotyping methods are cumbersome and insufficient for detecting multiple serotype carriage, and there are few data comparing the new methods that have been developed over the past decade. We established the PneuCarriage project, a large, international multi-centre study dedicated to the identification of the best pneumococcal serotyping methods for carriage studies. Methods and Findings Reference sample sets were distributed to 15 research groups for blinded testing. Twenty pneumococcal serotyping methods were used to test 81 laboratory-prepared (spiked) samples. The five top-performing methods were used to test 260 nasopharyngeal (field) samples collected from children in six high-burden countries. Sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV) were determined for the test methods and the reference method (traditional serotyping of >100 colonies from each sample). For the alternate serotyping methods, the overall sensitivity ranged from 1% to 99% (reference method 98%), and PPV from 8% to 100% (reference method 100%), when testing the spiked samples. Fifteen methods had ≥70% sensitivity to detect the dominant (major) serotype, whilst only eight methods had ≥70% sensitivity to detect minor serotypes. For the field samples, the overall sensitivity ranged from 74.2% to 95.8% (reference method 93.8%), and PPV from 82.2% to 96.4% (reference method 99.6%). The microarray had the highest sensitivity (95.8%) and high PPV (93.7%). The major limitation of this study is that not all of the available alternative serotyping methods were included. Conclusions Most methods were able to detect the dominant serotype in a sample, but many performed poorly in detecting the minor serotype populations. Microarray with a culture amplification step was the top-performing method. Results from this comprehensive evaluation will inform future vaccine evaluation and impact studies, particularly in low-income settings, where pneumococcal disease burden remains high. PMID:26575033

The PneuCarriage Project: A Multi-Centre Comparative Study to Identify the Best Serotyping Methods for Examining Pneumococcal Carriage in Vaccine Evaluation Studies.

PubMed

Satzke, Catherine; Dunne, Eileen M; Porter, Barbara D; Klugman, Keith P; Mulholland, E Kim

2015-11-01

The pneumococcus is a diverse pathogen whose primary niche is the nasopharynx. Over 90 different serotypes exist, and nasopharyngeal carriage of multiple serotypes is common. Understanding pneumococcal carriage is essential for evaluating the impact of pneumococcal vaccines. Traditional serotyping methods are cumbersome and insufficient for detecting multiple serotype carriage, and there are few data comparing the new methods that have been developed over the past decade. We established the PneuCarriage project, a large, international multi-centre study dedicated to the identification of the best pneumococcal serotyping methods for carriage studies. Reference sample sets were distributed to 15 research groups for blinded testing. Twenty pneumococcal serotyping methods were used to test 81 laboratory-prepared (spiked) samples. The five top-performing methods were used to test 260 nasopharyngeal (field) samples collected from children in six high-burden countries. Sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV) were determined for the test methods and the reference method (traditional serotyping of >100 colonies from each sample). For the alternate serotyping methods, the overall sensitivity ranged from 1% to 99% (reference method 98%), and PPV from 8% to 100% (reference method 100%), when testing the spiked samples. Fifteen methods had ≥70% sensitivity to detect the dominant (major) serotype, whilst only eight methods had ≥70% sensitivity to detect minor serotypes. For the field samples, the overall sensitivity ranged from 74.2% to 95.8% (reference method 93.8%), and PPV from 82.2% to 96.4% (reference method 99.6%). The microarray had the highest sensitivity (95.8%) and high PPV (93.7%). The major limitation of this study is that not all of the available alternative serotyping methods were included. Most methods were able to detect the dominant serotype in a sample, but many performed poorly in detecting the minor serotype populations. Microarray with a culture amplification step was the top-performing method. Results from this comprehensive evaluation will inform future vaccine evaluation and impact studies, particularly in low-income settings, where pneumococcal disease burden remains high.

Glossary of reference terms for alternative test methods and their validation.

PubMed

Ferrario, Daniele; Brustio, Roberta; Hartung, Thomas

2014-01-01

This glossary was developed to provide technical references to support work in the field of the alternatives to animal testing. It was compiled from various existing reference documents coming from different sources and is meant to be a point of reference on alternatives to animal testing. Giving the ever-increasing number of alternative test methods and approaches being developed over the last decades, a combination, revision, and harmonization of earlier published collections of terms used in the validation of such methods is required. The need to update previous glossary efforts came from the acknowledgement that new words have emerged with the development of new approaches, while others have become obsolete, and the meaning of some terms has partially changed over time. With this glossary we intend to provide guidance on issues related to the validation of new or updated testing methods consistent with current approaches. Moreover, because of new developments and technologies, a glossary needs to be a living, constantly updated document. An Internet-based version based on this compilation may be found at http://altweb.jhsph.edu/, allowing the addition of new material.

Methodological Issues in Antifungal Susceptibility Testing of Malassezia pachydermatis

PubMed Central

Peano, Andrea; Pasquetti, Mario; Tizzani, Paolo; Chiavassa, Elisa; Guillot, Jacques; Johnson, Elizabeth

2017-01-01

Reference methods for antifungal susceptibility testing of yeasts have been developed by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) and the European Committee on Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST). These methods are intended to test the main pathogenic yeasts that cause invasive infections, namely Candida spp. and Cryptococcus neoformans, while testing other yeast species introduces several additional problems in standardization not addressed by these reference procedures. As a consequence, a number of procedures have been employed in the literature to test the antifungal susceptibility of Malassezia pachydermatis. This has resulted in conflicting results. The aim of the present study is to review the procedures and the technical parameters (growth media, inoculum preparation, temperature and length of incubation, method of reading) employed for susceptibility testing of M. pachydermatis, and when possible, to propose recommendations for or against their use. Such information may be useful for the future development of a reference assay. PMID:29371554

Diagnostic Performance of a Molecular Test versus Clinician Assessment of Vaginitis

PubMed Central

Gaydos, Charlotte A.; Nyirjesy, Paul; Paradis, Sonia; Kodsi, Salma; Cooper, Charles K.

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT Vaginitis is a common complaint, diagnosed either empirically or using Amsel's criteria and wet mount microscopy. This study sought to determine characteristics of an investigational test (a molecular test for vaginitis), compared to reference, for detection of bacterial vaginosis, Candida spp., and Trichomonas vaginalis. Vaginal specimens from a cross-sectional study were obtained from 1,740 women (≥18 years old), with vaginitis symptoms, during routine clinic visits (across 10 sites in the United States). Specimens were analyzed using a commercial PCR/fluorogenic probe-based investigational test that detects bacterial vaginosis, Candida spp., and Trichomonas vaginalis. Clinician diagnosis and in-clinic testing (Amsel's test, potassium hydroxide preparation, and wet mount) were also employed to detect the three vaginitis causes. All testing methods were compared to the respective reference methods (Nugent Gram stain for bacterial vaginosis, detection of the Candida gene its2, and Trichomonas vaginalis culture). The investigational test, clinician diagnosis, and in-clinic testing were compared to reference methods for bacterial vaginosis, Candida spp., and Trichomonas vaginalis. The investigational test resulted in significantly higher sensitivity and negative predictive value than clinician diagnosis or in-clinic testing. In addition, the investigational test showed a statistically higher overall percent agreement with each of the three reference methods than did clinician diagnosis or in-clinic testing. The investigational test showed significantly higher sensitivity for detecting vaginitis, involving more than one cause, than did clinician diagnosis. Taken together, these results suggest that a molecular investigational test can facilitate accurate detection of vaginitis. PMID:29643195

Innovative application of the moisture analyzer for determination of dry mass content of processed cheese

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kowalska, Małgorzata; Janas, Sławomir; Woźniak, Magdalena

2018-04-01

The aim of this work was the presentation of an alternative method of determination of the total dry mass content in processed cheese. The authors claim that the presented method can be used in industry's quality control laboratories for routine testing and for quick in-process control. For the test purposes both reference method of determination of dry mass in processed cheese and moisture analyzer method were used. The tests were carried out for three different kinds of processed cheese. In accordance with the reference method, the sample was placed on a layer of silica sand and dried at the temperature of 102 °C for about 4 h. The moisture analyzer test required method validation, with regard to drying temperature range and mass of the analyzed sample. Optimum drying temperature of 110 °C was determined experimentally. For Hochland cream processed cheese sample, the total dry mass content, obtained using the reference method, was 38.92%, whereas using the moisture analyzer method, it was 38.74%. An average analysis time in case of the moisture analyzer method was 9 min. For the sample of processed cheese with tomatoes, the reference method result was 40.37%, and the alternative method result was 40.67%. For the sample of cream processed cheese with garlic the reference method gave value of 36.88%, and the alternative method, of 37.02%. An average time of those determinations was 16 min. Obtained results confirmed that use of moisture analyzer is effective. Compliant values of dry mass content were obtained for both of the used methods. According to the authors, the fact that the measurement took incomparably less time for moisture analyzer method, is a key criterion of in-process control and final quality control method selection.

Evaluation of ability of reference toxicity tests to identify stress in laboratory populations of the amphipod Hyalella azteca

USGS Publications Warehouse

McNulty, E.W.; Dwyer, F.J.; Ellersieck, Mark R.; Greer, E.I.; Ingersoll, C.G.; Rabeni, C.F.

1999-01-01

Standard methods for conducting toxicity tests imply that the condition of test organisms can be established using reference toxicity tests. However, only a limited number of studies have evaluated whether reference toxicity tests can actually be used to determine if organisms are in good condition at the start of a test. We evaluated the ability of reference toxicants to identify stress associated with starvation in laboratory populations of the amphipod Hyalella azteca using acute toxicity tests and four reference toxicants: KCl, CdCl2, sodium pentachlorophenate (NaPCP), and carbaryl. Stress associated with severe starvation was observed with exposure of amphipods to carbaryl or NaPCP but not with exposure to KCl or CdCl2 (i.e., lower LC50 with severe starvation). Although the LC50s for NaPCP and carbaryl were statistically different between starved and fed amphipods, this difference may not be biologically significant given the variability expected in acute lethality tests. Stress associated with sieving, heat shock, or cold shock of amphipods before the start of a test was not evident with exposure to carbaryl or KCl as reference toxicants. The chemicals evaluated in this study provided minimal information about the condition of the organisms used to start a toxicity test. Laboratories should periodically perform reference toxicity tests to assess the sensitivity of life stages or strains of test organisms. However, use of other test acceptability criteria required in standard methods such as minimum survival, growth, or reproduction of organisms in the control treatment at the end of a test, provides more useful information about the condition of organisms used to start a test compared to data generated from reference toxicity tests.

Collaborative derivation of reference intervals for major clinical laboratory tests in Japan.

PubMed

Ichihara, Kiyoshi; Yomamoto, Yoshikazu; Hotta, Taeko; Hosogaya, Shigemi; Miyachi, Hayato; Itoh, Yoshihisa; Ishibashi, Midori; Kang, Dongchon

2016-05-01

Three multicentre studies of reference intervals were conducted recently in Japan. The Committee on Common Reference Intervals of the Japan Society of Clinical Chemistry sought to establish common reference intervals for 40 laboratory tests which were measured in common in the three studies and regarded as well harmonized in Japan. The study protocols were comparable with recruitment mostly from hospital workers with body mass index ≤28 and no medications. Age and sex distributions were made equal to obtain a final data size of 6345 individuals. Between-subgroup differences were expressed as the SD ratio (between-subgroup SD divided by SD representing the reference interval). Between-study differences were all within acceptable levels, and thus the three datasets were merged. By adopting SD ratio ≥0.50 as a guide, sex-specific reference intervals were necessary for 12 assays. Age-specific reference intervals for females partitioned at age 45 were required for five analytes. The reference intervals derived by the parametric method resulted in appreciable narrowing of the ranges by applying the latent abnormal values exclusion method in 10 items which were closely associated with prevalent disorders among healthy individuals. Sex- and age-related profiles of reference values, derived from individuals with no abnormal results in major tests, showed peculiar patterns specific to each analyte. Common reference intervals for nationwide use were developed for 40 major tests, based on three multicentre studies by advanced statistical methods. Sex- and age-related profiles of reference values are of great relevance not only for interpreting test results, but for applying clinical decision limits specified in various clinical guidelines. © The Author(s) 2015.

76 FR 9777 - Recent Postings of Broadly Applicable Alternative Test Methods

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-22

... Applicable Alternative Test Methods AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of availability. SUMMARY: This notice announces the broadly applicable alternative test method approval decisions... technical questions about individual alternative test method decisions, refer to the contact person...

Ice-Accretion Scaling Using Water-Film Thickness Parameters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, David N.; Feo, Alejandro

2003-01-01

Studies were performed at INTA in Spain to determine water-film thickness on a stagnation-point probe inserted in a simulated cloud. The measurements were correlated with non-dimensional parameters describing the flow and the cloud conditions. Icing scaling tests in the NASA Glenn Icing Research Tunnel were then conducted using the Ruff scaling method with the scale velocity found by matching scale and reference values of either the INTA non-dimensional water-film thickness or a Weber number based on that film thickness. For comparison, tests were also performed using the constant drop-size Weber number and the average-velocity methods. The reference and scale models were both aluminum, 61-cm-span, NACA 0012 airfoil sections at 0 deg. AOA. The reference had a 53-cm-chord and the scale, 27 cm (1/2 size). Both models were mounted vertically in the center of the IRT test section. Tests covered a freezing fraction range of 0.28 to 1.0. Rime ice (n = 1.0) tests showed the consistency of the IRT calibration over a range of velocities. At a freezing fraction of 0.76, there was no significant difference in the scale ice shapes produced by the different methods. For freezing fractions of 0.40, 0.52 and 0.61, somewhat better agreement with the reference horn angles was typically achieved with the average-velocity and constant-film thickness methods than when either of the two Weber numbers was matched to the reference value. At a freezing fraction of 0.28, the four methods were judged equal in providing simulations of the reference shape.

Evaluation of Gas-filled Ionization Chamber Method for Radon Measurement at Two Reference Facilities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ishikawa, Tetsuo; Tokonami, Shinji; Kobayashi, Yosuke

2008-08-07

For quality assurance, gas-filled ionization chamber method was tested at two reference facilities for radon calibration: EML (USA) and PTB (Germany). Consequently, the radon concentrations estimated by the ionization chamber method were in good agreement with the reference radon concentrations provided by EML as well as PTB.

Testing the causal theory of reference.

PubMed

Domaneschi, Filippo; Vignolo, Massimiliano; Di Paola, Simona

2017-04-01

Theories of reference are a crucial research topic in analytic philosophy. Since the publication of Kripke's Naming and Necessity, most philosophers have endorsed the causal/historical theory of reference. The goal of this paper is twofold: (i) to discuss a method for testing experimentally the causal theory of reference for proper names by investigating linguistic usage and (ii) to present the results from two experiments conducted with that method. Data collected in our experiments confirm the causal theory of reference for people proper names and for geographical proper names. A secondary but interesting result is that the semantic domain affects reference assignment: while with people proper names speakers tend to assign the semantic reference, with geographical proper names they are prompted to assign the speaker's reference. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

40 CFR 75.22 - Reference test methods.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... appendix A to part 60 of this chapter, except for Methods 2B and 2E, are the reference methods for... provided in appendix A to part 60 of this chapter, except for Methods 2B and 2E, for determining volumetric...

40 CFR 75.22 - Reference test methods.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... appendix A to part 60 of this chapter, except for Methods 2B and 2E, are the reference methods for... provided in appendix A to part 60 of this chapter, except for Methods 2B and 2E, for determining volumetric...

Evaluation of Methods to Select Scale Velocities in Icing Scaling Tests

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, David N.; Ruff, Gary A.; Bond, Thomas H. (Technical Monitor)

2003-01-01

A series of tests were made in the NASA Glenn Icing Research Tunnel to determine how icing scaling results were affected by the choice of scale velocity. Reference tests were performed with a 53.3-cm-chord NACA 0012 airfoil model, while scale tests used a 27.7-cm-chord 0012 model. Tests were made with rime, mixed, and glaze ice. Reference test conditions included airspeeds of 67 and 89 m/s, an MVD of 40 microns, and LWCs of 0.5 and 0.6 g/cu m. Scale test conditions were established by the modified Ruff (AEDC) scaling method with the scale velocity determined in five ways. The resulting scale velocities ranged from 85 to 220 percent of the reference velocity. This paper presents the ice shapes that resulted from those scale tests and compares them to the reference shapes. It was concluded that for freezing fractions greater than 0.8 as well as for a freezing fraction of 0.3, the value of the scale velocity had no effect on how well the scale ice shape simulated the reference shape. For freezing fractions of 0.5 and 0.7, the simulation of the reference shape appeared to improve as the scale velocity increased.

40 CFR 60.675 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Test methods and procedures. 60.675... Mineral Processing Plants § 60.675 Test methods and procedures. (a) In conducting the performance tests required in § 60.8, the owner or operator shall use as reference methods and procedures the test methods in...

40 CFR 60.503 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Test methods and procedures. 60.503... Terminals § 60.503 Test methods and procedures. (a) In conducting the performance tests required in § 60.8, the owner or operator shall use as reference methods and procedures the test methods in appendix A of...

40 CFR 60.503 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Test methods and procedures. 60.503... Terminals § 60.503 Test methods and procedures. (a) In conducting the performance tests required in § 60.8, the owner or operator shall use as reference methods and procedures the test methods in appendix A of...

40 CFR 60.503 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Test methods and procedures. 60.503... Terminals § 60.503 Test methods and procedures. (a) In conducting the performance tests required in § 60.8, the owner or operator shall use as reference methods and procedures the test methods in appendix A of...

40 CFR 60.503 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Test methods and procedures. 60.503... Terminals § 60.503 Test methods and procedures. (a) In conducting the performance tests required in § 60.8, the owner or operator shall use as reference methods and procedures the test methods in appendix A of...

40 CFR 60.503 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Test methods and procedures. 60.503... Terminals § 60.503 Test methods and procedures. (a) In conducting the performance tests required in § 60.8, the owner or operator shall use as reference methods and procedures the test methods in appendix A of...

Reference Intervals of Common Clinical Chemistry Analytes for Adults in Hong Kong.

PubMed

Lo, Y C; Armbruster, David A

2012-04-01

Defining reference intervals is a major challenge because of the difficulty in recruiting volunteers to participate and testing samples from a significant number of healthy reference individuals. Historical literature citation intervals are often suboptimal because they're be based on obsolete methods and/or only a small number of poorly defined reference samples. Blood donors in Hong Kong gave permission for additional blood to be collected for reference interval testing. The samples were tested for twenty-five routine analytes on the Abbott ARCHITECT clinical chemistry system. Results were analyzed using the Rhoads EP evaluator software program, which is based on the CLSI/IFCC C28-A guideline, and defines the reference interval as the 95% central range. Method specific reference intervals were established for twenty-five common clinical chemistry analytes for a Chinese ethnic population. The intervals were defined for each gender separately and for genders combined. Gender specific or combined gender intervals were adapted as appropriate for each analyte. A large number of healthy, apparently normal blood donors from a local ethnic population were tested to provide current reference intervals for a new clinical chemistry system. Intervals were determined following an accepted international guideline. Laboratories using the same or similar methodologies may adapt these intervals if deemed validated and deemed suitable for their patient population. Laboratories using different methodologies may be able to successfully adapt the intervals for their facilities using the reference interval transference technique based on a method comparison study.

Diagnostic Performance of a Molecular Test versus Clinician Assessment of Vaginitis.

PubMed

Schwebke, Jane R; Gaydos, Charlotte A; Nyirjesy, Paul; Paradis, Sonia; Kodsi, Salma; Cooper, Charles K

2018-06-01

Vaginitis is a common complaint, diagnosed either empirically or using Amsel's criteria and wet mount microscopy. This study sought to determine characteristics of an investigational test (a molecular test for vaginitis), compared to reference, for detection of bacterial vaginosis, Candida spp., and Trichomonas vaginalis Vaginal specimens from a cross-sectional study were obtained from 1,740 women (≥18 years old), with vaginitis symptoms, during routine clinic visits (across 10 sites in the United States). Specimens were analyzed using a commercial PCR/fluorogenic probe-based investigational test that detects bacterial vaginosis, Candida spp., and Trichomonas vaginalis Clinician diagnosis and in-clinic testing (Amsel's test, potassium hydroxide preparation, and wet mount) were also employed to detect the three vaginitis causes. All testing methods were compared to the respective reference methods (Nugent Gram stain for bacterial vaginosis, detection of the Candida gene its2 , and Trichomonas vaginalis culture). The investigational test, clinician diagnosis, and in-clinic testing were compared to reference methods for bacterial vaginosis, Candida spp., and Trichomonas vaginalis The investigational test resulted in significantly higher sensitivity and negative predictive value than clinician diagnosis or in-clinic testing. In addition, the investigational test showed a statistically higher overall percent agreement with each of the three reference methods than did clinician diagnosis or in-clinic testing. The investigational test showed significantly higher sensitivity for detecting vaginitis, involving more than one cause, than did clinician diagnosis. Taken together, these results suggest that a molecular investigational test can facilitate accurate detection of vaginitis. Copyright © 2018 Schwebke et al.

Validation of a modification to Performance-Tested Method 010403: microwell DNA hybridization assay for detection of Listeria spp. in selected foods and selected environmental surfaces.

PubMed

Alles, Susan; Peng, Linda X; Mozola, Mark A

2009-01-01

A modification to Performance-Tested Method 010403, GeneQuence Listeria Test (DNAH method), is described. The modified method uses a new media formulation, LESS enrichment broth, in single-step enrichment protocols for both foods and environmental sponge and swab samples. Food samples are enriched for 27-30 h at 30 degrees C, and environmental samples for 24-48 h at 30 degrees C. Implementation of these abbreviated enrichment procedures allows test results to be obtained on a next-day basis. In testing of 14 food types in internal comparative studies with inoculated samples, there were statistically significant differences in method performance between the DNAH method and reference culture procedures for only 2 foods (pasteurized crab meat and lettuce) at the 27 h enrichment time point and for only a single food (pasteurized crab meat) in one trial at the 30 h enrichment time point. Independent laboratory testing with 3 foods showed statistical equivalence between the methods for all foods, and results support the findings of the internal trials. Overall, considering both internal and independent laboratory trials, sensitivity of the DNAH method relative to the reference culture procedures was 90.5%. Results of testing 5 environmental surfaces inoculated with various strains of Listeria spp. showed that the DNAH method was more productive than the reference U.S. Department of Agriculture-Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) culture procedure for 3 surfaces (stainless steel, plastic, and cast iron), whereas results were statistically equivalent to the reference method for the other 2 surfaces (ceramic tile and sealed concrete). An independent laboratory trial with ceramic tile inoculated with L. monocytogenes confirmed the effectiveness of the DNAH method at the 24 h time point. Overall, sensitivity of the DNAH method at 24 h relative to that of the USDA-FSIS method was 152%. The DNAH method exhibited extremely high specificity, with only 1% false-positive reactions overall.

Fecal electrolyte testing for evaluation of unexplained diarrhea: Validation of body fluid test accuracy in the absence of a reference method.

PubMed

Voskoboev, Nikolay V; Cambern, Sarah J; Hanley, Matthew M; Giesen, Callen D; Schilling, Jason J; Jannetto, Paul J; Lieske, John C; Block, Darci R

2015-11-01

Validation of tests performed on body fluids other than blood or urine can be challenging due to the lack of a reference method to confirm accuracy. The aim of this study was to evaluate alternate assessments of accuracy that laboratories can rely on to validate body fluid tests in the absence of a reference method using the example of sodium (Na(+)), potassium (K(+)), and magnesium (Mg(2+)) testing in stool fluid. Validations of fecal Na(+), K(+), and Mg(2+) were performed on the Roche cobas 6000 c501 (Roche Diagnostics) using residual stool specimens submitted for clinical testing. Spiked recovery, mixing studies, and serial dilutions were performed and % recovery of each analyte was calculated to assess accuracy. Results were confirmed by comparison to a reference method (ICP-OES, PerkinElmer). Mean recoveries for fecal electrolytes were Na(+) upon spiking=92%, mixing=104%, and dilution=105%; K(+) upon spiking=94%, mixing=96%, and dilution=100%; and Mg(2+) upon spiking=93%, mixing=98%, and dilution=100%. When autoanalyzer results were compared to reference ICP-OES results, Na(+) had a slope=0.94, intercept=4.1, and R(2)=0.99; K(+) had a slope=0.99, intercept=0.7, and R(2)=0.99; and Mg(2+) had a slope=0.91, intercept=-4.6, and R(2)=0.91. Calculated osmotic gap using both methods were highly correlated with slope=0.95, intercept=4.5, and R(2)=0.97. Acid pretreatment increased magnesium recovery from a subset of clinical specimens. A combination of mixing, spiking, and dilution recovery experiments are an acceptable surrogate for assessing accuracy in body fluid validations in the absence of a reference method. Copyright © 2015 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of analytical methods for the determination of histamine in reference canned fish samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jakšić, S.; Baloš, M. Ž.; Mihaljev, Ž.; Prodanov Radulović, J.; Nešić, K.

2017-09-01

Two screening methods for histamine in canned fish, an enzymatic test and a competitive direct enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (CD-ELISA), were compared with the reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) standard method. For enzymatic and CD-ELISA methods, determination was conducted according to producers’ manuals. For RP-HPLC, histamine was derivatized with dansyl-chloride, followed by RP-HPLC and diode array detection. Results of analysis of canned fish, supplied as reference samples for proficiency testing, showed good agreement when histamine was present at higher concentrations (above 100 mg kg-1). At a lower level (16.95 mg kg-1), the enzymatic test produced some higher results. Generally, analysis of four reference samples according to CD-ELISA and RP-HPLC showed good agreement for histamine determination (r=0.977 in concentration range 16.95-216 mg kg-1) The results show that the applied enzymatic test and CD-ELISA appeared to be suitable screening methods for the determination of histamine in canned fish.

SEDIMENT TOXICITY ASSESSMENT: COMPARISON OF STANDARD AND NEW TESTING DESIGNS

EPA Science Inventory

Standard methods of sediment toxicity testing are fairly well accepted; however, as with all else, evolution of these methods is inevitable. We compared a standard ASTM 10-day amphipod toxicity testing method with smaller, 48- and 96-h test methods using very toxic and reference ...

Spatial Standard Observer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watson, Andrw B. (Inventor)

2010-01-01

The present invention relates to devices and methods for the measurement and/or for the specification of the perceptual intensity of a visual image. or the perceptual distance between a pair of images. Grayscale test and reference images are processed to produce test and reference luminance images. A luminance filter function is convolved with the reference luminance image to produce a local mean luminance reference image . Test and reference contrast images are produced from the local mean luminance reference image and the test and reference luminance images respectively, followed by application of a contrast sensitivity filter. The resulting images are combined according to mathematical prescriptions to produce a Just Noticeable Difference, JND value, indicative of a Spatial Standard Observer. SSO. Some embodiments include masking functions. window functions. special treatment for images lying on or near border and pre-processing of test images.

Spatial Standard Observer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watson, Andrew B. (Inventor)

2012-01-01

The present invention relates to devices and methods for the measurement and/or for the specification of the perceptual intensity of a visual image, or the perceptual distance between a pair of images. Grayscale test and reference images are processed to produce test and reference luminance images. A luminance filter function is convolved with the reference luminance image to produce a local mean luminance reference image. Test and reference contrast images are produced from the local mean luminance reference image and the test and reference luminance images respectively, followed by application of a contrast sensitivity filter. The resulting images are combined according to mathematical prescriptions to produce a Just Noticeable Difference, JND value, indicative of a Spatial Standard Observer, SSO. Some embodiments include masking functions, window functions, special treatment for images lying on or near borders and pre-processing of test images.

40 CFR 60.644 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Test methods and procedures. 60.644... Gas Processing: SO2 Emissions § 60.644 Test methods and procedures. (a) In conducting the performance tests required in § 60.8, the owner or operator shall use as reference methods and procedures the test...

Reference test methods for total water in lint cotton by Karl Fischer Titration and low temperature distillation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In a study of comparability of total water contents (%) of conditioned cottons by Karl Fischer Titration (KFT) and Low Temperature Distillation (LTD) reference methods, we demonstrated a match of averaged results based on a large number of replications and weighing the test specimens at the same tim...

40 CFR 91.6 - Reference materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... EMISSIONS FROM MARINE SPARK-IGNITION ENGINES General § 91.6 Reference materials. (a) Incorporation by... the Research Method Appendix A to Subpart D. ASTM D2700-92: Standard Test Method for Knock... 40 CFR part 91 reference SAE J1228/ISO 8665 November 1991 Small Craft-Marine Propulsion Engine and...

40 CFR 91.6 - Reference materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... EMISSIONS FROM MARINE SPARK-IGNITION ENGINES General § 91.6 Reference materials. (a) Incorporation by... the Research Method Appendix A to Subpart D. ASTM D2700-92: Standard Test Method for Knock... 40 CFR part 91 reference SAE J1228/ISO 8665 November 1991 Small Craft-Marine Propulsion Engine and...

40 CFR 91.6 - Reference materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... EMISSIONS FROM MARINE SPARK-IGNITION ENGINES General § 91.6 Reference materials. (a) Incorporation by... the Research Method Appendix A to Subpart D. ASTM D2700-92: Standard Test Method for Knock... 40 CFR part 91 reference SAE J1228/ISO 8665 November 1991 Small Craft-Marine Propulsion Engine and...

Reproducibility of polycarbonate reference material in toxicity evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hilado, C. J.; Huttlinger, P. A.

1981-01-01

A specific lot of bisphenol A polycarbonate has been used for almost four years as the reference material for the NASA-USF-PSC toxicity screening test method. The reproducibility of the test results over this period of time indicate that certain plastics may be more suitable reference materials than the more traditional cellulosic materials.

40 CFR 60.547 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... materials. In the event of dispute, Method 24 shall be the reference method. For Method 24, the cement or... sample will be representative of the material as applied in the affected facility. (2) Method 25 as the... by the Administrator. (3) Method 2, 2A, 2C, or 2D, as appropriate, as the reference method for...

40 CFR 60.547 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... materials. In the event of dispute, Method 24 shall be the reference method. For Method 24, the cement or... sample will be representative of the material as applied in the affected facility. (2) Method 25 as the... by the Administrator. (3) Method 2, 2A, 2C, or 2D, as appropriate, as the reference method for...

40 CFR 60.547 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... materials. In the event of dispute, Method 24 shall be the reference method. For Method 24, the cement or... sample will be representative of the material as applied in the affected facility. (2) Method 25 as the... by the Administrator. (3) Method 2, 2A, 2C, or 2D, as appropriate, as the reference method for...

40 CFR 63.849 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 11 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Test methods and procedures. 63.849... Test methods and procedures. (a) The owner or operator shall use the following reference methods to determine compliance with the applicable emission limits for TF and POM emissions: (1) Method 1 in appendix...

Interagency comparison of iodometric methods for ozone determination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Demore, W. B.; Romanovsky, J. C.; Feldstein, M.; Mueller, P. K.; Hamming, W. J.

1976-01-01

The California Air Resources Board appointed an Oxidant Calibration Committee for the purpose of evaluating the accuracy of the different agency calibration procedures. The committee chose UV absorption photometry as the reference method for ozone measurement. Interagency comparisons of the various iodometric methods were conducted relative to the ultraviolet standard. The tests included versions of the iodometric methods as employed by the Air Resources Board, the Los Angeles Air Pollution Control District, and the EPA. An alternative candidate reference method for ozone measurement, gas phase titration, was also included in the test series.

AFNOR validation of Premi Test, a microbiological-based screening tube-test for the detection of antimicrobial residues in animal muscle tissue.

PubMed

Gaudin, Valerie; Juhel-Gaugain, Murielle; Morétain, Jean-Pierre; Sanders, Pascal

2008-12-01

Premi Test contains viable spores of a strain of Bacillus stearothermophilus which is sensitive to antimicrobial residues, such as beta-lactams, tetracyclines, macrolides and sulphonamides. The growth of the strain is inhibited by the presence of antimicrobial residues in muscle tissue samples. Premi Test was validated according to AFNOR rules (French Association for Normalisation). The AFNOR validation was based on the comparison of reference methods (French Official method, i.e. four plate test (FPT) and the STAR protocol (five plate test)) with the alternative method (Premi Test). A preliminary study was conducted in an expert laboratory (Community Reference Laboratory, CRL) on both spiked and incurred samples (field samples). Several method performance criteria (sensitivity, specificity, relative accuracy) were estimated and are discussed, in addition to detection capabilities. Adequate agreement was found between the alternative method and the reference methods. However, Premi Test was more sensitive to beta-lactams and sulphonamides than the FPT. Subsequently, a collaborative study with 11 laboratories was organised by the CRL. Blank and spiked meat juice samples were sent to participants. The expert laboratory (CRL) statistically analysed the results. It was concluded that Premi Test could be used for the routine determination of antimicrobial residues in muscle of different animal origin with acceptable analytical performance. The detection capabilities of Premi Test for beta-lactams (amoxicillin, ceftiofur), one macrolide (tylosin) and tetracycline were at the level of the respective maximum residue limits (MRL) in muscle samples or even lower.

40 CFR 60.335 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Test methods and procedures. 60.335... Turbines § 60.335 Test methods and procedures. (a) The owner or operator shall conduct the performance tests required in § 60.8, using either (1) EPA Method 20, (2) ASTM D6522-00 (incorporated by reference...

40 CFR 60.335 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Test methods and procedures. 60.335... Turbines § 60.335 Test methods and procedures. (a) The owner or operator shall conduct the performance tests required in § 60.8, using either (1) EPA Method 20, (2) ASTM D6522-00 (incorporated by reference...

40 CFR 60.335 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Test methods and procedures. 60.335... Turbines § 60.335 Test methods and procedures. (a) The owner or operator shall conduct the performance tests required in § 60.8, using either (1) EPA Method 20, (2) ASTM D6522-00 (incorporated by reference...

40 CFR 60.335 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Test methods and procedures. 60.335... Turbines § 60.335 Test methods and procedures. (a) The owner or operator shall conduct the performance tests required in § 60.8, using either (1) EPA Method 20, (2) ASTM D6522-00 (incorporated by reference...

40 CFR 90.7 - Reference materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... EMISSIONS FROM NONROAD SPARK-IGNITION ENGINES AT OR BELOW 19 KILOWATTS General § 90.7 Reference materials... Fuels by the Research Method Appendix A to subpart D, Table 3. ASTM D2700-92: Standard Test Method for...

40 CFR 90.7 - Reference materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... EMISSIONS FROM NONROAD SPARK-IGNITION ENGINES AT OR BELOW 19 KILOWATTS General § 90.7 Reference materials... Fuels by the Research Method Appendix A to subpart D, Table 3. ASTM D2700-92: Standard Test Method for...

40 CFR 90.7 - Reference materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... EMISSIONS FROM NONROAD SPARK-IGNITION ENGINES AT OR BELOW 19 KILOWATTS General § 90.7 Reference materials... Fuels by the Research Method Appendix A to subpart D, Table 3. ASTM D2700-92: Standard Test Method for...

Lack of harmonization in sweat testing for cystic fibrosis - a national survey.

PubMed

Christiansen, Anne Lindegaard; Nybo, Mads

2014-11-01

Sweat testing is used in the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis. Interpretation of the sweat test depends, however, on the method performed since conductivity, osmolality and chloride concentration all can be measured as part of a sweat test. The aim of this study was to investigate how performance of the test is organized in Denmark. Departments conducting the sweat test were contacted and interviewed following a premade questionnaire. They were asked about methods performed, applied NPU (Nomenclature for Properties and Units) code, reference interval, recommended interpretation and referred literature. 14 departments performed the sweat test. One department measured chloride and sodium concentration, while 13 departments measured conductivity. One department used a non-existing NPU code, two departments applied NPU codes inconsistent with the method performed, four departments applied no NPU code and seven applied a correct NPU code. Ten of the departments measuring conductivity applied reference intervals. Nine departments measuring conductivity had recommendations of a normal area, a grey zone and a pathological value, while four departments only applied a normal and grey zone or a pathological value. Cut-off values for normal, grey and pathological areas were like the reference intervals inconsistent. There is inconsistent use of NPU codes, reference intervals and interpretation of sweat conductivity used in the process of diagnosing cystic fibrosis. Because diagnosing cystic fibrosis is a combined effort between local pediatric departments, biochemical and genetic departments and cystic fibrosis centers, a national harmonization is necessary to assure correct clinical use.

Methods and instruments for materials testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hansma, Paul (Inventor); Drake, Barney (Inventor); Rehn, Douglas (Inventor); Adams, Jonathan (Inventor); Lulejian, Jason (Inventor)

2011-01-01

Methods and instruments for characterizing a material, such as the properties of bone in a living human subject, using a test probe constructed for insertion into the material and a reference probe aligned with the test probe in a housing. The housing is hand held or placed so that the reference probe contacts the surface of the material under pressure applied either by hand or by the weight of the housing. The test probe is inserted into the material to indent the material while maintaining the reference probe substantially under the hand pressure or weight of the housing allowing evaluation of a property of the material related to indentation of the material by the probe. Force can be generated by a voice coil in a magnet structure to the end of which the test probe is connected and supported in the magnet structure by a flexure, opposing flexures, a linear translation stage, or a linear bearing. Optionally, a measurement unit containing the test probe and reference probe is connected to a base unit with a wireless connection, allowing in the field material testing.

Comparison of Three Different Methods for Pile Integrity Testing on a Cylindrical Homogeneous Polyamide Specimen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lugovtsova, Y. D.; Soldatov, A. I.

2016-01-01

Three different methods for pile integrity testing are proposed to compare on a cylindrical homogeneous polyamide specimen. The methods are low strain pile integrity testing, multichannel pile integrity testing and testing with a shaker system. Since the low strain pile integrity testing is well-established and standardized method, the results from it are used as a reference for other two methods.

77 FR 73286 - Codification of Animal Testing Policy

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-10

... to post the test method on the animal testing Web site. In the final statement of policy, we refer to... case-by-case basis and, upon review, determine whether to post the test method on the animal testing... on a case-by- case basis and, upon review, determine whether to post the test method on the animal...

Estimation of diagnostic test accuracy without full verification: a review of latent class methods

PubMed Central

Collins, John; Huynh, Minh

2014-01-01

The performance of a diagnostic test is best evaluated against a reference test that is without error. For many diseases, this is not possible, and an imperfect reference test must be used. However, diagnostic accuracy estimates may be biased if inaccurately verified status is used as the truth. Statistical models have been developed to handle this situation by treating disease as a latent variable. In this paper, we conduct a systematized review of statistical methods using latent class models for estimating test accuracy and disease prevalence in the absence of complete verification. PMID:24910172

40 CFR 63.750 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 11 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Test methods and procedures. 63.750...) National Emission Standards for Aerospace Manufacturing and Rework Facilities § 63.750 Test methods and... engineering reference texts, or other equivalent methods. (2) The composite vapor pressure of a blended hand...

Dual-domain point diffraction interferometer

DOEpatents

Naulleau, Patrick P.; Goldberg, Kenneth Alan

2000-01-01

A hybrid spatial/temporal-domain point diffraction interferometer (referred to as the dual-domain PS/PDI) that is capable of suppressing the scattered-reference-light noise that hinders the conventional PS/PDI is provided. The dual-domain PS/PDI combines the separate noise-suppression capabilities of the widely-used phase-shifting and Fourier-transform fringe pattern analysis methods. The dual-domain PS/PDI relies on both a more restrictive implementation of the image plane PS/PDI mask and a new analysis method to be applied to the interferograms generated and recorded by the modified PS/PDI. The more restrictive PS/PDI mask guarantees the elimination of spatial-frequency crosstalk between the signal and the scattered-light noise arising from scattered-reference-light interfering with the test beam. The new dual-domain analysis method is then used to eliminate scattered-light noise arising from both the scattered-reference-light interfering with the test beam and the scattered-reference-light interfering with the "true" pinhole-diffracted reference light. The dual-domain analysis method has also been demonstrated to provide performance enhancement when using the non-optimized standard PS/PDI design. The dual-domain PS/PDI is essentially a three-tiered filtering system composed of lowpass spatial-filtering the test-beam electric field using the more restrictive PS/PDI mask, bandpass spatial-filtering the individual interferogram irradiance frames making up the phase-shifting series, and bandpass temporal-filtering the phase-shifting series as a whole.

Evaluation of Pyrrolidonyl Arylamidase Activity in Staphylococcus delphini.

PubMed

Compton, Samantha T; Kania, Stephen A; Robertson, Amy E; Lawhon, Sara D; Jenkins, Stephen G; Westblade, Lars F; Bemis, David A

2017-03-01

Clinical reference textbooks lack data for pyrrolidonyl arylamidase (PYR) activity in Staphylococcus delphini This study evaluated PYR activities of 21 S. delphini strains by reference broth, rapid disc, and rapid slide methods. Species and subgroup identifications were confirmed by nucleic acid-based methods and included nine group A and 12 group B strains. Testing by rapid PYR methods with products from four manufacturers was performed at two testing locations, and, with the exception of one strain tested at one location using reagents from one manufacturer, each S. delphini strain tested positive for PYR activity. Therefore, PYR may be a useful single-test adjunct for distinguishing Staphylococcus aureus from S. delphini and other members of the Staphylococcus intermedius group. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

16 CFR 1500.40 - Method of testing toxic substances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... bleeding. (c) Procedures for testing. The sleeve is slipped onto the animal which is then placed in a... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Method of testing toxic substances. 1500.40... testing toxic substances. The method of testing the toxic substances referred to in § 1500.3(c) (1)(ii)(C...

16 CFR 1500.40 - Method of testing toxic substances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... bleeding. (c) Procedures for testing. The sleeve is slipped onto the animal which is then placed in a... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Method of testing toxic substances. 1500.40... testing toxic substances. The method of testing the toxic substances referred to in § 1500.3(c) (1)(ii)(C...

16 CFR 1500.40 - Method of testing toxic substances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... bleeding. (c) Procedures for testing. The sleeve is slipped onto the animal which is then placed in a... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Method of testing toxic substances. 1500.40... testing toxic substances. The method of testing the toxic substances referred to in § 1500.3(c) (1)(ii)(C...

40 CFR 91.6 - Reference materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Appendix A to Subpart D. ASTM D2699-92: Standard Test Method for Knock Characteristics of Motor Fuels by the Research Method Appendix A to Subpart D. ASTM D2700-92: Standard Test Method for Knock...

40 CFR 91.6 - Reference materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Appendix A to Subpart D. ASTM D2699-92: Standard Test Method for Knock Characteristics of Motor Fuels by the Research Method Appendix A to Subpart D. ASTM D2700-92: Standard Test Method for Knock...

Development of an evidence-based approach to external quality assurance for breast cancer hormone receptor immunohistochemistry: comparison of reference values.

PubMed

Makretsov, Nikita; Gilks, C Blake; Alaghehbandan, Reza; Garratt, John; Quenneville, Louise; Mercer, Joel; Palavdzic, Dragana; Torlakovic, Emina E

2011-07-01

External quality assurance and proficiency testing programs for breast cancer predictive biomarkers are based largely on traditional ad hoc design; at present there is no universal consensus on definition of a standard reference value for samples used in external quality assurance programs. To explore reference values for estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor immunohistochemistry in order to develop an evidence-based analytic platform for external quality assurance. There were 31 participating laboratories, 4 of which were previously designated as "expert" laboratories. Each participant tested a tissue microarray slide with 44 breast carcinomas for estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor and submitted it to the Canadian Immunohistochemistry Quality Control Program for analysis. Nuclear staining in 1% or more of the tumor cells was a positive score. Five methods for determining reference values were compared. All reference values showed 100% agreement for estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor scores, when indeterminate results were excluded. Individual laboratory performance (agreement rates, test sensitivity, test specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and κ value) was very similar for all reference values. Identification of suboptimal performance by all methods was identical for 30 of 31 laboratories. Estrogen receptor assessment of 1 laboratory was discordant: agreement was less than 90% for 3 of 5 reference values and greater than 90% with the use of 2 other reference values. Various reference values provide equivalent laboratory rating. In addition to descriptive feedback, our approach allows calculation of technical test sensitivity and specificity, positive and negative predictive values, agreement rates, and κ values to guide corrective actions.

Baseline Assessment of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Reference Material and Proficiency Testing/External Quality Assurance Material Commutability: A Vitamin D Standardization Program Study.

PubMed

Phinney, Karen W; Sempos, Christopher T; Tai, Susan S-C; Camara, Johanna E; Wise, Stephen A; Eckfeldt, John H; Hoofnagle, Andrew N; Carter, Graham D; Jones, Julia; Myers, Gary L; Durazo-Arvizu, Ramon; Miller, W Greg; Bachmann, Lorin M; Young, Ian S; Pettit, Juanita; Caldwell, Grahame; Liu, Andrew; Brooks, Stephen P J; Sarafin, Kurtis; Thamm, Michael; Mensink, Gert B M; Busch, Markus; Rabenberg, Martina; Cashman, Kevin D; Kiely, Mairead; Galvin, Karen; Zhang, Joy Y; Kinsella, Michael; Oh, Kyungwon; Lee, Sun-Wha; Jung, Chae L; Cox, Lorna; Goldberg, Gail; Guberg, Kate; Meadows, Sarah; Prentice, Ann; Tian, Lu; Brannon, Patsy M; Lucas, Robyn M; Crump, Peter M; Cavalier, Etienne; Merkel, Joyce; Betz, Joseph M

2017-09-01

The Vitamin D Standardization Program (VDSP) coordinated a study in 2012 to assess the commutability of reference materials and proficiency testing/external quality assurance materials for total 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] in human serum, the primary indicator of vitamin D status. A set of 50 single-donor serum samples as well as 17 reference and proficiency testing/external quality assessment materials were analyzed by participating laboratories that used either immunoassay or LC-MS methods for total 25(OH)D. The commutability test materials included National Institute of Standards and Technology Standard Reference Material 972a Vitamin D Metabolites in Human Serum as well as materials from the College of American Pathologists and the Vitamin D External Quality Assessment Scheme. Study protocols and data analysis procedures were in accordance with Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. The majority of the test materials were found to be commutable with the methods used in this commutability study. These results provide guidance for laboratories needing to choose appropriate reference materials and select proficiency or external quality assessment programs and will serve as a foundation for additional VDSP studies.

A multicenter nationwide reference intervals study for common biochemical analytes in Turkey using Abbott analyzers.

PubMed

Ozarda, Yesim; Ichihara, Kiyoshi; Aslan, Diler; Aybek, Hulya; Ari, Zeki; Taneli, Fatma; Coker, Canan; Akan, Pinar; Sisman, Ali Riza; Bahceci, Onur; Sezgin, Nurzen; Demir, Meltem; Yucel, Gultekin; Akbas, Halide; Ozdem, Sebahat; Polat, Gurbuz; Erbagci, Ayse Binnur; Orkmez, Mustafa; Mete, Nuriye; Evliyaoglu, Osman; Kiyici, Aysel; Vatansev, Husamettin; Ozturk, Bahadir; Yucel, Dogan; Kayaalp, Damla; Dogan, Kubra; Pinar, Asli; Gurbilek, Mehmet; Cetinkaya, Cigdem Damla; Akin, Okhan; Serdar, Muhittin; Kurt, Ismail; Erdinc, Selda; Kadicesme, Ozgur; Ilhan, Necip; Atali, Dilek Sadak; Bakan, Ebubekir; Polat, Harun; Noyan, Tevfik; Can, Murat; Bedir, Abdulkerim; Okuyucu, Ali; Deger, Orhan; Agac, Suret; Ademoglu, Evin; Kaya, Ayşem; Nogay, Turkan; Eren, Nezaket; Dirican, Melahat; Tuncer, GulOzlem; Aykus, Mehmet; Gunes, Yeliz; Ozmen, Sevda Unalli; Kawano, Reo; Tezcan, Sehavet; Demirpence, Ozlem; Degirmen, Elif

2014-12-01

A nationwide multicenter study was organized to establish reference intervals (RIs) in the Turkish population for 25 commonly tested biochemical analytes and to explore sources of variation in reference values, including regionality. Blood samples were collected nationwide in 28 laboratories from the seven regions (≥400 samples/region, 3066 in all). The sera were collectively analyzed in Uludag University in Bursa using Abbott reagents and analyzer. Reference materials were used for standardization of test results. After secondary exclusion using the latent abnormal values exclusion method, RIs were derived by a parametric method employing the modified Box-Cox formula and compared with the RIs by the non-parametric method. Three-level nested ANOVA was used to evaluate variations among sexes, ages and regions. Associations between test results and age, body mass index (BMI) and region were determined by multiple regression analysis (MRA). By ANOVA, differences of reference values among seven regions were significant in none of the 25 analytes. Significant sex-related and age-related differences were observed for 10 and seven analytes, respectively. MRA revealed BMI-related changes in results for uric acid, glucose, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase, and γ-glutamyltransferase. Their RIs were thus derived by applying stricter criteria excluding individuals with BMI >28 kg/m2. Ranges of RIs by non-parametric method were wider than those by parametric method especially for those analytes affected by BMI. With the lack of regional differences and the well-standardized status of test results, the RIs derived from this nationwide study can be used for the entire Turkish population.

Statistical considerations for harmonization of the global multicenter study on reference values.

PubMed

Ichihara, Kiyoshi

2014-05-15

The global multicenter study on reference values coordinated by the Committee on Reference Intervals and Decision Limits (C-RIDL) of the IFCC was launched in December 2011, targeting 45 commonly tested analytes with the following objectives: 1) to derive reference intervals (RIs) country by country using a common protocol, and 2) to explore regionality/ethnicity of reference values by aligning test results among the countries. To achieve these objectives, it is crucial to harmonize 1) the protocol for recruitment and sampling, 2) statistical procedures for deriving the RI, and 3) test results through measurement of a panel of sera in common. For harmonized recruitment, very lenient inclusion/exclusion criteria were adopted in view of differences in interpretation of what constitutes healthiness by different cultures and investigators. This policy may require secondary exclusion of individuals according to the standard of each country at the time of deriving RIs. An iterative optimization procedure, called the latent abnormal values exclusion (LAVE) method, can be applied to automate the process of refining the choice of reference individuals. For global comparison of reference values, test results must be harmonized, based on the among-country, pair-wise linear relationships of test values for the panel. Traceability of reference values can be ensured based on values assigned indirectly to the panel through collaborative measurement of certified reference materials. The validity of the adopted strategies is discussed in this article, based on interim results obtained to date from five countries. Special considerations are made for dissociation of RIs by parametric and nonparametric methods and between-country difference in the effect of body mass index on reference values. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Stayhealthy bioelectrical impedance analyzer predicts body fat in children and adults.

PubMed

Erceg, David N; Dieli-Conwright, Christina M; Rossuello, Amerigo E; Jensky, Nicole E; Sun, Stephanie; Schroeder, E Todd

2010-05-01

Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a time-efficient and cost-effective method for estimating body composition. We hypothesized that there would be no significant difference between the Stayhealthy BC1 BIA and the selected reference methods when determining body composition. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to determine the validity of estimating percent body fat (%BF) using the Stayhealthy BIA with its most recently updated algorithms compared to the reference methods of dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry for adults and hydrostatic weighing for children. We measured %BF in 245 adults aged 18 to 80 years and 115 children aged 10 to 17 years. Body fat by BIA was determined using a single 50 kHz frequency handheld impedance device and proprietary software. Agreement between BIA and reference methods was assessed by Bland and Altman plots. Bland and Altman analysis for men, women, and children revealed good agreement between the reference methods and BIA. There was no significant difference by t tests between mean %BF by BIA for men, women, or children when compared to the respective reference method. Significant correlation values between BIA, and reference methods for all men, women, and children were 0.85, 0.88, and 0.79, respectively. Reliability (test-retest) was assessed by intraclass correlation coefficient and coefficient of variation. Intraclass correlation coefficient values were greater than 0.99 (P < .001) for men, women, and children with coefficient of variation values 3.3%, 1.8%, and 1.7%, respectively. The Stayhealthy BIA device demonstrated good agreement between reference methods using Bland and Altman analyses. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Woodstove smoke and CO emissions: comparison of reference methods with the VIP sampler.

PubMed

Jaasma, D R; Champion, M C; Shelton, J W

1990-06-01

A new field sampler has been developed for measuring the particulate matter (PM) and carbon monoxide emissions of woodburning stoves. Particulate matter is determined by carbon balance and the workup of a sample train which is similar to a room-temperature EPA Method 5G train. A steel tank, initially evacuated, serves as the motive force for sampling and also accumulates a gas sample for post-test analysis of time-averaged stack CO and CO2 concentrations. Workup procedures can be completed within 72 hours of sampler retrieval. The system has been compared to reference methods in two laboratory test series involving six different woodburning appliances and two independent laboratories. The correlation of field sampler emission rates and reference method rates is strong.

Woodstove smoke and CO emissions: Comparison of reference methods with the VIP sampler

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jaasma, D.R.; Champion, M.C.; Shelton, J.W.

1990-06-01

A new field sampler has been developed for measuring the particulate matter (PM) and carbon monoxide emissions of woodburning stoves. Particulate matter is determined by carbon balance and the workup of a sample train which is similar to a room-temperature EPA Method 5G train. A steel tank, initially evacuated, serves as the motive force for sampling and also accumulates a gas sample for post-test analysis of time-averaged stack CO and CO{sub 2} concentrations. Workup procedures can be completed within 72 hours of sampler retrieval. The system has been compared to reference methods in two laboratory test series involving six differentmore » woodburning appliances and two independent laboratories. The correlation of field sampler emission rates and reference method rates is strong.« less

InstantLabs Listeria monocytogenes food safety kit. Performance tested method 051304.

PubMed

Sharma, Neil; Bambusch, Lauren; Le, Thu; Morey, Amit

2014-01-01

The InstantLabs Listeria monocytogenes Food Safety Kit was validated against the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) reference method 11290-1 for the detection of Listeria monocytogenes and other Listeria species. The matrixes (stainless steel, sealed concrete, ice cream, whole milk, cheddar cheese, raw shrimp, hot dogs, deli turkey, and lettuce) were inoculated with approximately 1 CFU/test portion of L. monocytogenes to generate fractional positives (5-15) in 20 inoculated samples. Enrichments were also fractionally inoculated with L. grayii for side-by-side testing of the Listeria Species Food Safety Kit. Stainless steel and sealed concrete samples were validated using 4 x 4" and 1 x 1 " test areas, respectively, and enriched in Buffered Listeria Enrichment Broth (BLEB) at 35 +/- 1degreesC for 22-28 h. All food samples were tested at 25 g and enriched in BLEB at 35 +/- 1 degreesC for 24-28 h. All samples were confirmed using the ISO reference method, regardless of initial screen result. The InstantLabs test method performed as well as or better than the reference method for the detection of L. monocytogenes on stainless steel and sealed concrete and in ice cream, whole milk, cheddar cheese, raw shrimp, hot dogs, deli turkey, and lettuce. Inclusivity and exclusivity testing revealed no false negatives and no false positives among the 50 L. monocytogenes serovars and 30 non-L. monocytogenes species examined. The method was shown to be robust when the enrichment times, volumes for DNA extraction, and heat block times were varied.

InstantLabs Listeria species food safety kit. Performance tested methods 041304.

PubMed

Sharma, Neil; Bambusch, Lauren; Le, Thu; Morey, Amit

2014-01-01

The InstantLabs Listeria Species Food SafetyKitwas validated against the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) reference method 11290-1 for the detection of Listeria monocytogenes and other Listeria species. The matrixes (stainless steel, sealed concrete, cheddar cheese, raw shrimp, and hot dogs) were inoculated with approximately 1 CFU/test portion of various Listeria species to generate fractional positives (5-15) in 20 inoculated samples. Enrichments were also fractionally inoculated with L. monocytogenes for side-by-side testing of the InstantLabs Listeria monocytogenes Food Safety Kit. Stainless steel and sealed concrete samples were validated using 4 x 4" and 1 x 1" test areas, respectively, and enriched in Buffered Listeria Enrichment Broth (BLEB) at 35 +/- 1 degrees C for 22-28 h. All food samples were tested at 25 g or 25 mL and enriched in BLEB at 35 +/- 1 degrees C for 24-28 h. All samples were confirmed using the ISO reference method, regardless of initial screen result. The InstantLabs test method performed as well as or better than the reference method for the detection of Listeria species on stainless steel, sealed concrete, cheddar cheese, raw shrimp, and hot dogs. Inclusivity and exclusivity testing revealed no false negatives and no false positives among the 80 Listeria species and 30 non-Listeria species examined. The method was shown to be robust when variations were introduced to the enrichment time, the volume for DNA extraction, and the heat block time (data not shown).

40 CFR 63.805 - Performance test methods.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Collection of Coating and Ink Samples for VOC Content Analysis by Reference Method 24 and Reference Method... determine the VHAP content of the liquid coating. Formulation data shall be used to identify VHAP present in... the solids content by weight and the density of coatings. If it is demonstrated to the satisfaction of...

40 CFR 53.30 - General provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... more information about the site. Any such pre-test approval of a test site by the EPA shall indicate... Methods and Reference Methods § 53.30 General provisions. (a) Determination of comparability. The test... discretion of the Administrator. (b) Selection of test sites. (1) Each test site shall be in an area which...

40 CFR 53.30 - General provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... more information about the site. Any such pre-test approval of a test site by the EPA shall indicate... Methods and Reference Methods § 53.30 General provisions. (a) Determination of comparability. The test... discretion of the Administrator. (b) Selection of test sites. (1) Each test site shall be in an area which...

40 CFR 53.30 - General provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... more information about the site. Any such pre-test approval of a test site by the EPA shall indicate... Methods and Reference Methods § 53.30 General provisions. (a) Determination of comparability. The test... discretion of the Administrator. (b) Selection of test sites. (1) Each test site shall be in an area which...

40 CFR 53.30 - General provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... more information about the site. Any such pre-test approval of a test site by the EPA shall indicate... Methods and Reference Methods § 53.30 General provisions. (a) Determination of comparability. The test... discretion of the Administrator. (b) Selection of test sites. (1) Each test site shall be in an area which...

40 CFR 53.30 - General provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... more information about the site. Any such pre-test approval of a test site by the EPA shall indicate... Methods and Reference Methods § 53.30 General provisions. (a) Determination of comparability. The test... discretion of the Administrator. (b) Selection of test sites. (1) Each test site shall be in an area which...

16 CFR 1500.40 - Method of testing toxic substances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... not require animals, are presented in the CPSC's animal testing policy set forth in 16 CFR 1500.232. A... test animals. The method of testing the toxic substances referred to in § 1500.3(c)(1)(ii)(C) and (c)(2... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Method of testing toxic substances. 1500.40...

40 CFR 264.314 - Special requirements for bulk and containerized liquids.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... containerized liquids. 264.314 Section 264.314 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY... test must be used: Method 9095B (Paint Filter Liquids Test) as described in “Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste, Physical/Chemical Methods,” EPA Publication SW-846, as incorporated by reference in...

A method to improve visual similarity of breast masses for an interactive computer-aided diagnosis environment.

PubMed

Zheng, Bin; Lu, Amy; Hardesty, Lara A; Sumkin, Jules H; Hakim, Christiane M; Ganott, Marie A; Gur, David

2006-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop and test a method for selecting "visually similar" regions of interest depicting breast masses from a reference library to be used in an interactive computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) environment. A reference library including 1000 malignant mass regions and 2000 benign and CAD-generated false-positive regions was established. When a suspicious mass region is identified, the scheme segments the region and searches for similar regions from the reference library using a multifeature based k-nearest neighbor (KNN) algorithm. To improve selection of reference images, we added an interactive step. All actual masses in the reference library were subjectively rated on a scale from 1 to 9 as to their "visual margins speculations". When an observer identifies a suspected mass region during a case interpretation he/she first rates the margins and the computerized search is then limited only to regions rated as having similar levels of spiculation (within +/-1 scale difference). In an observer preference study including 85 test regions, two sets of the six "similar" reference regions selected by the KNN with and without the interactive step were displayed side by side with each test region. Four radiologists and five nonclinician observers selected the more appropriate ("similar") reference set in a two alternative forced choice preference experiment. All four radiologists and five nonclinician observers preferred the sets of regions selected by the interactive method with an average frequency of 76.8% and 74.6%, respectively. The overall preference for the interactive method was highly significant (p < 0.001). The study demonstrated that a simple interactive approach that includes subjectively perceived ratings of one feature alone namely, a rating of margin "spiculation," could substantially improve the selection of "visually similar" reference images.

Bisphenol A polycarbonate as a reference material

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hilado, C. J.; Cumming, H. J.; Williams, J. B.

1977-01-01

Test methods require reference materials to standardize and maintain quality control. Various materials have been evaluated as possible reference materials, including a sample of bisphenol A polycarbonate without additives. Screening tests for relative toxicity under various experimental conditions were performed using male mice exposed to pyrolysis effluents over a 200-800 C temperature range. It was found that the bisphenol A polycarbonate served as a suitable reference material as it is available in large quantities, and does not significantly change with time.

40 CFR 60.1300 - What test methods must I use to stack test?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... to the Administrator for approval under § 60.8(b) to use a reference method with minor changes in... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What test methods must I use to stack test? 60.1300 Section 60.1300 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR...

Enhancing the Equating of Item Difficulty Metrics: Estimation of Reference Distribution. Research Report. ETS RR-14-07

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ali, Usama S.; Walker, Michael E.

2014-01-01

Two methods are currently in use at Educational Testing Service (ETS) for equating observed item difficulty statistics. The first method involves the linear equating of item statistics in an observed sample to reference statistics on the same items. The second method, or the item response curve (IRC) method, involves the summation of conditional…

Infrared non-destructive evaluation method and apparatus

DOEpatents

Baleine, Erwan; Erwan, James F; Lee, Ching-Pang; Stinelli, Stephanie

2014-10-21

A method of nondestructive evaluation and related system. The method includes arranging a test piece (14) having an internal passage (18) and an external surface (15) and a thermal calibrator (12) within a field of view (42) of an infrared sensor (44); generating a flow (16) of fluid characterized by a fluid temperature; exposing the test piece internal passage (18) and the thermal calibrator (12) to fluid from the flow (16); capturing infrared emission information of the test piece external surface (15) and of the thermal calibrator (12) simultaneously using the infrared sensor (44), wherein the test piece infrared emission information includes emission intensity information, and wherein the thermal calibrator infrared emission information includes a reference emission intensity associated with the fluid temperature; and normalizing the test piece emission intensity information against the reference emission intensity.

Capillary reference half-cell

DOEpatents

Hall, Stephen H.

1996-01-01

The present invention is a reference half-cell electrode wherein intermingling of test fluid with reference fluid does not affect the performance of the reference half-cell over a long time. This intermingling reference half-cell may be used as a single or double junction submersible or surface reference electrode. The intermingling reference half-cell relies on a capillary tube having a first end open to reference fluid and a second end open to test fluid wherein the small diameter of the capillary tube limits free motion of fluid within the capillary to diffusion. The electrode is placed near the first end of the capillary in contact with the reference fluid. The method of operation of the present invention begins with filling the capillary tube with a reference solution. After closing the first end of the capillary, the capillary tube may be fully submerged or partially submerged with the second open end inserted into test fluid. Since the electrode is placed near the first end of the capillary, and since the test fluid may intermingle with the reference fluid through the second open end only by diffusion, this intermingling capillary reference half-cell provides a stable voltage potential for long time periods.

Capillary reference half-cell

DOEpatents

Hall, S.H.

1996-02-13

The present invention is a reference half-cell electrode wherein intermingling of test fluid with reference fluid does not affect the performance of the reference half-cell over a long time. This intermingling reference half-cell may be used as a single or double junction submersible or surface reference electrode. The intermingling reference half-cell relies on a capillary tube having a first end open to reference fluid and a second end open to test fluid wherein the small diameter of the capillary tube limits free motion of fluid within the capillary to diffusion. The electrode is placed near the first end of the capillary in contact with the reference fluid. The method of operation of the present invention begins with filling the capillary tube with a reference solution. After closing the first end of the capillary, the capillary tube may be fully submerged or partially submerged with the second open end inserted into test fluid. Since the electrode is placed near the first end of the capillary, and since the test fluid may intermingle with the reference fluid through the second open end only by diffusion, this intermingling capillary reference half-cell provides a stable voltage potential for long time periods. 11 figs.

Evaluation of the Water Film Weber Number in Glaze Icing Scaling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tsao, Jen-Ching; Kreeger, Richard E.; Feo, Alejandro

2010-01-01

Icing scaling tests were performed in the NASA Glenn Icing Research Tunnel to evaluate a new scaling method, developed and proposed by Feo for glaze icing, in which the scale liquid water content and velocity were found by matching reference and scale values of the nondimensional water-film thickness expression and the film Weber number. For comparison purpose, tests were also conducted using the constant We(sub L) method for velocity scaling. The reference tests used a full-span, fiberglass, 91.4-cm-chord NACA 0012 model with velocities of 76 and 100 knot and MVD sizes of 150 and 195 microns. Scale-to-reference model size ratio was 1:2.6. All tests were made at 0deg AOA. Results will be presented for stagnation point freezing fractions of 0.3 and 0.5.

Assessing noninferiority in a three-arm trial using the Bayesian approach.

PubMed

Ghosh, Pulak; Nathoo, Farouk; Gönen, Mithat; Tiwari, Ram C

2011-07-10

Non-inferiority trials, which aim to demonstrate that a test product is not worse than a competitor by more than a pre-specified small amount, are of great importance to the pharmaceutical community. As a result, methodology for designing and analyzing such trials is required, and developing new methods for such analysis is an important area of statistical research. The three-arm trial consists of a placebo, a reference and an experimental treatment, and simultaneously tests the superiority of the reference over the placebo along with comparing this reference to an experimental treatment. In this paper, we consider the analysis of non-inferiority trials using Bayesian methods which incorporate both parametric as well as semi-parametric models. The resulting testing approach is both flexible and robust. The benefit of the proposed Bayesian methods is assessed via simulation, based on a study examining home-based blood pressure interventions. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

40 CFR 63.465 - Test methods.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 9 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Test methods. 63.465 Section 63.465... Halogenated Solvent Cleaning § 63.465 Test methods. (a) Except as provided in paragraphs (f) and (g) of this... Reference Method 307 in appendix A of this part. (b) Except as provided in paragraph (g) of this section for...

40 CFR 63.465 - Test methods.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 10 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Test methods. 63.465 Section 63.465... Halogenated Solvent Cleaning § 63.465 Test methods. (a) Except as provided in paragraphs (f) and (g) of this... Reference Method 307 in appendix A of this part. (b) Except as provided in paragraph (g) of this section for...

40 CFR 63.465 - Test methods.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 9 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Test methods. 63.465 Section 63.465... Halogenated Solvent Cleaning § 63.465 Test methods. (a) Except as provided in paragraphs (f) and (g) of this... Reference Method 307 in appendix A of this part. (b) Except as provided in paragraph (g) of this section for...

40 CFR 63.465 - Test methods.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 10 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Test methods. 63.465 Section 63.465... Halogenated Solvent Cleaning § 63.465 Test methods. (a) Except as provided in paragraphs (f) and (g) of this... Reference Method 307 in appendix A of this part. (b) Except as provided in paragraph (g) of this section for...

40 CFR 63.465 - Test methods.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 10 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Test methods. 63.465 Section 63.465... Halogenated Solvent Cleaning § 63.465 Test methods. (a) Except as provided in paragraphs (f) and (g) of this... Reference Method 307 in appendix A of this part. (b) Except as provided in paragraph (g) of this section for...

40 CFR 761.19 - References.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Products (General Bomb Method) § 761.71(b)(2)(vi) ASTM D 240-87 Standard Test Method for Heat of Combustion of Liquid Hydrocarbon Fuel by Bomb Calorimeter § 761.71(b)(2)(vi) ASTM D 482-87 Standard Test Method... in New and Used Petroleum Products (Bomb Method) § 761.71(b)(2)(vi) ASTM D 923-86 Standard Test...

Equivalence testing using existing reference data: An example with genetically modified and conventional crops in animal feeding studies.

PubMed

van der Voet, Hilko; Goedhart, Paul W; Schmidt, Kerstin

2017-11-01

An equivalence testing method is described to assess the safety of regulated products using relevant data obtained in historical studies with assumedly safe reference products. The method is illustrated using data from a series of animal feeding studies with genetically modified and reference maize varieties. Several criteria for quantifying equivalence are discussed, and study-corrected distribution-wise equivalence is selected as being appropriate for the example case study. An equivalence test is proposed based on a high probability of declaring equivalence in a simplified situation, where there is no between-group variation, where the historical and current studies have the same residual variance, and where the current study is assumed to have a sample size as set by a regulator. The method makes use of generalized fiducial inference methods to integrate uncertainties from both the historical and the current data. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Standardization in laboratory medicine: Adoption of common reference intervals to the Croatian population.

PubMed

Flegar-Meštrić, Zlata; Perkov, Sonja; Radeljak, Andrea

2016-03-26

Considering the fact that the results of laboratory tests provide useful information about the state of health of patients, determination of reference value is considered an intrinsic part in the development of laboratory medicine. There are still huge differences in the analytical methods used as well as in the associated reference intervals which could consequently significantly affect the proper assessment of patient health. In a constant effort to increase the quality of patients' care, there are numerous international initiatives for standardization and/or harmonization of laboratory diagnostics in order to achieve maximum comparability of laboratory test results and improve patient safety. Through the standardization and harmonization processes of analytical methods the ability to create unique reference intervals is achieved. Such reference intervals could be applied globally in all laboratories using methods traceable to the same reference measuring system and analysing the biological samples from the populations with similar socio-demographic and ethnic characteristics. In this review we outlined the results of the harmonization processes in Croatia in the field of population based reference intervals for clinically relevant blood and serum constituents which are in accordance with ongoing activity for worldwide standardization and harmonization based on traceability in laboratory medicine.

Standardization in laboratory medicine: Adoption of common reference intervals to the Croatian population

PubMed Central

Flegar-Meštrić, Zlata; Perkov, Sonja; Radeljak, Andrea

2016-01-01

Considering the fact that the results of laboratory tests provide useful information about the state of health of patients, determination of reference value is considered an intrinsic part in the development of laboratory medicine. There are still huge differences in the analytical methods used as well as in the associated reference intervals which could consequently significantly affect the proper assessment of patient health. In a constant effort to increase the quality of patients’ care, there are numerous international initiatives for standardization and/or harmonization of laboratory diagnostics in order to achieve maximum comparability of laboratory test results and improve patient safety. Through the standardization and harmonization processes of analytical methods the ability to create unique reference intervals is achieved. Such reference intervals could be applied globally in all laboratories using methods traceable to the same reference measuring system and analysing the biological samples from the populations with similar socio-demographic and ethnic characteristics. In this review we outlined the results of the harmonization processes in Croatia in the field of population based reference intervals for clinically relevant blood and serum constituents which are in accordance with ongoing activity for worldwide standardization and harmonization based on traceability in laboratory medicine. PMID:27019800

Rapid detection of multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis using the malachite green decolourisation assay

PubMed Central

Coban, Ahmet Yilmaz; Uzun, Meltem

2013-01-01

Early detection of drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates allows for earlier and more effective treatment of patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the performance of the malachite green decolourisation assay (MGDA) in detecting isoniazid (INH) and rifampicin (RIF) resistance in M. tuberculosis clinical isolates. Fifty M. tuberculosis isolates, including 19 multidrug-resistant, eight INH-resistant and 23 INH and RIF-susceptible samples, were tested. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and agreement of the assay for INH were 92.5%, 91.3%, 92.5%, 91.3% and 92%, respectively. Similarly, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and agreement of the assay for RIF were 94.7%, 100%, 100%, 96.8% and 98%, respectively. There was a major discrepancy in the tests of two isolates, as they were sensitive to INH by the MGDA test, but resistant by the reference method. There was a minor discrepancy in the tests of two additional isolates, as they were sensitive to INH by the reference method, but resistant by the MGDA test. The drug susceptibility test results were obtained within eight-nine days. In conclusion, the MGDA test is a reliable and accurate method for the rapid detection of INH and RIF resistance compared with the reference method and the MGDA test additionally requires less time to obtain results. PMID:24402143

Susceptibility Testing of Common and Uncommon Aspergillus Species against Posaconazole and Other Mold-Active Antifungal Azoles Using the Sensititre Method.

PubMed

Mello, Enrica; Posteraro, Brunella; Vella, Antonietta; De Carolis, Elena; Torelli, Riccardo; D'Inzeo, Tiziana; Verweij, Paul E; Sanguinetti, Maurizio

2017-06-01

We tested 59 common and 27 uncommon Aspergillus species isolates for susceptibility to the mold-active azole antifungal agents itraconazole, voriconazole, and posaconazole using the Sensititre method. The overall essential agreement with the CLSI reference method was 96.5% for itraconazole and posaconazole and was 100% for voriconazole. By the Sensititre method as well as the CLSI reference method, all of 10 A. fumigatus isolates with a cyp51 mutant genotype were classified as being non-wild-type isolates (MIC > epidemiological cutoff value [ECV]) with respect to triazole susceptibility. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

Susceptibility Testing of Common and Uncommon Aspergillus Species against Posaconazole and Other Mold-Active Antifungal Azoles Using the Sensititre Method

PubMed Central

Mello, Enrica; Posteraro, Brunella; Vella, Antonietta; De Carolis, Elena; Torelli, Riccardo; D'Inzeo, Tiziana; Verweij, Paul E.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT We tested 59 common and 27 uncommon Aspergillus species isolates for susceptibility to the mold-active azole antifungal agents itraconazole, voriconazole, and posaconazole using the Sensititre method. The overall essential agreement with the CLSI reference method was 96.5% for itraconazole and posaconazole and was 100% for voriconazole. By the Sensititre method as well as the CLSI reference method, all of 10 A. fumigatus isolates with a cyp51 mutant genotype were classified as being non-wild-type isolates (MIC > epidemiological cutoff value [ECV]) with respect to triazole susceptibility. PMID:28416538

Standard method of test for grindability of coal by the Hardgrove-machine method

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1975-01-01

A procedure is described for sampling coal, grinding in a Hardgrove grinding machine, and passing through standard sieves to determine the degree of pulverization of coals. The grindability index of the coal tested is calculated from a calibration chart prepared by plotting weight of material passing a No. 200 sieve versus the Hardgrove Grindability Index for the standard reference samples. The Hardgrove machine is shown schematically. The method for preparing and determining grindability indexes of standard reference samples is given in the appendix. (BLM)

46 CFR 164.120-5 - Incorporation by reference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

...), Standard Test Method for Apparent Viscosity of Plastisols and Organosols at Low Shear Rates, (approved...—Determination of apparent viscosity by the Brookfield test method, Second Edition (February 1, 1989, Corrected...

46 CFR 164.120-5 - Incorporation by reference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

...), Standard Test Method for Apparent Viscosity of Plastisols and Organosols at Low Shear Rates, (approved...—Determination of apparent viscosity by the Brookfield test method, Second Edition (February 1, 1989, Corrected...

EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVE REFERENCE TOXICANTS FOR USE IN THE EARTHWORM TOXICITY TEST

EPA Science Inventory

The use of the 14-d earthworm toxicity test to aid in the evaluation of the ecological impact of contaminated soils is becoming increasingly widespread. However,the method is in need of further standardization. As part of this continuing process, the choice of reference toxicants...

Immunoturbidimetric quantification of serum immunoglobulin G concentration in foals.

PubMed

Bauer, J E; Brooks, T P

1990-08-01

Immunoturbidimetric determination of serum IgG concentration in foals was compared with the reference methods of single radial immunodiffusion and serum protein electrophoresis. High positive correlations were discovered when the technique was compared with either of these reference methods. The zinc sulfate turbidity test for serum IgG estimation was also evaluated. Although a positive correlation was discovered when the latter method was compared with reference methods, it was not as strong as the correlation between reference methods and the immunoturbidimetric method. The immunoturbidimetric method used in this study is specific and precise for equine serum IgG determination. It is rapid and, thus, is advantageous when timely evaluation of critically ill foals is necessary. The technique should be adaptable to various spectrophotometers and microcomputers for widespread application in veterinary medicine.

In-house validation study of the DuPont Qualicon BAX system Q7 instrument with the BAX system PCR Assay for Salmonella (modification of AOAC Official Method 2003.09 and AOAC Research Institute Performance-Tested Method 100201).

PubMed

Tice, George; Andaloro, Bridget; White, H Kirk; Bolton, Lance; Wang, Siqun; Davis, Eugene; Wallace, Morgan

2009-01-01

In 2006, DuPont Qualicon introduced the BAX system Q7 instrument for use with its assays. To demonstrate the equivalence of the new and old instruments, a validation study was conducted using the BAX system PCR Assay for Salmonella, AOAC Official Method 2003.09, on three food types. The foods were simultaneously analyzed with the BAX system Q7 instrument and either the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Bacteriological Analytical Manual or the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Food Safety and Inspection Service Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook reference method for detecting Salmonella. Comparable performance between the BAX system and the reference methods was observed. Of the 75 paired samples analyzed, 39 samples were positive by both the BAX system and reference methods, and 36 samples were negative by both the BAX system and reference methods, demonstrating 100% correlation. Inclusivity and exclusivity for the BAX system Q7 instrument were also established by testing 50 Salmonella strains and 20 non-Salmonella isolates. All Salmonella strains returned positive results, and all non-Salmonella isolates returned a negative response.

40 CFR 761.19 - References.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... incorporated by reference, and is available for inspection at the National Archives and Records Administration...://www.archives.gov/federal_register/code_of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html. These incorporations... Products (General Bomb Method) § 761.71(b)(2)(vi) ASTM D 240-87 Standard Test Method for Heat of Combustion...

29 CFR Appendix A to Subpart Q of... - References to subpart Q of Part 1926

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... (ASTM C39-86). • Standard Test Method for Making and Curing Concrete Test Specimens in the Field (ASTM C31-85). • Standard Test Method for Penetration Resistance of Hardened Concrete (ASTM C803-82... (ASTM C873-85). • Standard Method for Developing Early Age Compressive Test Values and Projecting Later...

Comparison of results of fluconazole disk diffusion testing for Candida species with results from a central reference laboratory in the ARTEMIS global antifungal surveillance program.

PubMed

Pfaller, M A; Hazen, K C; Messer, S A; Boyken, L; Tendolkar, S; Hollis, R J; Diekema, D J

2004-08-01

The accuracy of antifungal susceptibility tests is important for accurate resistance surveillance and for the clinical management of patients with serious infections. Our main objective was to compare the results of fluconazole disk diffusion testing of Candida spp. performed by ARTEMIS participating centers with disk diffusion and MIC results obtained by the central reference laboratory. A total of 2,949 isolates of Candida spp. were tested by NCCLS disk diffusion and reference broth microdilution methods in the central reference laboratory. These results were compared to the results of disk diffusion testing performed in the 54 participating centers. All tests were performed and interpreted following NCCLS recommendations. Overall categorical agreement between participant disk diffusion test results and reference laboratory MIC results was 87.4%, with 0.2% very major errors (VME) and 3.3% major errors (ME). The categorical agreement between the disk diffusion test results obtained in the reference laboratory with the MIC test results was similar: 92.8%. Likewise, good agreement was observed between participant disk diffusion test results and reference laboratory disk diffusion test results: 90.4%, 0.4% VME, and 3.4% ME. The disk diffusion test was especially reliable in detecting those isolates of Candida spp. that were characterized as resistant by reference MIC testing. External quality assurance data obtained by surveillance programs such as the ARTEMIS Global Antifungal Surveillance Program ensure the generation of useful surveillance data and result in the continued improvement of antifungal susceptibility testing practices.

The Ex Vivo Eye Irritation Test as an alternative test method for serious eye damage/eye irritation.

PubMed

Spöler, Felix; Kray, Oya; Kray, Stefan; Panfil, Claudia; Schrage, Norbert F

2015-07-01

Ocular irritation testing is a common requirement for the classification, labelling and packaging of chemicals (substances and mixtures). The in vivo Draize rabbit eye test (OECD Test Guideline 405) is considered to be the regulatory reference method for the classification of chemicals according to their potential to induce eye injury. In the Draize test, chemicals are applied to rabbit eyes in vivo, and changes are monitored over time. If no damage is observed, the chemical is not categorised. Otherwise, the classification depends on the severity and reversibility of the damage. Alternative test methods have to be designed to match the classifications from the in vivo reference method. However, observation of damage reversibility is usually not possible in vitro. Within the present study, a new organotypic method based on rabbit corneas obtained from food production is demonstrated to close this gap. The Ex Vivo Eye Irritation Test (EVEIT) retains the full biochemical activity of the corneal epithelium, epithelial stem cells and endothelium. This permits the in-depth analysis of ocular chemical trauma beyond that achievable by using established in vitro methods. In particular, the EVEIT is the first test to permit the direct monitoring of recovery of all corneal layers after damage. To develop a prediction model for the EVEIT that is comparable to the GHS system, 37 reference chemicals were analysed. The experimental data were used to derive a three-level potency ranking of eye irritation and corrosion that best fits the GHS categorisation. In vivo data available in the literature were used for comparison. When compared with GHS classification predictions, the overall accuracy of the three-level potency ranking was 78%. The classification of chemicals as irritating versus non-irritating resulted in 96% sensitivity, 91% specificity and 95% accuracy. 2015 FRAME.

40 CFR 98.7 - What standardized methods are incorporated by reference into this part?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

....astm.org. (1) ASTM C25-06 Standard Test Method for Chemical Analysis of Limestone, Quicklime, and....194(c), and § 98.334(b). (2) ASTM C114-09 Standard Test Methods for Chemical Analysis of Hydraulic... approved for § 98.6. (4) ASTM D240-02 (Reapproved 2007) Standard Test Method for Heat of Combustion of...

40 CFR 98.7 - What standardized methods are incorporated by reference into this part?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

....astm.org. (1) ASTM C25-06 Standard Test Method for Chemical Analysis of Limestone, Quicklime, and....194(c), and § 98.334(b). (2) ASTM C114-09 Standard Test Methods for Chemical Analysis of Hydraulic... approved for § 98.6. (4) ASTM D240-02 (Reapproved 2007) Standard Test Method for Heat of Combustion of...

Evaluation of Alternative Altitude Scaling Methods for Thermal Ice Protection System in NASA Icing Research Tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Sam; Addy, Harold E. Jr.; Broeren, Andy P.; Orchard, David M.

2017-01-01

A test was conducted at NASA Icing Research Tunnel to evaluate altitude scaling methods for thermal ice protection system. Two new scaling methods based on Weber number were compared against a method based on Reynolds number. The results generally agreed with the previous set of tests conducted in NRCC Altitude Icing Wind Tunnel where the three methods of scaling were also tested and compared along with reference (altitude) icing conditions. In those tests, the Weber number-based scaling methods yielded results much closer to those observed at the reference icing conditions than the Reynolds number-based icing conditions. The test in the NASA IRT used a much larger, asymmetric airfoil with an ice protection system that more closely resembled designs used in commercial aircraft. Following the trends observed during the AIWT tests, the Weber number based scaling methods resulted in smaller runback ice than the Reynolds number based scaling, and the ice formed farther upstream. The results show that the new Weber number based scaling methods, particularly the Weber number with water loading scaling, continue to show promise for ice protection system development and evaluation in atmospheric icing tunnels.

40 CFR Appendix Ix to Part 268 - Extraction Procedure (EP) Toxicity Test Method and Structural Integrity Test (Method 1310B)

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) LAND DISPOSAL RESTRICTIONS Pt... Waste, Physical/Chemical Methods,” EPA Publication SW-846, as incorporated by reference in § 260.11 of...

40 CFR Appendix Ix to Part 268 - Extraction Procedure (EP) Toxicity Test Method and Structural Integrity Test (Method 1310B)

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) LAND DISPOSAL RESTRICTIONS Pt... Waste, Physical/Chemical Methods,” EPA Publication SW-846, as incorporated by reference in § 260.11 of...

40 CFR Appendix Ix to Part 268 - Extraction Procedure (EP) Toxicity Test Method and Structural Integrity Test (Method 1310B)

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) LAND DISPOSAL RESTRICTIONS Pt... Waste, Physical/Chemical Methods,” EPA Publication SW-846, as incorporated by reference in § 260.11 of...

40 CFR Appendix Ix to Part 268 - Extraction Procedure (EP) Toxicity Test Method and Structural Integrity Test (Method 1310B)

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) LAND DISPOSAL RESTRICTIONS Pt... Waste, Physical/Chemical Methods,” EPA Publication SW-846, as incorporated by reference in § 260.11 of...

40 CFR Appendix Ix to Part 268 - Extraction Procedure (EP) Toxicity Test Method and Structural Integrity Test (Method 1310B)

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) LAND DISPOSAL RESTRICTIONS Pt... Waste, Physical/Chemical Methods,” EPA Publication SW-846, as incorporated by reference in § 260.11 of...

Establishment of the Ph. Eur. erythropoietin chemical reference substance batch 1.

PubMed

Burns, C; Bristow, A F; Buchheit, K H; Daas, A; Wierer, M; Costanzo, A

2015-01-01

The Erythropoietin (EPO) European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) Biological Reference Preparation (BRP) batch 3 was calibrated in 2006 by in vivo bioassay and was used as a reference preparation for these assays as well as for the physicochemical methods in the Ph. Eur. monograph Erythropoietin concentrated solution (1316). In order to avoid the frequent replacement of this standard and thus reduce the use of animals, a new EPO Chemical Reference Substance (CRS) was established to be used solely for the physicochemical methods. Here we report the outcome of a collaborative study aimed at demonstrating the suitability of the candidate CRS (cCRS) as a reference for the physicochemical methods in the Ph. Eur. monograph. Results from the study demonstrated that for the physicochemical methods currently required in the monograph (capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE), polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE)/immunoblotting and peptide mapping), the cCRS is essentially identical to the existing BRP. However, data also indicated that, for the physicochemical methods under consideration for inclusion in a revised monograph (test for oxidised forms and glycan mapping), the suitability of the cCRS as a reference needs to be confirmed with additional work. Further to completion of the study, the Ph. Eur. Commission adopted the cCRS as "Erythropoietin for physicochemical tests CRS batch 1" to be used for CZE, PAGE/immunoblotting and peptide mapping.

Adaptation of the Sensititre broth microdilution technique to antimicrobial susceptibility testing of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae.

PubMed

Tanner, A C; Erickson, B Z; Ross, R F

1993-09-01

A broth microdilution technique is described for determining the antimicrobial susceptibility of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, using commercially prepared Sensititre plates. Twenty-five field isolates and two reference strains (J & 232), were tested against seven antimicrobials. Field isolates were tested in duplicate and reference strains, four times to estimate reproducibility. Ninety-seven percent of the duplicate MIC results for the field isolates were in agreement, or within one log2 dilution. Similar results were obtained with the reference strains. The isolates were susceptible to lincomycin-spectinomycin, tylosin and oxytetracycline or resistant to amoxycillin, apramycin and erythromycin. Susceptibility to furaltadone varied. This method retains the accuracy and reproducibility of broth MIC determinations, while avoiding the lengthy preparation of antimicrobial dilutions normally associated with more traditional methods.

Nationwide Multicenter Reference Interval Study for 28 Common Biochemical Analytes in China.

PubMed

Xia, Liangyu; Chen, Ming; Liu, Min; Tao, Zhihua; Li, Shijun; Wang, Liang; Cheng, Xinqi; Qin, Xuzhen; Han, Jianhua; Li, Pengchang; Hou, Li'an; Yu, Songlin; Ichihara, Kiyoshi; Qiu, Ling

2016-03-01

A nationwide multicenter study was conducted in the China to explore sources of variation of reference values and establish reference intervals for 28 common biochemical analytes, as a part of the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Committee on Reference Intervals and Decision Limits (IFCC/C-RIDL) global study on reference values. A total of 3148 apparently healthy volunteers were recruited in 6 cities covering a wide area in China. Blood samples were tested in 2 central laboratories using Beckman Coulter AU5800 chemistry analyzers. Certified reference materials and value-assigned serum panel were used for standardization of test results. Multiple regression analysis was performed to explore sources of variation. Need for partition of reference intervals was evaluated based on 3-level nested ANOVA. After secondary exclusion using the latent abnormal values exclusion method, reference intervals were derived by a parametric method using the modified Box-Cox formula. Test results of 20 analytes were made traceable to reference measurement procedures. By the ANOVA, significant sex-related and age-related differences were observed in 12 and 12 analytes, respectively. A small regional difference was observed in the results for albumin, glucose, and sodium. Multiple regression analysis revealed BMI-related changes in results of 9 analytes for man and 6 for woman. Reference intervals of 28 analytes were computed with 17 analytes partitioned by sex and/or age. In conclusion, reference intervals of 28 common chemistry analytes applicable to Chinese Han population were established by use of the latest methodology. Reference intervals of 20 analytes traceable to reference measurement procedures can be used as common reference intervals, whereas others can be used as the assay system-specific reference intervals in China.

Nationwide Multicenter Reference Interval Study for 28 Common Biochemical Analytes in China

PubMed Central

Xia, Liangyu; Chen, Ming; Liu, Min; Tao, Zhihua; Li, Shijun; Wang, Liang; Cheng, Xinqi; Qin, Xuzhen; Han, Jianhua; Li, Pengchang; Hou, Li’an; Yu, Songlin; Ichihara, Kiyoshi; Qiu, Ling

2016-01-01

Abstract A nationwide multicenter study was conducted in the China to explore sources of variation of reference values and establish reference intervals for 28 common biochemical analytes, as a part of the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Committee on Reference Intervals and Decision Limits (IFCC/C-RIDL) global study on reference values. A total of 3148 apparently healthy volunteers were recruited in 6 cities covering a wide area in China. Blood samples were tested in 2 central laboratories using Beckman Coulter AU5800 chemistry analyzers. Certified reference materials and value-assigned serum panel were used for standardization of test results. Multiple regression analysis was performed to explore sources of variation. Need for partition of reference intervals was evaluated based on 3-level nested ANOVA. After secondary exclusion using the latent abnormal values exclusion method, reference intervals were derived by a parametric method using the modified Box–Cox formula. Test results of 20 analytes were made traceable to reference measurement procedures. By the ANOVA, significant sex-related and age-related differences were observed in 12 and 12 analytes, respectively. A small regional difference was observed in the results for albumin, glucose, and sodium. Multiple regression analysis revealed BMI-related changes in results of 9 analytes for man and 6 for woman. Reference intervals of 28 analytes were computed with 17 analytes partitioned by sex and/or age. In conclusion, reference intervals of 28 common chemistry analytes applicable to Chinese Han population were established by use of the latest methodology. Reference intervals of 20 analytes traceable to reference measurement procedures can be used as common reference intervals, whereas others can be used as the assay system-specific reference intervals in China. PMID:26945390

40 CFR 60.496 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Surface Coating Industry § 60.496 Test methods and procedures. (a) The reference methods in appendix A to...) Method 4 for stack gas moisture. (b) For Method 24, the coating sample must be a 1-litre sample collected... volume must be 0.003 dscm except that shorter sampling times or smaller volumes, when necessitated by...

40 CFR 60.496 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Surface Coating Industry § 60.496 Test methods and procedures. (a) The reference methods in appendix A to...) Method 4 for stack gas moisture. (b) For Method 24, the coating sample must be a 1-litre sample collected... volume must be 0.003 dscm except that shorter sampling times or smaller volumes, when necessitated by...

40 CFR 60.496 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Surface Coating Industry § 60.496 Test methods and procedures. (a) The reference methods in appendix A to...) Method 4 for stack gas moisture. (b) For Method 24, the coating sample must be a 1-litre sample collected... volume must be 0.003 dscm except that shorter sampling times or smaller volumes, when necessitated by...

40 CFR 60.496 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Surface Coating Industry § 60.496 Test methods and procedures. (a) The reference methods in appendix A to...) Method 4 for stack gas moisture. (b) For Method 24, the coating sample must be a 1-litre sample collected... volume must be 0.003 dscm except that shorter sampling times or smaller volumes, when necessitated by...

40 CFR 60.496 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Surface Coating Industry § 60.496 Test methods and procedures. (a) The reference methods in appendix A to...) Method 4 for stack gas moisture. (b) For Method 24, the coating sample must be a 1-litre sample collected... volume must be 0.003 dscm except that shorter sampling times or smaller volumes, when necessitated by...

77 FR 14814 - Tobacco Product Analysis; Scientific Workshop; Request for Comments

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-13

... work to develop tobacco reference products that are not currently available for laboratory use. Discuss... methods used to analyze tobacco products. FDA will invite speakers to address scientific and technical matters relating to the testing of tobacco reference products and the analytical methods used to measure...

40 CFR 53.4 - Applications for reference or equivalent method determinations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... using information such as service reports and customer complaints to eliminate potential causes of... standards of good practice and by qualified personnel. Test anomalies or irregularities shall be documented... designated as a reference or equivalent method, to ensure that all analyzers or samplers offered for sale...

40 CFR 98.254 - Monitoring and QA/QC requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Bomb Calorimeter (Precision Method) (incorporated by reference, see § 98.7). (2) ASTM D240-02 (Reapproved 2007) Standard Test Method for Heat of Combustion of Liquid Hydrocarbon Fuels by Bomb Calorimeter... Carbon, Hydrogen, and Nitrogen in Petroleum Products and Lubricants (incorporated by reference, see § 98...

40 CFR 98.254 - Monitoring and QA/QC requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Bomb Calorimeter (Precision Method) (incorporated by reference, see § 98.7). (2) ASTM D240-02 (Reapproved 2007) Standard Test Method for Heat of Combustion of Liquid Hydrocarbon Fuels by Bomb Calorimeter... Carbon, Hydrogen, and Nitrogen in Petroleum Products and Lubricants (incorporated by reference, see § 98...

40 CFR 98.254 - Monitoring and QA/QC requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Bomb Calorimeter (Precision Method) (incorporated by reference, see § 98.7). (2) ASTM D240-02 (Reapproved 2007) Standard Test Method for Heat of Combustion of Liquid Hydrocarbon Fuels by Bomb Calorimeter... Carbon, Hydrogen, and Nitrogen in Petroleum Products and Lubricants (incorporated by reference, see § 98...

40 CFR 63.14 - Incorporations by reference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Testing and Materials (ASTM), 100 Barr Harbor Drive, Post Office Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428... (Reapproved 2010), Standard Test Method for Water in Petroleum Products and Bituminous Materials by...-09 Standard Test Method for Heat of Combustion of Liquid Hydrocarbon Fuels by Bomb Calorimeter...

PV systems photoelectric parameters determining for field conditions and real operation conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shepovalova, Olga V.

2018-05-01

In this work, research experience and reference documentation have been generalized related to PV systems photoelectric parameters (PV array output parameters) determining. The basic method has been presented that makes it possible to determine photoelectric parameters with the state-of-the-art reliability and repeatability. This method provides an effective tool for PV systems comparison and evaluation of PV system parameters that the end-user will have in the course of its real operation for compliance with those stipulated in reference documentation. The method takes in consideration all parameters that may possibly affect photoelectric performance and that are supported by sufficiently valid procedures for their values testing. Test conditions, requirements for equipment subject to tests and test preparations have been established and the test procedure for fully equipped PV system in field tests and in real operation conditions has been described.

Agreement between gastrointestinal panel testing and standard microbiology methods for detecting pathogens in suspected infectious gastroenteritis: Test evaluation and meta-analysis in the absence of a reference standard.

PubMed

Freeman, Karoline; Tsertsvadze, Alexander; Taylor-Phillips, Sian; McCarthy, Noel; Mistry, Hema; Manuel, Rohini; Mason, James

2017-01-01

Multiplex gastrointestinal pathogen panel (GPP) tests simultaneously identify bacterial, viral and parasitic pathogens from the stool samples of patients with suspected infectious gastroenteritis presenting in hospital or the community. We undertook a systematic review to compare the accuracy of GPP tests with standard microbiology techniques. Searches in Medline, Embase, Web of Science and the Cochrane library were undertaken from inception to January 2016. Eligible studies compared GPP tests with standard microbiology techniques in patients with suspected gastroenteritis. Quality assessment of included studies used tailored QUADAS-2. In the absence of a reference standard we analysed test performance taking GPP tests and standard microbiology techniques in turn as the benchmark test, using random effects meta-analysis of proportions. No study provided an adequate reference standard with which to compare the test accuracy of GPP and conventional tests. Ten studies informed a meta-analysis of positive and negative agreement. Positive agreement across all pathogens was 0.93 (95% CI 0.90 to 0.96) when conventional methods were the benchmark and 0.68 (95% CI: 0.58 to 0.77) when GPP provided the benchmark. Negative agreement was high in both instances due to the high proportion of negative cases. GPP testing produced a greater number of pathogen-positive findings than conventional testing. It is unclear whether these additional 'positives' are clinically important. GPP testing has the potential to simplify testing and accelerate reporting when compared to conventional microbiology methods. However the impact of GPP testing upon the management, treatment and outcome of patients is poorly understood and further studies are needed to evaluate the health economic impact of GPP testing compared with standard methods. The review protocol is registered with PROSPERO as CRD42016033320.

Wollaston prism phase-stepping point diffraction interferometer and method

DOEpatents

Rushford, Michael C.

2004-10-12

A Wollaston prism phase-stepping point diffraction interferometer for testing a test optic. The Wollaston prism shears light into reference and signal beams, and provides phase stepping at increased accuracy by translating the Wollaston prism in a lateral direction with respect to the optical path. The reference beam produced by the Wollaston prism is directed through a pinhole of a diaphragm to produce a perfect spherical reference wave. The spherical reference wave is recombined with the signal beam to produce an interference fringe pattern of greater accuracy.

Comparison of broth macrodilution, broth microdilution, and E test antifungal susceptibility tests for fluconazole.

PubMed Central

Sewell, D L; Pfaller, M A; Barry, A L

1994-01-01

A comparison of the E test, the broth microdilution test, and the reference broth macrodilution susceptibility test of the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards for fluconazole susceptibility testing was performed with 238 clinical isolates of Candida species and Torulopsis (Candida) glabrata. An 80% inhibition endpoint MIC was determined by the reference broth macrodilution method after 48 h of incubation. The MICs obtained by the two study methods were read after 24 and 48 h of incubation. Overall, excellent agreement within 2 doubling dilutions was obtained between the broth microdilution and the broth macrodilution methods for the combined results for all species at both 24 h (93%) and 48 h (94%). The correlation of 24-h MIC endpoints between the E test and the broth macrodilution methods was 37% for T. glabrata, 56% for Candida tropicalis, 93% for Candida albicans, and 90% for other Candida species. The percent agreement at 48 h ranged from 34% for T. glabrata to 97% for Candida species other than C. albicans and C. tropicalis. These initial results support the further evaluation of the E test as an alternative method for fluconazole susceptibility testing of Candida species. PMID:7814531

Quality evaluation of no-reference MR images using multidirectional filters and image statistics.

PubMed

Jang, Jinseong; Bang, Kihun; Jang, Hanbyol; Hwang, Dosik

2018-09-01

This study aimed to develop a fully automatic, no-reference image-quality assessment (IQA) method for MR images. New quality-aware features were obtained by applying multidirectional filters to MR images and examining the feature statistics. A histogram of these features was then fitted to a generalized Gaussian distribution function for which the shape parameters yielded different values depending on the type of distortion in the MR image. Standard feature statistics were established through a training process based on high-quality MR images without distortion. Subsequently, the feature statistics of a test MR image were calculated and compared with the standards. The quality score was calculated as the difference between the shape parameters of the test image and the undistorted standard images. The proposed IQA method showed a >0.99 correlation with the conventional full-reference assessment methods; accordingly, this proposed method yielded the best performance among no-reference IQA methods for images containing six types of synthetic, MR-specific distortions. In addition, for authentically distorted images, the proposed method yielded the highest correlation with subjective assessments by human observers, thus demonstrating its superior performance over other no-reference IQAs. Our proposed IQA was designed to consider MR-specific features and outperformed other no-reference IQAs designed mainly for photographic images. Magn Reson Med 80:914-924, 2018. © 2018 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. © 2018 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Label-free viscosity measurement of complex fluids using reversal flow switching manipulation in a microfluidic channel

PubMed Central

Jun Kang, Yang; Ryu, Jeongeun; Lee, Sang-Joon

2013-01-01

The accurate viscosity measurement of complex fluids is essential for characterizing fluidic behaviors in blood vessels and in microfluidic channels of lab-on-a-chip devices. A microfluidic platform that accurately identifies biophysical properties of blood can be used as a promising tool for the early detections of cardiovascular and microcirculation diseases. In this study, a flow-switching phenomenon depending on hydrodynamic balancing in a microfluidic channel was adopted to conduct viscosity measurement of complex fluids with label-free operation. A microfluidic device for demonstrating this proposed method was designed to have two inlets for supplying the test and reference fluids, two side channels in parallel, and a junction channel connected to the midpoint of the two side channels. According to this proposed method, viscosities of various fluids with different phases (aqueous, oil, and blood) in relation to that of reference fluid were accurately determined by measuring the switching flow-rate ratio between the test and reference fluids, when a reverse flow of the test or reference fluid occurs in the junction channel. An analytical viscosity formula was derived to measure the viscosity of a test fluid in relation to that of the corresponding reference fluid using a discrete circuit model for the microfluidic device. The experimental analysis for evaluating the effects of various parameters on the performance of the proposed method revealed that the fluidic resistance ratio (RJL/RL, fluidic resistance in the junction channel (RJL) to fluidic resistance in the side channel (RL)) strongly affects the measurement accuracy. The microfluidic device with smaller RJL/RL values is helpful to measure accurately the viscosity of the test fluid. The proposed method accurately measured the viscosities of various fluids, including single-phase (Glycerin and plasma) and oil-water phase (oil vs. deionized water) fluids, compared with conventional methods. The proposed method was also successfully applied to measure viscosities of blood with varying hematocrits, chemically fixed RBCS, and channel sizes. Based on these experimental results, the proposed method can be effectively used to measure the viscosities of various fluids easily, without any fluorescent labeling and tedious calibration procedures. PMID:24404040

CON4EI: Selection of the reference chemicals for hazard identification and labelling of eye irritating chemicals.

PubMed

Adriaens, E; Alépée, N; Kandarova, H; Drzewieckac, A; Gruszka, K; Guest, R; Willoughby, J A; Verstraelen, S; Van Rompay, A R

2017-10-01

Assessment of the acute eye irritation potential is part of the international regulatory requirements for testing of chemicals. In the past, several prospective and retrospective validation studies have taken place in the area of serious eye damage/eye irritation testing. Success in terms of complete replacement of the regulatory in vivo Draize rabbit eye test has not yet been achieved. A very important aspect to ensure development of successful alternative test methods and/or strategies for serious eye damage/eye irritation testing is the selection of appropriate reference chemicals. A set of 80 reference chemicals was selected for the CEFIC-LRI-AIMT6-VITO CON4EI (CONsortium for in vitro Eye Irritation testing strategy) project, in collaboration with Cosmetics Europe, from the Draize Reference Database published by Cosmetics Europe based on key criteria that were set in their paper (e.g. balanced by important driver of classification and physical state). The most important goals of the CON4EI project were to identify the performance of eight in vitro alternative tests in terms of driver of classification and to identify similarities/differences between the methods in order the build a successful testing strategy that can discriminate between all UN GHS categories. This paper provides background on selection of the test chemicals. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reprint of "CON4EI: Selection of the reference chemicals for hazard identification and labelling of eye irritating chemicals".

PubMed

Adriaens, E; Alépée, N; Kandarova, H; Drzewieckac, A; Gruszka, K; Guest, R; Willoughby, J A; Verstraelen, S; Van Rompay, A R

2018-06-01

Assessment of the acute eye irritation potential is part of the international regulatory requirements for testing of chemicals. In the past, several prospective and retrospective validation studies have taken place in the area of serious eye damage/eye irritation testing. Success in terms of complete replacement of the regulatory in vivo Draize rabbit eye test has not yet been achieved. A very important aspect to ensure development of successful alternative test methods and/or strategies for serious eye damage/eye irritation testing is the selection of appropriate reference chemicals. A set of 80 reference chemicals was selected for the CEFIC-LRI-AIMT6-VITO CON4EI (CONsortium for in vitro Eye Irritation testing strategy) project, in collaboration with Cosmetics Europe, from the Draize Reference Database published by Cosmetics Europe based on key criteria that were set in their paper (e.g. balanced by important driver of classification and physical state). The most important goals of the CON4EI project were to identify the performance of eight in vitro alternative tests in terms of driver of classification and to identify similarities/differences between the methods in order the build a successful testing strategy that can discriminate between all UN GHS categories. This paper provides background on selection of the test chemicals. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Visually testing the dynamic character of a blazed-angle adjustable grating by digital holographic microscopy.

PubMed

Qin, Chuan; Zhao, Jianlin; Di, Jianglei; Wang, Le; Yu, Yiting; Yuan, Weizheng

2009-02-10

We employed digital holographic microscopy to visually test microoptoelectromechanical systems (MOEMS). The sample is a blazed-angle adjustable grating. Considering the periodic structure of the sample, a local area unwrapping method based on a binary template was adopted to demodulate the fringes obtained by referring to a reference hologram. A series of holograms at different deformation states due to different drive voltages were captured to analyze the dynamic character of the MOEMS, and the uniformity of different microcantilever beams was also inspected. The results show this testing method is effective for a periodic structure.

40 CFR 94.5 - Reference materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

.../code_of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html. (a) ASTM material. Table 1 of § 94.5 lists material... of § 94.5—ASTM Materials Document No. and name Part 94 reference ASTM D 86-01, Standard Test Method for Distillation of Petroleum Products at Atmospheric Pressure 94.108 ASTM D 93-02, Standard Test...

46 CFR 160.077-19 - Approval Testing-Recreational Hybrid PFD's.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... distribution, and inflation medium retention test, UL 1517, sections 18 and 19, except: (i) Recreational hybrid... Method Standard 191, or ASTM D 751 (incorporated by reference, see § 160.077-5). (4) Permeability. The permeability of chamber materials must be determined according to ASTM D 1434 (incorporated by reference, see...

46 CFR 160.077-19 - Approval Testing-Recreational Hybrid PFD's.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... distribution, and inflation medium retention test, UL 1517, sections 18 and 19, except: (i) Recreational hybrid... Method Standard 191, or ASTM D 751 (incorporated by reference, see § 160.077-5). (4) Permeability. The permeability of chamber materials must be determined according to ASTM D 1434 (incorporated by reference, see...

46 CFR 160.077-19 - Approval Testing-Recreational Hybrid PFD's.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... distribution, and inflation medium retention test, UL 1517, sections 18 and 19, except: (i) Recreational hybrid... Method Standard 191, or ASTM D 751 (incorporated by reference, see § 160.077-5). (4) Permeability. The permeability of chamber materials must be determined according to ASTM D 1434 (incorporated by reference, see...

46 CFR 160.077-19 - Approval Testing-Recreational Hybrid PFD's.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... distribution, and inflation medium retention test, UL 1517, sections 18 and 19, except: (i) Recreational hybrid... Method Standard 191, or ASTM D 751 (incorporated by reference, see § 160.077-5). (4) Permeability. The permeability of chamber materials must be determined according to ASTM D 1434 (incorporated by reference, see...

46 CFR 160.077-19 - Approval Testing-Recreational Hybrid PFD's.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... distribution, and inflation medium retention test, UL 1517, sections 18 and 19, except: (i) Recreational hybrid... Method Standard 191, or ASTM D 751 (incorporated by reference, see § 160.077-5). (4) Permeability. The permeability of chamber materials must be determined according to ASTM D 1434 (incorporated by reference, see...

10 CFR 431.444 - Test procedures for the measurement of energy efficiency.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... the following test methods: (1) Single-phase small electric motors: Either IEEE Std 114-2010 or CSA... to 1 horsepower (0.75 kW): Either IEEE Std 112-2004 Test Method A or CSA C747 (incorporated by...): Either IEEE Std 112-2004 Test Method B or CSA C390-10 (incorporated by reference, see § 431.443). [74 FR...

10 CFR 431.444 - Test procedures for the measurement of energy efficiency.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... the following test methods: (1) Single-phase small electric motors: Either IEEE Std 114-2010 or CSA... to 1 horsepower (0.75 kW): Either IEEE Std 112-2004 Test Method A or CSA C747 (incorporated by...): Either IEEE Std 112-2004 Test Method B or CSA C390-10 (incorporated by reference, see § 431.443). [74 FR...

Evaluation of Test Methods To Determine the Impact Resistance of Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS).

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-07-01

be used effectively in new construction or retrofit applications. These systems usually contain: 1. Molded expanded polystyrene insulation board (MEPS...commonly referred to as "bead board," or extruded expanded polystyrene insulation board (XEPS), commonly referred to as "blue board." 2. An...Walls ( Expanded Polystyrene Insulation Faced with a Thin Rendering), M.O.A.T. n 22, June 1988. 7 ASTM D3029-90. "Standard Test Methods for Impact

Standardized methods and quality control limits for agar and broth microdilution susceptibility testing of Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Mycoplasma hominis, and Ureaplasma urealyticum.

PubMed

Waites, Ken B; Duffy, Lynn B; Bébéar, Cécile M; Matlow, Anne; Talkington, Deborah F; Kenny, George E; Totten, Patricia A; Bade, Donald J; Zheng, Xiaotian; Davidson, Maureen K; Shortridge, Virginia D; Watts, Jeffrey L; Brown, Steven D

2012-11-01

An international multilaboratory collaborative study was conducted to develop standard media and consensus methods for the performance and quality control of antimicrobial susceptibility testing of Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Mycoplasma hominis, and Ureaplasma urealyticum using broth microdilution and agar dilution techniques. A reference strain from the American Type Culture Collection was designated for each species, which was to be used for quality control purposes. Repeat testing of replicate samples of each reference strain by participating laboratories utilizing both methods and different lots of media enabled a 3- to 4-dilution MIC range to be established for drugs in several different classes, including tetracyclines, macrolides, ketolides, lincosamides, and fluoroquinolones. This represents the first multilaboratory collaboration to standardize susceptibility testing methods and to designate quality control parameters to ensure accurate and reliable assay results for mycoplasmas and ureaplasmas that infect humans.

USDA FSIS, FDA BAM, and ISO culture methods BD BBL CHROMagar O157 media.

PubMed

Ritter, Vicki; Kircher, Susan; Dick, Nancy

2009-01-01

BBL CHROMagar O157 media (CO) was evaluated for detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in raw ground beef and unpasteurized apple cider. The recovery of E. coli O157:H7 on CO was compared to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) reference-plated media using the recommended enrichment broths. Of the 180 food samples tested, 45 were tested using BAM, 45 using the USDA method, and 90 using the ISO method. CO produced comparable results with the reference methods on all matrixes with a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 100%. No false negatives were found in testing the food matrixes. There was no statistical difference in recovery based on Chi-square analysis. Method agreement for raw ground beef was 85% for the USDAFSIS method and 95% for the ISO method. Method agreement for unpasteurized apple cider was 100% for the ISO and FDA BAM methods. In all cases where method agreement was <100%, CO detected more positives than the reference method media. Evaluation of known isolates on CO in inclusivity and exclusivity testing had a sensitivity and specificity of 100%. The results of this study demonstrate that CO is an effective medium for the recovery and detection of E. coli O157:H7 in raw ground beef and unpasteurized apple cider using FDA BAM, USDA FSIS, and ISO methods.

40 CFR 59.412 - Incorporations by reference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Organic Coatings at Room Temperature, incorporation by reference approved for § 59.401, Quick-dry enamel... Test Method for Chemical Resistance of Coatings Used in Light-Water Nuclear Power Plants, incorporation...

40 CFR 59.412 - Incorporations by reference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Organic Coatings at Room Temperature, incorporation by reference approved for § 59.401, Quick-dry enamel... Test Method for Chemical Resistance of Coatings Used in Light-Water Nuclear Power Plants, incorporation...

40 CFR 59.412 - Incorporations by reference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... address: American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. (1) ASTM Method C 1315-95, Standard Specification for Liquid Membrane-Forming Compounds....401, Concrete curing and sealing compound. (2) ASTM Method D 523-89, Standard Test Method for Specular...

40 CFR 75.6 - Incorporation by reference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., Standard Test Method for Sulfur in Petroleum Products (General Bomb Method), for appendices A and D of this part. (2) D240-00, Standard Test Method for Heat of Combustion of Liquid Hydrocarbon Fuels by Bomb... Fuels by Bomb Calorimeter (Precision Method), for appendices D and F of this part. (47) ASTM D5865-01a...

40 CFR 260.21 - Petitions for equivalent testing or analytical methods.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM: GENERAL Rulemaking Petitions § 260.21... method; (2) A description of the types of wastes or waste matrices for which the proposed method may be... will be incorporated by reference in § 260.11 and added to “Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste...

40 CFR 260.21 - Petitions for equivalent testing or analytical methods.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM: GENERAL Rulemaking Petitions § 260.21... method; (2) A description of the types of wastes or waste matrices for which the proposed method may be... will be incorporated by reference in § 260.11 and added to “Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste...

40 CFR 260.21 - Petitions for equivalent testing or analytical methods.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM: GENERAL Rulemaking Petitions § 260.21... method; (2) A description of the types of wastes or waste matrices for which the proposed method may be... will be incorporated by reference in § 260.11 and added to “Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste...

40 CFR 260.21 - Petitions for equivalent testing or analytical methods.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM: GENERAL Rulemaking Petitions § 260.21... will be incorporated by reference in § 260.11 and added to “Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste... method; (2) A description of the types of wastes or waste matrices for which the proposed method may be...

16 CFR § 1500.40 - Method of testing toxic substances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

..., not to obtain bleeding. (c) Procedures for testing. The sleeve is slipped onto the animal which is... require animals, are presented in the CPSC's animal testing policy set forth in 16 CFR 1500.232. A weight... test animals. The method of testing the toxic substances referred to in § 1500.3(c)(1)(ii)(C) and (c)(2...

Non-animal methods to predict skin sensitization (I): the Cosmetics Europe database.

PubMed

Hoffmann, Sebastian; Kleinstreuer, Nicole; Alépée, Nathalie; Allen, David; Api, Anne Marie; Ashikaga, Takao; Clouet, Elodie; Cluzel, Magalie; Desprez, Bertrand; Gellatly, Nichola; Goebel, Carsten; Kern, Petra S; Klaric, Martina; Kühnl, Jochen; Lalko, Jon F; Martinozzi-Teissier, Silvia; Mewes, Karsten; Miyazawa, Masaaki; Parakhia, Rahul; van Vliet, Erwin; Zang, Qingda; Petersohn, Dirk

2018-05-01

Cosmetics Europe, the European Trade Association for the cosmetics and personal care industry, is conducting a multi-phase program to develop regulatory accepted, animal-free testing strategies enabling the cosmetics industry to conduct safety assessments. Based on a systematic evaluation of test methods for skin sensitization, five non-animal test methods (DPRA (Direct Peptide Reactivity Assay), KeratinoSens TM , h-CLAT (human cell line activation test), U-SENS TM , SENS-IS) were selected for inclusion in a comprehensive database of 128 substances. Existing data were compiled and completed with newly generated data, the latter amounting to one-third of all data. The database was complemented with human and local lymph node assay (LLNA) reference data, physicochemical properties and use categories, and thoroughly curated. Focused on the availability of human data, the substance selection resulted nevertheless resulted in a high diversity of chemistries in terms of physico-chemical property ranges and use categories. Predictivities of skin sensitization potential and potency, where applicable, were calculated for the LLNA as compared to human data and for the individual test methods compared to both human and LLNA reference data. In addition, various aspects of applicability of the test methods were analyzed. Due to its high level of curation, comprehensiveness, and completeness, we propose our database as a point of reference for the evaluation and development of testing strategies, as done for example in the associated work of Kleinstreuer et al. We encourage the community to use it to meet the challenge of conducting skin sensitization safety assessment without generating new animal data.

40 CFR 1060.810 - What materials does this part reference?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

.... (a) ASTM material. Table 1 to this section lists material from the American Society for Testing and..., West Conshohocken, PA 19428 or http://www.astm.com. Table 1 follows: Table 1 to § 1060.810—ASTM Materials Document number and name Part 1060reference ASTM D471-06, Standard Test Method for Rubber Property...

40 CFR 75.6 - Incorporation by reference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., phone: 610-832-9585, http://www.astm.org/DIGITAL_LIBRARY/index.shtml. (1) ASTM D129-00, Standard Test... Information Reference Unit of the U.S. EPA, 401 M St., SW., Washington, DC and at the Library (MD-35), U.S... D4052-96 (Reapproved 2002), Standard Test Method for Density and Relative Density of Liquids by Digital...

40 CFR 75.6 - Incorporation by reference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., phone: 610-832-9585, http://www.astm.org/DIGITAL_LIBRARY/index.shtml. (1) ASTM D129-00, Standard Test... Information Reference Unit of the U.S. EPA, 401 M St., SW., Washington, DC and at the Library (MD-35), U.S... D4052-96 (Reapproved 2002), Standard Test Method for Density and Relative Density of Liquids by Digital...

40 CFR 75.6 - Incorporation by reference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., phone: 610-832-9585, http://www.astm.org/DIGITAL_LIBRARY/index.shtml. (1) ASTM D129-00, Standard Test... Information Reference Unit of the U.S. EPA, 401 M St., SW., Washington, DC and at the Library (MD-35), U.S... D4052-96 (Reapproved 2002), Standard Test Method for Density and Relative Density of Liquids by Digital...

40 CFR 75.6 - Incorporation by reference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., phone: 610-832-9585, http://www.astm.org/DIGITAL_LIBRARY/index.shtml. (1) ASTM D129-00, Standard Test... Information Reference Unit of the U.S. EPA, 401 M St., SW., Washington, DC and at the Library (MD-35), U.S... D4052-96 (Reapproved 2002), Standard Test Method for Density and Relative Density of Liquids by Digital...

40 CFR 75.22 - Reference test methods.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... recertification of continuous emission monitoring Systems; NOX emission tests of low mass emission units under... continuous moisture monitoring systems are conducted. For the purpose of determining the stack gas molecular... traverse requirement of the method; (iv) Section 8.6 of the method allowing for the use of “Dynamic Spiking...

40 CFR 75.22 - Reference test methods.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... certification or recertification of continuous emission monitoring systems and excepted monitoring systems under... a wet basis to a dry basis) and shall be used when relative accuracy test audits of continuous... traverse requirement of the method; (iv) Section 8.6 of the method allowing for the use of “Dynamic Spiking...

Fourier Transform Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy for Quantitative Analysis of Gas Mixtures at Low Temperatures for Homeland Security Applications.

PubMed

Meier, D C; Benkstein, K D; Hurst, W S; Chu, P M

2017-05-01

Performance standard specifications for point chemical vapor detectors are established in ASTM E 2885-13 and ASTM E 2933-13. The performance evaluation of the detectors requires the accurate delivery of known concentrations of the chemical target to the system under test. Referee methods enable the analyte test concentration and associated uncertainties in the analyte test concentration to be validated by independent analysis, which is especially important for reactive analytes. This work extends the capability of a previously demonstrated method for using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) absorption spectroscopy for quantitatively evaluating the composition of vapor streams containing hazardous materials at Acute Exposure Guideline Levels (AEGL) to include test conditions colder than laboratory ambient temperatures. The described method covers the use of primary reference spectra to establish analyte concentrations, the generation of secondary reference spectra suitable for measuring analyte concentrations under specified testing environments, and the use of additional reference spectra and spectral profile strategies to mitigate the uncertainties due to impurities and water condensation within the low-temperature (7 °C, -5 °C) test cell. Important benefits of this approach include verification of the test analyte concentration with characterized uncertainties by in situ measurements co-located with the detector under test, near-real-time feedback, and broad applicability to toxic industrial chemicals.

Fourier Transform Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy for Quantitative Analysis of Gas Mixtures at Low Temperatures for Homeland Security Applications

PubMed Central

Meier, D.C.; Benkstein, K.D.; Hurst, W.S.; Chu, P.M.

2016-01-01

Performance standard specifications for point chemical vapor detectors are established in ASTM E 2885-13 and ASTM E 2933-13. The performance evaluation of the detectors requires the accurate delivery of known concentrations of the chemical target to the system under test. Referee methods enable the analyte test concentration and associated uncertainties in the analyte test concentration to be validated by independent analysis, which is especially important for reactive analytes. This work extends the capability of a previously demonstrated method for using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) absorption spectroscopy for quantitatively evaluating the composition of vapor streams containing hazardous materials at Acute Exposure Guideline Levels (AEGL) to include test conditions colder than laboratory ambient temperatures. The described method covers the use of primary reference spectra to establish analyte concentrations, the generation of secondary reference spectra suitable for measuring analyte concentrations under specified testing environments, and the use of additional reference spectra and spectral profile strategies to mitigate the uncertainties due to impurities and water condensation within the low-temperature (7 °C, −5 °C) test cell. Important benefits of this approach include verification of the test analyte concentration with characterized uncertainties by in situ measurements co-located with the detector under test, near-real-time feedback, and broad applicability to toxic industrial chemicals. PMID:28090126

Similarity regularized sparse group lasso for cup to disc ratio computation.

PubMed

Cheng, Jun; Zhang, Zhuo; Tao, Dacheng; Wong, Damon Wing Kee; Liu, Jiang; Baskaran, Mani; Aung, Tin; Wong, Tien Yin

2017-08-01

Automatic cup to disc ratio (CDR) computation from color fundus images has shown to be promising for glaucoma detection. Over the past decade, many algorithms have been proposed. In this paper, we first review the recent work in the area and then present a novel similarity-regularized sparse group lasso method for automated CDR estimation. The proposed method reconstructs the testing disc image based on a set of reference disc images by integrating the similarity between testing and the reference disc images with the sparse group lasso constraints. The reconstruction coefficients are then used to estimate the CDR of the testing image. The proposed method has been validated using 650 images with manually annotated CDRs. Experimental results show an average CDR error of 0.0616 and a correlation coefficient of 0.7, outperforming other methods. The areas under curve in the diagnostic test reach 0.843 and 0.837 when manual and automatically segmented discs are used respectively, better than other methods as well.

Validation of the ANSR® Listeria Method for Detection of Listeria spp. in Selected Foods.

PubMed

Caballero, Oscar; Alles, Susan; Wendorf, Michael; Gray, R Lucas; Walton, Kayla; Pinkava, Lisa; Mozola, Mark; Rice, Jennifer

2015-01-01

ANSR® Listeria was previously certified as Performance Tested Method(SM) 101202 for detection of Listeria spp. on selected environmental surfaces. This study proposes a matrix extension to the method for detection of Listeria spp. in selected food matrixes. The method is an isothermal nucleic acid amplification assay based on the nicking enzyme amplification reaction technology. Following single-step sample enrichment for 16-24 h, the assay is completed in less than 50 min, requiring only simple instrumentation. Inclusivity testing was performed using a panel of 51 strains of Listeria spp., representing the species L. grayi, L. innocua, L. ivanovii, L. monocytogenes, L. seeligeri, and L. welshimeri. All strains tested were detected by the ANSR assay. Exclusivity testing of 30 strains representing non-Listeria Gram-positive bacteria yielded no evidence of cross-reactivity. Performance of the ANSR method for detection of Listeria spp. was compared to that of reference culture procedures for pasteurized liquid egg, pasteurized 2% milk, Mexican-style cheese, ice cream, smoked salmon, lettuce, cantaloupe, and guacamole. Data obtained in these unpaired studies and analyzed using a probability of detection model demonstrated that there were no statistically significant differences in results between the ANSR and reference culture methods, except for milk at 16 h and cantaloupe. In milk and smoked salmon, ANSR sensitivity was low at 16 h and therefore the recommended incubation time is 24 h. In cantaloupe, ANSR was found to be more sensitive than the reference culture method at both 16 and 24 h in independent laboratory testing. The ANSR Listeria method can be used as an accurate, rapid, and simple alternative to standard culture methods for detection of Listeria spp. in selected food types.

The Comparison Of In-Flight Pitot Static Calibration Method By Using Radio Altimeter As Reference with GPS and Tower Fly By Methods On CN235-100 MPA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Derajat; Hariowibowo, Hindawan

2018-04-01

The new proposed In-Flight Pitot Static Calibration Method has been carried out during Development and Qualification of CN235-100 MPA (Military Patrol Aircraft). This method is expected to reduce flight hours, less human resources required, no additional special equipment, simple analysis calculation and finally by using this method it is expected to automatically minimized operational cost. At The Indonesian Aerospace (IAe) Flight Test Center Division, the development and updating of new flight test technique and data analysis method as specially for flight physics test subject are still continued to be developed as long as it safety for flight and give additional value for the industrial side. More than 30 years, Flight Test Data Engineers at The Flight Test center Division work together with the Air Crew (Test Pilots, Co-Pilots, and Flight Test Engineers) to execute the flight test activity with standard procedure for both the existance or development test techniques and test data analysis. In this paper the approximation of mathematical model, data reduction and flight test technique of The In-Flight Pitot Static Calibration by using Radio Altimeter as reference will be described and the test results had been compared with another methods ie. By using Global Position System (GPS) and the traditional method (Tower Fly By Method) which were used previously during this Flight Test Program (Ref. [10]). The flight test data case are using CN235-100 MPA flight test data during development and Qualification Flight Test Program at Cazaux Airport, France, in June-November 2009 (Ref. [2]).

Effect of genotyped cows in the reference population on the genomic evaluation of Holstein cattle.

PubMed

Uemoto, Y; Osawa, T; Saburi, J

2017-03-01

This study evaluated the dependence of reliability and prediction bias on the prediction method, the contribution of including animals (bulls or cows), and the genetic relatedness, when including genotyped cows in the progeny-tested bull reference population. We performed genomic evaluation using a Japanese Holstein population, and assessed the accuracy of genomic enhanced breeding value (GEBV) for three production traits and 13 linear conformation traits. A total of 4564 animals for production traits and 4172 animals for conformation traits were genotyped using Illumina BovineSNP50 array. Single- and multi-step methods were compared for predicting GEBV in genotyped bull-only and genotyped bull-cow reference populations. No large differences in realized reliability and regression coefficient were found between the two reference populations; however, a slight difference was found between the two methods for production traits. The accuracy of GEBV determined by single-step method increased slightly when genotyped cows were included in the bull reference population, but decreased slightly by multi-step method. A validation study was used to evaluate the accuracy of GEBV when 800 additional genotyped bulls (POPbull) or cows (POPcow) were included in the base reference population composed of 2000 genotyped bulls. The realized reliabilities of POPbull were higher than those of POPcow for all traits. For the gain of realized reliability over the base reference population, the average ratios of POPbull gain to POPcow gain for production traits and conformation traits were 2.6 and 7.2, respectively, and the ratios depended on heritabilities of the traits. For regression coefficient, no large differences were found between the results for POPbull and POPcow. Another validation study was performed to investigate the effect of genetic relatedness between cows and bulls in the reference and test populations. The effect of genetic relationship among bulls in the reference population was also assessed. The results showed that it is important to account for relatedness among bulls in the reference population. Our studies indicate that the prediction method, the contribution ratio of including animals, and genetic relatedness could affect the prediction accuracy in genomic evaluation of Holstein cattle, when including genotyped cows in the reference population.

International Standards and Reference Materials for Quantitative Molecular Infectious Disease Testing

PubMed Central

Madej, Roberta M.; Davis, Jack; Holden, Marcia J.; Kwang, Stan; Labourier, Emmanuel; Schneider, George J.

2010-01-01

The utility of quantitative molecular diagnostics for patient management depends on the ability to relate patient results to prior results or to absolute values in clinical practice guidelines. To do this, those results need to be comparable across time and methods, either by producing the same value across methods and test versions or by using reliable and stable conversions. Universally available standards and reference materials specific to quantitative molecular technologies are critical to this process but are few in number. This review describes recent history in the establishment of international standards for nucleic acid test development, organizations involved in current efforts, and future issues and initiatives. PMID:20075208

40 CFR 63.4141 - How do I demonstrate initial compliance with the emission limitations?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... of organic HAP. (3) Alternative method. You may use an alternative test method for determining the... § 63.7(f) to submit an alternative test method for approval. (4) Information from the supplier or... Method for Density of Liquid Coatings, Inks, and Related Products” (incorporated by reference, see § 63...

A comparison of the BAX system method to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Bacteriological Analytical Manual and International Organization for Standardization reference methods for the detection of Salmonella in a variety of soy ingredients.

PubMed

Belete, Tamrat; Crowley, Erin; Bird, Patrick; Gensic, Joseph; Wallace, F Morgan

2014-10-01

The performances of two DuPont BAX System PCR assays for detecting Salmonella on a variety of low-moisture soy ingredients were evaluated against the U. S. Food and Drug Administration's Bacteriological Analytical Manual (FDA BAM) method or the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 6579 reference method. These evaluations were conducted as a single laboratory validation at an ISO 17025 accredited third-party laboratory. Validations were conducted on five soy ingredients: isolated soy protein (ISP), soy fiber, fluid soy lecithin, deoiled soy lecithin, and soy nuggets, using a paired-study design. The ISP was analyzed as both 25- and 375-g composite test portions, whereas all other sample matrices were analyzed as 375-g composite test portions. To evaluate 25-g test portions of ISP, the test material was inoculated using Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Mbandaka (Q Laboratories isolate 11031.1). Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Tennessee (Q Laboratories isolate 11031.3) was used for all other trials. For each trial of the method comparison, 25 samples were analyzed for each matrix: 5 uninoculated controls and 20 samples inoculated at low levels (0.2 to 2 CFU per test portion) that were targeted to achieve fractionally positive results (25 to 75%). Using McNemar's chi-square analysis, no significant difference at P ≥ 0.05 (χ(2) ≤ 3.84) was observed between the number of positives obtained by the BAX System and the reference methods for all five test matrices evaluated. These studies indicate that the BAX System PCR assays, in combination with the single buffered peptone water primary enrichment and subsequent brain heart infusion regrowth step, demonstrate equivalent sensitivity and robustness compared with the FDA BAM and ISO reference methods for both 25- and 375-g composite samples. Moreover, there was no observed reduction of sensitivity in the larger 375-g composite samples for all five matrices.

40 CFR 52.742 - Incorporation by reference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... from the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), 1916 Race Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103. (1) ASTM D1475-85, Standard Test Method for Density of Paint, Varnish, Lacquer, and Related Products, for § 52.741(a)(4)(i)(B)(3)(i). (2) ASTM D2369-87, Standard Test Method for Volatile Content of...

Research on Horizontal Accuracy Method of High Spatial Resolution Remotely Sensed Orthophoto Image

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Y. M.; Zhang, J. X.; Yu, F.; Dong, S.

2018-04-01

At present, in the inspection and acceptance of high spatial resolution remotly sensed orthophoto image, the horizontal accuracy detection is testing and evaluating the accuracy of images, which mostly based on a set of testing points with the same accuracy and reliability. However, it is difficult to get a set of testing points with the same accuracy and reliability in the areas where the field measurement is difficult and the reference data with high accuracy is not enough. So it is difficult to test and evaluate the horizontal accuracy of the orthophoto image. The uncertainty of the horizontal accuracy has become a bottleneck for the application of satellite borne high-resolution remote sensing image and the scope of service expansion. Therefore, this paper proposes a new method to test the horizontal accuracy of orthophoto image. This method using the testing points with different accuracy and reliability. These points' source is high accuracy reference data and field measurement. The new method solves the horizontal accuracy detection of the orthophoto image in the difficult areas and provides the basis for providing reliable orthophoto images to the users.

Assessing the accuracy of TDR-based water leak detection system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fatemi Aghda, S. M.; GanjaliPour, K.; Nabiollahi, K.

2018-03-01

The use of TDR system to detect leakage locations in underground pipes has been developed in recent years. In this system, a bi-wire is installed in parallel with the underground pipes and is considered as a TDR sensor. This approach greatly covers the limitations arisen with using the traditional method of acoustic leak positioning. TDR based leak detection method is relatively accurate when the TDR sensor is in contact with water in just one point. Researchers have been working to improve the accuracy of this method in recent years. In this study, the ability of TDR method was evaluated in terms of the appearance of multi leakage points simultaneously. For this purpose, several laboratory tests were conducted. In these tests in order to simulate leakage points, the TDR sensor was put in contact with water at some points, then the number and the dimension of the simulated leakage points were gradually increased. The results showed that with the increase in the number and dimension of the leakage points, the error rate of the TDR-based water leak detection system increases. The authors tried, according to the results obtained from the laboratory tests, to develop a method to improve the accuracy of the TDR-based leak detection systems. To do that, they defined a few reference points on the TDR sensor. These points were created via increasing the distance between two conductors of TDR sensor and were easily identifiable in the TDR waveform. The tests were repeated again using the TDR sensor having reference points. In order to calculate the exact distance of the leakage point, the authors developed an equation in accordance to the reference points. A comparison between the results obtained from both tests (with and without reference points) showed that using the method and equation developed by the authors can significantly improve the accuracy of positioning the leakage points.

TECRA Unique test for rapid detection of Salmonella in food: collaborative study.

PubMed

Hughes, D; Dailianis, A E; Hill, L; McIntyre, D A; Anderson, A

2001-01-01

The TECRA Unique Salmonella test uses the principle of immunoenrichment to allow rapid detection of Salmonellae in food. A collaborative study was conducted to compare the TECRA Salmonella Unique test with the reference culture method given in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Bacteriological Analytical Manual. Three food types (milk powder, pepper, and soy flour) were analyzed in Australia and 2 food types (milk chocolate and dried egg) were analyzed in the United States. Forty-one collaborators participated in the study. For each of the 5 foods at each of the 3 levels, a comparison showed no significant differences (p > or = 0.05) in the proportion of positive test samples for Unique and that for the reference method using the Chi-square test for independence with continuity correction.

Continuous improvement of medical test reliability using reference methods and matrix-corrected target values in proficiency testing schemes: application to glucose assay.

PubMed

Delatour, Vincent; Lalere, Beatrice; Saint-Albin, Karène; Peignaux, Maryline; Hattchouel, Jean-Marc; Dumont, Gilles; De Graeve, Jacques; Vaslin-Reimann, Sophie; Gillery, Philippe

2012-11-20

The reliability of biological tests is a major issue for patient care in terms of public health that involves high economic stakes. Reference methods, as well as regular external quality assessment schemes (EQAS), are needed to monitor the analytical performance of field methods. However, control material commutability is a major concern to assess method accuracy. To overcome material non-commutability, we investigated the possibility of using lyophilized serum samples together with a limited number of frozen serum samples to assign matrix-corrected target values, taking the example of glucose assays. Trueness of the current glucose assays was first measured against a primary reference method by using human frozen sera. Methods using hexokinase and glucose oxidase with spectroreflectometric detection proved very accurate, with bias ranging between -2.2% and +2.3%. Bias of methods using glucose oxidase with spectrophotometric detection was +4.5%. Matrix-related bias of the lyophilized materials was then determined and ranged from +2.5% to -14.4%. Matrix-corrected target values were assigned and used to assess trueness of 22 sub-peer groups. We demonstrated that matrix-corrected target values can be a valuable tool to assess field method accuracy in large scale surveys where commutable materials are not available in sufficient amount with acceptable costs. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Reference Method for Measuring Emissions of SVOCs in ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) are indoor air pollutants that may may have significant adverse effects on human health, and emission of SVOCs from building materials and consumer products is of growing concern. Few chamber studies have been conducted due to the challenges associated with SVOC analysis and the lack of validation procedures. Thus there is an urgent need for a reliable and accurate chamber test method to verify the performance of these measurements. A reference method employing a specially-designed chamber and experimental protocol has been developed and is undergoing extensive evaluation. A pilot interlaboratory study (ILS) has been conducted with five laboratories performing chamber tests under identical conditions. Results showed inter-laboratory variations at 25% for SVOC emission rates, with greater agreement observed between intra-laboratory measurements for most of the participating laboratories. The measured concentration profiles also compared reasonably well to the mechanistic model, demonstrating the feasibility of the proposed reference method to independently assess laboratory performance and validate SVOC emission tests. There is an urgent need for improved understanding of the measurement uncertainties associated with SVOC emissions testing. The creation of specially-designed chambers and well-characterized materials serves as a critical prerequisite for improving the procedure used to measure SVOCs emitted from indoor

40 CFR 53.35 - Test procedure for Class II and Class III methods for PM2.5 and PM-2.5

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... reference method samplers shall be of single-filter design (not multi-filter, sequential sample design... and multiplicative bias (comparative slope and intercept). (1) For each test site, calculate the mean...

40 CFR 53.35 - Test procedure for Class II and Class III methods for PM2.5 and PM-2.5

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... reference method samplers shall be of single-filter design (not multi-filter, sequential sample design... and multiplicative bias (comparative slope and intercept). (1) For each test site, calculate the mean...

40 CFR 53.35 - Test procedure for Class II and Class III methods for PM2.5 and PM−2.5.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... reference method samplers shall be of single-filter design (not multi-filter, sequential sample design... and multiplicative bias (comparative slope and intercept). (1) For each test site, calculate the mean...

40 CFR 89.6 - Reference materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... set forth the material that has been incorporated by reference in this part. (1) ASTM material. The... 19428-2959. Document number and name 40 CFR part 89 reference ASTM D86-97: “Standard Test Method for Distillation of Petroleum Products at Atmospheric Pressure” Appendix A to Subpart D. ASTM D93-97: “Standard...

40 CFR 53.33 - Test Procedure for Methods for Lead (Pb).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... than specified in 40 CFR Appendix G, may be tested by analyzing pairs of filter strips taken from a... of two PM10 reference samplers because a single 46.2-mm filter from a reference sampler may not be divided prior to analysis. It is possible to analyze a 46.2-mm filter first with the non-destructive X-ray...

40 CFR 53.33 - Test Procedure for Methods for Lead (Pb).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... analytical procedure than specified in 40 CFR Appendix G, may be tested by analyzing pairs of filter strips... Appendix Q, requires the use of two PM 10 reference samplers because a single 46.2-mm filter from a reference sampler may not be divided prior to analysis. It is possible to analyze a 46.2-mm filter first...

40 CFR 53.33 - Test Procedure for Methods for Lead (Pb).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... than specified in 40 CFR Appendix G, may be tested by analyzing pairs of filter strips taken from a... of two PM10 reference samplers because a single 46.2-mm filter from a reference sampler may not be divided prior to analysis. It is possible to analyze a 46.2-mm filter first with the non-destructive X-ray...

40 CFR 53.33 - Test Procedure for Methods for Lead (Pb).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... analytical procedure than specified in 40 CFR Appendix G, may be tested by analyzing pairs of filter strips... Appendix Q, requires the use of two PM 10 reference samplers because a single 46.2-mm filter from a reference sampler may not be divided prior to analysis. It is possible to analyze a 46.2-mm filter first...

40 CFR 53.33 - Test Procedure for Methods for Lead (Pb).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... than specified in 40 CFR Appendix G, may be tested by analyzing pairs of filter strips taken from a... of two PM10 reference samplers because a single 46.2-mm filter from a reference sampler may not be divided prior to analysis. It is possible to analyze a 46.2-mm filter first with the non-destructive X-ray...

Incorporating geographical factors with artificial neural networks to predict reference values of erythrocyte sedimentation rate

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The measurement of the Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) value is a standard procedure performed during a typical blood test. In order to formulate a unified standard of establishing reference ESR values, this paper presents a novel prediction model in which local normal ESR values and corresponding geographical factors are used to predict reference ESR values using multi-layer feed-forward artificial neural networks (ANN). Methods and findings Local normal ESR values were obtained from hospital data, while geographical factors that include altitude, sunshine hours, relative humidity, temperature and precipitation were obtained from the National Geographical Data Information Centre in China. The results show that predicted values are statistically in agreement with measured values. Model results exhibit significant agreement between training data and test data. Consequently, the model is used to predict the unseen local reference ESR values. Conclusions Reference ESR values can be established with geographical factors by using artificial intelligence techniques. ANN is an effective method for simulating and predicting reference ESR values because of its ability to model nonlinear and complex relationships. PMID:23497145

40 CFR 60.54 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... operator may use either of the following procedures to determine the adjusted CO2 concentration. (1) The... owner or operator shall use as reference methods and procedures the test methods in appendix A of this... follows: (1) The concentration (c12) of particulate matter, corrected to 12 percent CO2, shall be computed...

40 CFR 60.54 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... operator may use either of the following procedures to determine the adjusted CO2 concentration. (1) The... owner or operator shall use as reference methods and procedures the test methods in appendix A of this... follows: (1) The concentration (c12) of particulate matter, corrected to 12 percent CO2, shall be computed...

40 CFR 60.54 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

.... (c) The owner or operator may use either of the following procedures to determine the adjusted CO2... owner or operator shall use as reference methods and procedures the test methods in appendix A of this... follows: (1) The concentration (c12) of particulate matter, corrected to 12 percent CO2, shall be computed...

Evaluation of Modification of the 3M™ Molecular Detection Assay (MDA) Salmonella Method (2013.09) for the Detection of Salmonella in Selected Foods: Collaborative Study.

PubMed

Bird, Patrick; Fisher, Kiel; Boyle, Megan; Huffman, Travis; Benzinger, M Joseph; Bedinghaus, Paige; Flannery, Jonathon; Crowley, Erin; Agin, James; Goins, David; Benesh, DeAnn; David, John

2014-01-01

The 3M(™) Molecular Detection Assay (MDA) Salmonella utilizes isothermal amplification of nucleic acid sequences with high specificity, efficiency, rapidity and bioluminescence to detect amplification of Salmonella spp. in food, food-related, and environmental samples after enrichment. A method modification and matrix extension study of the previously approved AOAC Official Method(SM) 2013.09 was conducted, and approval of the modification was received on March 20, 2014. Using an unpaired study design in a multilaboratory collaborative study, the 3M MDA Salmonella method was compared to the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA/FSIS) Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook (MLG) 4.05 (2011), Isolation and Identification of Salmonella from Meat, Poultry, Pasteurized Egg, and Catfish Products for raw ground beef and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)/Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM) Chapter 5, Salmonella reference method for wet dog food following the current AOAC guidelines. A total of 20 laboratories participated. For the 3M MDA Salmonella method, raw ground beef was analyzed using 25 g test portions, and wet dog food was analyzed using 375 g test portions. For the reference methods, 25 g test portions of each matrix were analyzed. Each matrix was artificially contaminated with Salmonella at three inoculation levels: an uninoculated control level (0 CFU/test portion), a low inoculum level (0.2-2 CFU/test portion), and a high inoculum level (2-5 CFU/test portion). In this study, 1512 unpaired replicate samples were analyzed. Statistical analysis was conducted according to the probability of detection (POD). For the low-level raw ground beef test portions, the following dLPOD (difference between the LPODs of the reference and candidate method) values with 95% confidence intervals were obtained: -0.01 (-0.14, +0.12). For the low-level wet dog food test portions, the following dLPOD with 95% confidence intervals were obtained: -0.04 (-0.16, +0.09). No significant differences were observed in the number of positive samples detected by the 3M MDA Salmonella method versus either the USDA/FSIS-MLG or FDA/BAM methods.

Proposed Application of Fast Fourier Transform in Near Infra Red Based Non Invasive Blood Glucose Monitoring System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jenie, R. P.; Iskandar, J.; Kurniawan, A.; Rustami, E.; Syafutra, H.; Nurdin, N. M.; Handoyo, T.; Prabowo, J.; Febryarto, R.; Rahayu, M. S. K.; Damayanthi, E.; Rimbawan; Sukandar, D.; Suryana, Y.; Irzaman; Alatas, H.

2017-03-01

Worldwide emergence of glycaemic status related health disorders, such as diabetes and metabolic syndrome, is growing in alarming rate. The objective was to propose new methods for non invasive blood glucose level measurement system, based on implementation of Fast Fourier Transform methods. This was an initial-lab-scale-research. Data on non invasive blood glucose measurement are referred from Scopus, Medline, and Google Scholar, from 2011 until 2016, and was used as design references, combined with in house verification. System was developed in modular fashion, based on aforementioned compiled references. Several preliminary tests to understand relationship between LED and photo-diode responses have been done. Several references were used as non invasive blood glucose measurement tools design basis. Solution is developed in modular fashion. we have proven different sensor responses to water and glucose. Human test for non invasive blood glucose level measurement system is needed.

Reference values for the muscle power sprint test in 6- to 12-year-old children.

PubMed

Douma-van Riet, Danielle; Verschuren, Olaf; Jelsma, Dorothee; Kruitwagen, Cas; Smits-Engelsman, Bouwien; Takken, Tim

2012-01-01

The aims of this study were (1) to develop centile reference values for anaerobic performance of Dutch children tested using the Muscle Power Sprint Test (MPST) and (2) to examine the test-retest reliability of the MPST. Children who were developing typically (178 boys and 201 girls) and aged 6 to 12 years (mean = 8.9 years) were recruited. The MPST was administered to 379 children, and test-retest reliability was examined in 47 children. MPST scores were transformed into centile curves, which were created using generalized additive models for location, scale, and shape. Height-related reference curves were created for both genders. Excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.98) test-retest reliability was demonstrated. The reference values for the MPST of children who are developing typically and aged 6 to 12 years can serve as a clinical standard in pediatric physical therapy practice. The MPST is a reliable and practical method for determining anaerobic performance in children.

First Definition of Reference Intervals of Liver Function Tests in China: A Large-Population-Based Multi-Center Study about Healthy Adults

PubMed Central

Zhang, Chuanbao; Guo, Wei; Huang, Hengjian; Ma, Yueyun; Zhuang, Junhua; Zhang, Jie

2013-01-01

Background Reference intervals of Liver function tests are very important for the screening, diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of liver diseases. We aim to establish common reference intervals of liver function tests specifically for the Chinese adult population. Methods A total of 3210 individuals (20–79 years) were enrolled in six representative geographical regions in China. Analytes of ALT, AST, GGT, ALP, total protein, albumin and total bilirubin were measured using three analytical systems mainly used in China. The newly established reference intervals were based on the results of traceability or multiple systems, and then validated in 21 large hospitals located nationwide qualified by the National External Quality Assessment (EQA) of China. Results We had been established reference intervals of the seven liver function tests for the Chinese adult population and found there were apparent variances of reference values for the variables for partitioning analysis such as gender(ALT, GGT, total bilirubin), age(ALP, albumin) and region(total protein). More than 86% of the 21 laboratories passed the validation in all subgroup of reference intervals and overall about 95.3% to 98.8% of the 1220 validation results fell within the range of the new reference interval for all liver function tests. In comparison with the currently recommended reference intervals in China, the single side observed proportions of out of range of reference values from our study for most of the tests deviated significantly from the nominal 2.5% such as total bilirubin (15.2%), ALP (0.2%), albumin (0.0%). Most of reference intervals in our study were obviously different from that of other races. Conclusion These used reference intervals are no longer applicable for the current Chinese population. We have established common reference intervals of liver function tests that are defined specifically for Chinese population and can be universally used among EQA-approved laboratories located all over China. PMID:24058449

Identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of Staphylococcus vitulinus by the BD phoenix automated microbiology system.

PubMed

Cirković, Ivana; Hauschild, Tomasz; Jezek, Petr; Dimitrijević, Vladimir; Vuković, Dragana; Stepanović, Srdjan

2008-08-01

This study evaluated the performance of the BD Phoenix system for the identification (ID) and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) of Staphylococcus vitulinus. Of the 10 S. vitulinus isolates included in the study, 2 were obtained from the Czech Collection of Microorganisms, 5 from the environment, 2 from human clinical samples, and 1 from an animal source. The results of conventional biochemical and molecular tests were used for the reference method for ID, while antimicrobial susceptibility testing performed in accordance with Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute recommendations and PCR for the mecA gene were the reference for AST. Three isolates were incorrectly identified by the BD Phoenix system; one of these was incorrectly identified to the genus level, and two to the species level. The results of AST by the BD Phoenix system were in agreement with those by the reference method used. While the results of susceptibility testing compared favorably, the 70% accuracy of the Phoenix system for identification of this unusual staphylococcal species was not fully satisfactory.

Image quality evaluation of full reference algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Nannan; Xie, Kai; Li, Tong; Ye, Yushan

2018-03-01

Image quality evaluation is a classic research topic, the goal is to design the algorithm, given the subjective feelings consistent with the evaluation value. This paper mainly introduces several typical reference methods of Mean Squared Error(MSE), Peak Signal to Noise Rate(PSNR), Structural Similarity Image Metric(SSIM) and feature similarity(FSIM) of objective evaluation methods. The different evaluation methods are tested by Matlab, and the advantages and disadvantages of these methods are obtained by analyzing and comparing them.MSE and PSNR are simple, but they are not considered to introduce HVS characteristics into image quality evaluation. The evaluation result is not ideal. SSIM has a good correlation and simple calculation ,because it is considered to the human visual effect into image quality evaluation,However the SSIM method is based on a hypothesis,The evaluation result is limited. The FSIM method can be used for test of gray image and color image test, and the result is better. Experimental results show that the new image quality evaluation algorithm based on FSIM is more accurate.

[Development and application of reference materials containing mixed degradation products of amoxicillin and ampicillin].

PubMed

Li, Wei; Zhang, Wei-Qing; Li, Xiang; Hu, Chang-Qin

2014-09-01

Reference materials containing mixed degradation products of amoxicillin and ampicillin were developed after optimization of preparation processes. The target impurities were obtained by controlled stress testing, and each major component was identified with HPLC-MS and compared with single traceable reference standard each. The developed reference materials were applied to system suitability test for verifying HPLC system performed in accordance with set forth in China Pharmacopeia and identification of major impurities in samples based on retention and spectra information, which have advantages over the methods put forth in foreign pharmacopoeias. The development and application of the reference materials offer an effective way for rapid identification of impurities in chromatograms, and provide references for analyzing source of impurities and evaluation of drug quality.

Adapt-Mix: learning local genetic correlation structure improves summary statistics-based analyses

PubMed Central

Park, Danny S.; Brown, Brielin; Eng, Celeste; Huntsman, Scott; Hu, Donglei; Torgerson, Dara G.; Burchard, Esteban G.; Zaitlen, Noah

2015-01-01

Motivation: Approaches to identifying new risk loci, training risk prediction models, imputing untyped variants and fine-mapping causal variants from summary statistics of genome-wide association studies are playing an increasingly important role in the human genetics community. Current summary statistics-based methods rely on global ‘best guess’ reference panels to model the genetic correlation structure of the dataset being studied. This approach, especially in admixed populations, has the potential to produce misleading results, ignores variation in local structure and is not feasible when appropriate reference panels are missing or small. Here, we develop a method, Adapt-Mix, that combines information across all available reference panels to produce estimates of local genetic correlation structure for summary statistics-based methods in arbitrary populations. Results: We applied Adapt-Mix to estimate the genetic correlation structure of both admixed and non-admixed individuals using simulated and real data. We evaluated our method by measuring the performance of two summary statistics-based methods: imputation and joint-testing. When using our method as opposed to the current standard of ‘best guess’ reference panels, we observed a 28% decrease in mean-squared error for imputation and a 73.7% decrease in mean-squared error for joint-testing. Availability and implementation: Our method is publicly available in a software package called ADAPT-Mix available at https://github.com/dpark27/adapt_mix. Contact: noah.zaitlen@ucsf.edu PMID:26072481

Quantitative determination and validation of octreotide acetate using 1 H-NMR spectroscopy with internal standard method.

PubMed

Yu, Chen; Zhang, Qian; Xu, Peng-Yao; Bai, Yin; Shen, Wen-Bin; Di, Bin; Su, Meng-Xiang

2018-01-01

Quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance (qNMR) is a well-established technique in quantitative analysis. We presented a validated 1 H-qNMR method for assay of octreotide acetate, a kind of cyclic octopeptide. Deuterium oxide was used to remove the undesired exchangeable peaks, which was referred to as proton exchange, in order to make the quantitative signals isolated in the crowded spectrum of the peptide and ensure precise quantitative analysis. Gemcitabine hydrochloride was chosen as the suitable internal standard. Experimental conditions, including relaxation delay time, the numbers of scans, and pulse angle, were optimized first. Then method validation was carried out in terms of selectivity, stability, linearity, precision, and robustness. The assay result was compared with that by means of high performance liquid chromatography, which is provided by Chinese Pharmacopoeia. The statistical F test, Student's t test, and nonparametric test at 95% confidence level indicate that there was no significant difference between these two methods. qNMR is a simple and accurate quantitative tool with no need for specific corresponding reference standards. It has the potential of the quantitative analysis of other peptide drugs and standardization of the corresponding reference standards. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Exact test-based approach for equivalence test with parameter margin.

PubMed

Cassie Dong, Xiaoyu; Bian, Yuanyuan; Tsong, Yi; Wang, Tianhua

2017-01-01

The equivalence test has a wide range of applications in pharmaceutical statistics which we need to test for the similarity between two groups. In recent years, the equivalence test has been used in assessing the analytical similarity between a proposed biosimilar product and a reference product. More specifically, the mean values of the two products for a given quality attribute are compared against an equivalence margin in the form of ±f × σ R , where ± f × σ R is a function of the reference variability. In practice, this margin is unknown and is estimated from the sample as ±f × S R . If we use this estimated margin with the classic t-test statistic on the equivalence test for the means, both Type I and Type II error rates may inflate. To resolve this issue, we develop an exact-based test method and compare this method with other proposed methods, such as the Wald test, the constrained Wald test, and the Generalized Pivotal Quantity (GPQ) in terms of Type I error rate and power. Application of those methods on data analysis is also provided in this paper. This work focuses on the development and discussion of the general statistical methodology and is not limited to the application of analytical similarity.

Absolute Radiometric Calibration of Narrow-Swath Imaging Sensors with Reference to Non-Coincident Wide-Swath Sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McCorkel, Joel; Thome, Kurtis; Lockwood, Ronald

2012-01-01

An inter-calibration method is developed to provide absolute radiometric calibration of narrow-swath imaging sensors with reference to non-coincident wide-swath sensors. The method predicts at-sensor radiance using non-coincident imagery from the reference sensor and knowledge of spectral reflectance of the test site. The imagery of the reference sensor is restricted to acquisitions that provide similar view and solar illumination geometry to reduce uncertainties due to directional reflectance effects. Spectral reflectance of the test site is found with a simple iterative radiative transfer method using radiance values of a well-understood wide-swath sensor and spectral shape information based on historical ground-based measurements. At-sensor radiance is calculated for the narrow-swath sensor using this spectral reflectance and atmospheric parameters that are also based on historical in situ measurements. Results of the inter-calibration method show agreement on the 2 5 percent level in most spectral regions with the vicarious calibration technique relying on coincident ground-based measurements referred to as the reflectance-based approach. While the variability of the inter-calibration method based on non-coincident image pairs is significantly larger, results are consistent with techniques relying on in situ measurements. The method is also insensitive to spectral differences between the sensors by transferring to surface spectral reflectance prior to prediction of at-sensor radiance. The utility of this inter-calibration method is made clear by its flexibility to utilize image pairings with acquisition dates differing in excess of 30 days allowing frequent absolute calibration comparisons between wide- and narrow-swath sensors.

10 CFR 431.444 - Test procedures for the measurement of energy efficiency.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... the following test methods: (1) Single-phase small electric motors: either IEEE Std 114, (incorporated...) Polyphase small electric motors less than or equal to 1 horsepower (0.746 kW): IEEE Std 112 (incorporated by... (0.746 kW): IEEE Std 112 (incorporated by reference, see § 431.443), Test Method B. ...

EVALUATION OF THE ROBUSTNESS OF THE FATHEAD MINNOW, PIMEPHALES PROMELAS, LARVAL SURVIVAL AND GROWTH TEST, U.S. EPA METHOD 1000.0

EPA Science Inventory

An intralaboratory study was conducted to evaluate the robustness of the Fathead Minnow (Pimephales promelas) Larval Survival and Growth Test, Method 1000.0 Toxicity tests were conducted with the reference toxicants hexavalent chromium (Cr6+) and copper (Cu), and the data were st...

40 CFR 98.7 - What standardized methods are incorporated by reference into this part?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...-B2959, (800) 262-1373, http://www.astm.org. (1) ASTM C25-06 Standard Test Method for Chemical Analysis...), § 98.174(b), § 98.184(b), § 98.194(c), and § 98.334(b). (2) ASTM C114-09 Standard Test Methods for... Dry Cleaning Solvent), IBR approved for § 98.6. (4) ASTM D240-02 (Reapproved 2007) Standard Test...

10 CFR Appendix B to Subpart B of... - Uniform Test Method for Measuring Nominal Full Load Efficiency of Electric Motors

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... Efficiency of Electric Motors B Appendix B to Subpart B of Part 431 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY..., Subpt. B, App. B Appendix B to Subpart B of Part 431—Uniform Test Method for Measuring Nominal Full Load... Std 112-2004 Test Method B, Input-Output With Loss Segregation, (incorporated by reference, see § 431...

ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY VERIFICATION TEST PROTOCOL, GENERAL VENTILATION FILTERS

EPA Science Inventory

The Environmental Technology Verification Test Protocol, General Ventilation Filters provides guidance for verification tests.

Reference is made in the protocol to the ASHRAE 52.2P "Method of Testing General Ventilation Air-cleaning Devices for Removal Efficiency by P...

Critical outlook and trends for environmental reference materials at the Measurements & Testing Generic Activity (European Commission).

PubMed

Quevauviller, P; Bennink, D; Bøwadt, S

2001-05-01

It is now well recognised that the quality control (QC) of all types of analyses, including environmental analyses depends on the appropriate use of reference materials. One of the ways to check the accuracy of methods is based on the use of Certified Reference Materials (CRMs), whereas other types of (not certified) Reference Materials (RMs) are used for routine quality control (establishment of control charts) and interlaboratory testing (e.g. proficiency testing). The perception of these materials, in particular with respect to their production and use, differs widely according to various perspectives (e.g. RM producers, routine laboratories, researchers). This review discusses some critical aspects of RM use and production for the QC of environmental analyses and describes the new approach followed by the Measurements & Testing Generic Activity (European Commission) to tackle new research and production needs.

Development of internal forest soil reference samples and testing of digestion methods

Treesearch

J.E. Hislop; J.W. Hornbeck; S.W. Bailey; R.A. Hallett

1998-01-01

Our research requires determinations of total elemental concentrations of forest soils. The lack of certified forest soil reference materials led us to develop internal reference samples. Samples were collected from three soil horizons (Oa, B, and C) at three locations having forested, acidic soils similar to those we commonly analyze. A shatterbox was used to...

A systematic review and meta-analysis of the diagnostic accuracy of point-of-care tests for the detection of hyperketonemia in dairy cows.

PubMed

Tatone, Elise H; Gordon, Jessica L; Hubbs, Jessie; LeBlanc, Stephen J; DeVries, Trevor J; Duffield, Todd F

2016-08-01

Several rapid tests for use on farm have been validated for the detection of hyperketonemia (HK) in dairy cattle, however the reported sensitivity and specificity of each method varies and no single study has compared them all. Meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy is becoming more common in human medical literature but there are few veterinary examples. The objective of this work was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the point-of-care testing method with the highest combined sensitivity and specificity, the optimal threshold for each method, and to identify gaps in the literature. A comprehensive literature search resulted in 5196 references. After removing duplicates and performing relevance screening, 23 studies were included for the qualitative synthesis and 18 for the meta-analysis. The three index tests evaluated in the meta-analysis were: the Precision Xtra(®) handheld device measuring beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) concentration in whole blood, and Ketostix(®) and KetoTest(®) semi-quantitative strips measuring the concentration of acetoacetate in urine and BHB in milk, respectively. The diagnostic accuracy of the 3 index tests relative to the reference standard measurement of BHB in serum or whole blood between 1.0-1.4mmol/L was compared using the hierarchical summary receiver operator characteristic (HSROC) method. Subgroup analysis was conducted for each index test to examine the accuracy at different thresholds. The impact of the reference standard threshold, the reference standard method, the prevalence of HK in the population, the primary study source and risk of bias of the primary study was explored using meta-regression. The Precision Xtra(®) device had the highest summary sensitivity in whole blood BHB at 1.2mmol/L, 94.8% (CI95%: 92.6-97.0), and specificity, 97.5% (CI95%: 96.9-98.1). The threshold employed (1.2-1.4mmol/L) did not impact the diagnostic accuracy of the test. The Ketostix(®) and KetoTest(®) strips had the highest summary sensitivity and specificity when the trace and weak positive thresholds were used, respectively. Controlling for the source of publication, HK prevalence and reference standard employed did not impact the estimated sensitivity and specificity of the tests. Including only peer-reviewed studies reduced the number of primary studies evaluating the Precision Xtra(®) by 43% and Ketostix(®) by 33%. Diagnosing HK with blood, urine or milk are valid options, however, the diagnostic inaccuracy of urine and milk should be considered when making economic and treatment decisions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Retrospective and prospective evaluation of the Carbapenem inactivation method for the detection of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae

PubMed Central

Gauthier, Lauraine; Dortet, Laurent; Naas, Thierry

2017-01-01

Background There is an urgent need for accurate and rapid diagnostic tests to identify carbapenemase producing enterobacteria (CPE). Here, we have evaluated the Carbapenem Inactivation Method (CIM) test to detect CPEs from cultured colonies. Methods A total of 256 enterobacterial isolates were used to evaluate the performance of the CIM in comparison to Carba NP test and molecular detection used a reference method. Ninety three well-characterized isolates (including 29 non-CPE and 63 CPEs of worldwide origin) with decreased susceptibility to at least one carbapenem were used to (i) evaluate the efficacy of CIM test and (ii) to compare it to the Carba NP test. We also tested different carbapenems to determine the best substrate for this test. Finally, the CIM test was then evaluated prospectively against 164 isolates referred to the French National Reference Center (NRC) for Antimicrobial Resistance from may 2016 to july 2016. Results Based on the results of this retrospective study, sensitivity and specificity of the CIM and the Carba NP test were 92.1% and 100%, respectively. We demonstrated that the meropenem was the best substrate to perform the CIM test since sensitivity and specificity were 81.1% and 100% using ertapenem disk, and 100% and 65,6% using imipenem disk, and respectively. Taking in account the results of retrospective and prospective studies, CIM and Carba NP tests have similar sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive values being 96.3%, 98.9%, 99.0% and 98.4% for the CIM test versus 96.9%, 100%, 100% and 100% for the Carba NP test. Conclusions Our results confirm that the CIM test may be a useful tool for the reliable confirmation of carbapenemase-activity in enterobacterial isolates, especially in clinical microbiological laboratories with limited resources, no trained personnel, and no specialized equipment. PMID:28158310

Survey of the Methods and Reporting Practices in Published Meta-analyses of Test Performance: 1987 to 2009

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dahabreh, Issa J.; Chung, Mei; Kitsios, Georgios D.; Terasawa, Teruhiko; Raman, Gowri; Tatsioni, Athina; Tobar, Annette; Lau, Joseph; Trikalinos, Thomas A.; Schmid, Christopher H.

2013-01-01

We performed a survey of meta-analyses of test performance to describe the evolution in their methods and reporting. Studies were identified through MEDLINE (1966-2009), reference lists, and relevant reviews. We extracted information on clinical topics, literature review methods, quality assessment, and statistical analyses. We reviewed 760…

46 CFR 58.03-1 - Incorporation by reference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... Test Method for Flash and Fire Points by Cleveland Open Cup (“ASTM D 92”), 58.30-10; (8) ASTM D 93-97, Standard Test Methods for Flash Point by Pensky-Martens Closed Cup Tester (“ASTM D 93”), 58.01-10; and (9...

46 CFR 58.03-1 - Incorporation by reference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Test Method for Flash and Fire Points by Cleveland Open Cup (“ASTM D 92”), 58.30-10; (8) ASTM D 93-97, Standard Test Methods for Flash Point by Pensky-Martens Closed Cup Tester (“ASTM D 93”), 58.01-10; and (9...

10 CFR 430.3 - Materials incorporated by reference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building Technologies Program, 6th Floor, 950 L'Enfant Plaza, SW... B. (8) ASHRAE 103-1993, Methods of Testing for Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency of Residential...) ASHRAE 116-1995 (RA 2005), Methods of Testing for Rating Seasonal Efficiency of Unitary Air Conditioners...

Evaluation and improvements of a mayfly, Neocloeon (Centroptilum) triangulifer ?(Ephemeroptera: Baetidae) toxicity test method

EPA Science Inventory

A recently published test method for Neocloeon triangulifer assessed the sensitivities of larval mayflies to several reference toxicants (NaCl, KCl, and CuSO4). Subsequent exposures have shown discrepancies from those results previously reported. To identify potential sources of ...

A numerical fragment basis approach to SCF calculations.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hinde, Robert J.

1997-11-01

The counterpoise method is often used to correct for basis set superposition error in calculations of the electronic structure of bimolecular systems. One drawback of this approach is the need to specify a ``reference state'' for the system; for reactive systems, the choice of an unambiguous reference state may be difficult. An example is the reaction F^- + HCl arrow HF + Cl^-. Two obvious reference states for this reaction are F^- + HCl and HF + Cl^-; however, different counterpoise-corrected interaction energies are obtained using these two reference states. We outline a method for performing SCF calculations which employs numerical basis functions; this method attempts to eliminate basis set superposition errors in an a priori fashion. We test the proposed method on two one-dimensional, three-center systems and discuss the possibility of extending our approach to include electron correlation effects.

In vitro testing of Nd:YAG laser processed calcium phosphate coatings.

PubMed

De Carlos, A; Lusquiños, F; Pou, J; León, B; Pérez-Amor, M; Driessens, F C M; Hing, K; Best, S; Bonfield, W

2006-11-01

Nd:YAG laser cladding is a new method for deposition of a calcium phosphate onto metallic surfaces of interest in implantology. The aim of this study was to compare the biologic response of MG-63 human osteoblast-like cells grown on Ti-6Al-4V substrates coated with a calcium phosphate layer applied using different methods: plasma spraying as reference material and Nd:YAG laser cladding as test material. Tissue culture polystyrene was used as negative control. The Nd:YAG laser clad material showed a behaviour similar to the reference material, plasma spray, respective to cell morphology (SEM observations), cell proliferation (AlamarBlue assay) and cytotoxicity of extracts (MTT assay). Proliferation, as measured by the AlamarBlue assay, showed little difference in the metabolic activity of the cells on the materials over an 18 day culture period. There were no significant differences in the cellular growth response on the test material when compared to the ones exhibited by the reference material. In the solvent extraction test all the extracts had some detrimental effect on cellular activity at 100% concentration, although cells incubated in the test material extract showed a proliferation rate similar to that of the reference material. To better understand the scope of these results it should be taken into account that the Nd:YAG clad coating has recently been developed. The fact that its in vitro performance is comparable to that produced by plasma spray, a material commercially available for more than ten years, indicates that this new laser based method could be of commercial interest in the near future.

What Is the Reference? An Examination of Alternatives to the Reference Sources Used in IES TM-30-15

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Royer, Michael P.

A study was undertaken to document the role of the reference illuminant in the IES TM-30-15 method for evaluating color rendition. TM-30-15 relies on a relative reference scheme; that is, the reference illuminant and test source always have the same correlated color temperature (CCT). The reference illuminant is a Planckian radiator, model of daylight, or combination of those two, depending on the exact CCT of the test source. Three alternative reference schemes were considered: 1) either using all Planckian radiators or all daylight models; 2) using only one of ten possible illuminants (Planckian, daylight, or equal energy), regardless of themore » CCT of the test source; 3) using an off-Planckian reference illuminant (i.e., a source with a negative Duv). No reference scheme is inherently superior to another, with differences in metric values largely a result of small differences in gamut shape of the reference alternatives. While using any of the alternative schemes is more reasonable in the TM-30-15 evaluation framework than it was with the CIE CRI framework, the differences still ultimately manifest only as changes in interpretation of the results. References are employed in color rendering measures to provide a familiar point of comparison, not to establish an ideal source.« less

A minimum drives automatic target definition procedure for multi-axis random control testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Musella, Umberto; D'Elia, Giacomo; Carrella, Alex; Peeters, Bart; Mucchi, Emiliano; Marulo, Francesco; Guillaume, Patrick

2018-07-01

Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) vibration control tests are able to closely replicate, via shakers excitation, the vibration environment that a structure needs to withstand during its operational life. This feature is fundamental to accurately verify the experienced stress state, and ultimately the fatigue life, of the tested structure. In case of MIMO random tests, the control target is a full reference Spectral Density Matrix in the frequency band of interest. The diagonal terms are the Power Spectral Densities (PSDs), representative for the acceleration operational levels, and the off-diagonal terms are the Cross Spectral Densities (CSDs). The specifications of random vibration tests are however often given in terms of PSDs only, coming from a legacy of single axis testing. Information about the CSDs is often missing. An accurate definition of the CSD profiles can further enhance the MIMO random testing practice, as these terms influence both the responses and the shaker's voltages (the so-called drives). The challenges are linked to the algebraic constraint that the full reference matrix must be positive semi-definite in the entire bandwidth, with no flexibility in modifying the given PSDs. This paper proposes a newly developed method that automatically provides the full reference matrix without modifying the PSDs, considered as test specifications. The innovative feature is the capability of minimizing the drives required to match the reference PSDs and, at the same time, to directly guarantee that the obtained full matrix is positive semi-definite. The drives minimization aims on one hand to reach the fixed test specifications without stressing the delicate excitation system; on the other hand it potentially allows to further increase the test levels. The detailed analytic derivation and implementation steps of the proposed method are followed by real-life testing considering different scenarios.

Generating method-specific Reference Ranges - A harmonious outcome?

PubMed

Lee, Graham R; Griffin, Alison; Halton, Kieran; Fitzgibbon, Maria C

2017-12-01

When laboratory Reference Ranges (RR) do not reflect analytical methodology, result interpretation can cause misclassification of patients and inappropriate management. This can be mitigated by determining and implementing method-specific RRs, which was the main objective of this study. Serum was obtained from healthy volunteers (Male + Female, n > 120) attending hospital health-check sessions during June and July 2011. Pseudo-anonymised aliquots were stored (at - 70 °C) prior t° analysis on Abbott ARCHITECT c16000 chemistry and i 2000SR immunoassay analysers. Data were stratified by gender where appropriate. Outliers were excluded statistically (Tukey method) to generate non-parametric RRs (2.5th + 97.5th percentiles). RRs were compared to those quoted by Abbott and UK Pathology Harmony (PH) where possible. For 7 selected tests, RRs were verified using a data mining approach. For chemistry tests (n = 23), Upper or Lower Reference Limits (LRL or URL) were > 20% different from Abbott ranges in 25% of tests (11% from PH ranges) but in 38% for immunoassay tests (n = 13). RRs (mmol/L) for sodium (138-144), potassium (3.8-4.9) and chloride (102-110) were considerably narrower than PH ranges (133-146, 3.5-5.0 and 95-108, respectively). The gender difference for ferritin (M: 29-441, F: 8-193 ng/mL) was more pronounced than reported by Abbott (M: 22-275, F: 5-204 ng/mL). Verification studies showed good agreement for chemistry tests (mean [SD] difference = 0.4% [1.2%]) but less so for immunoassay tests (27% [29%]), particularly for TSH (LRL). Where resource permits, we advocate using method-specific RRs in preference to other sources, particularly where method bias and lack of standardisation limits RR transferability and harmonisation.

40 CFR 260.11 - References.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Hydrocarbon Fuels by Bomb Calorimeter (High-Precision Method),” IBR approved for §§ 264.1033, 265.1033. (5... Methods for Preparing Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) Samples for Analyses of Metals,” Test Method C—Bomb, Acid...

DNA-Based Methods in the Immunohematology Reference Laboratory

PubMed Central

Denomme, Gregory A

2010-01-01

Although hemagglutination serves the immunohematology reference laboratory well, when used alone, it has limited capability to resolve complex problems. This overview discusses how molecular approaches can be used in the immunohematology reference laboratory. In order to apply molecular approaches to immunohematology, knowledge of genes, DNA-based methods, and the molecular bases of blood groups are required. When applied correctly, DNA-based methods can predict blood groups to resolve ABO/Rh discrepancies, identify variant alleles, and screen donors for antigen-negative units. DNA-based testing in immunohematology is a valuable tool used to resolve blood group incompatibilities and to support patients in their transfusion needs. PMID:21257350

10 CFR 430.3 - Materials incorporated by reference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... is available for inspection at U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable... appendix M to subpart B. (9) ASHRAE 103-1993, Methods of Testing for Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency of... subpart B. (10) ASHRAE 116-1995 (RA 2005), Methods of Testing for Rating Seasonal Efficiency of Unitary...

10 CFR 430.3 - Materials incorporated by reference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

.... Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building Technologies Program, 6th... appendix M to subpart B. (9) ASHRAE 103-1993, Methods of Testing for Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency of... subpart B. (10) ASHRAE 116-1995 (RA 2005), Methods of Testing for Rating Seasonal Efficiency of Unitary...

In-vitro evaluation of the accuracy of conventional and digital methods of obtaining full-arch dental impressions.

PubMed

Ender, Andreas; Mehl, Albert

2015-01-01

To investigate the accuracy of conventional and digital impression methods used to obtain full-arch impressions by using an in-vitro reference model. Eight different conventional (polyether, POE; vinylsiloxanether, VSE; direct scannable vinylsiloxanether, VSES; and irreversible hydrocolloid, ALG) and digital (CEREC Bluecam, CER; CEREC Omnicam, OC; Cadent iTero, ITE; and Lava COS, LAV) full-arch impressions were obtained from a reference model with a known morphology, using a highly accurate reference scanner. The impressions obtained were then compared with the original geometry of the reference model and within each test group. A point-to-point measurement of the surface of the model using the signed nearest neighbour method resulted in a mean (10%-90%)/2 percentile value for the difference between the impression and original model (trueness) as well as the difference between impressions within a test group (precision). Trueness values ranged from 11.5 μm (VSE) to 60.2 μm (POE), and precision ranged from 12.3 μm (VSE) to 66.7 μm (POE). Among the test groups, VSE, VSES, and CER showed the highest trueness and precision. The deviation pattern varied with the impression method. Conventional impressions showed high accuracy across the full dental arch in all groups, except POE and ALG. Conventional and digital impression methods show differences regarding full-arch accuracy. Digital impression systems reveal higher local deviations of the full-arch model. Digital intraoral impression systems do not show superior accuracy compared to highly accurate conventional impression techniques. However, they provide excellent clinical results within their indications applying the correct scanning technique.

Utility of NIST Whole-Genome Reference Materials for the Technical Validation of a Multigene Next-Generation Sequencing Test.

PubMed

Shum, Bennett O V; Henner, Ilya; Belluoccio, Daniele; Hinchcliffe, Marcus J

2017-07-01

The sensitivity and specificity of next-generation sequencing laboratory developed tests (LDTs) are typically determined by an analyte-specific approach. Analyte-specific validations use disease-specific controls to assess an LDT's ability to detect known pathogenic variants. Alternatively, a methods-based approach can be used for LDT technical validations. Methods-focused validations do not use disease-specific controls but use benchmark reference DNA that contains known variants (benign, variants of unknown significance, and pathogenic) to assess variant calling accuracy of a next-generation sequencing workflow. Recently, four whole-genome reference materials (RMs) from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) were released to standardize methods-based validations of next-generation sequencing panels across laboratories. We provide a practical method for using NIST RMs to validate multigene panels. We analyzed the utility of RMs in validating a novel newborn screening test that targets 70 genes, called NEO1. Despite the NIST RM variant truth set originating from multiple sequencing platforms, replicates, and library types, we discovered a 5.2% false-negative variant detection rate in the RM truth set genes that were assessed in our validation. We developed a strategy using complementary non-RM controls to demonstrate 99.6% sensitivity of the NEO1 test in detecting variants. Our findings have implications for laboratories or proficiency testing organizations using whole-genome NIST RMs for testing. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Investigative Pathology and the Association for Molecular Pathology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Traceable calibration of photovoltaic reference cells using natural sunlight

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Müllejans, H.; Zaaiman, W.; Pavanello, D.; Dunlop, E. D.

2018-02-01

At the European Solar Test Installation (ESTI) photovoltaic (PV) reference cells are calibrated traceably to SI units via the World Radiometric Reference (WRR) using natural sunlight. The Direct Sunlight Method (DSM) is described in detail and the latest measurement results and an updated uncertainty budget are reported. These PV reference cells then provide a practical means for measuring the irradiance of natural or simulated sunlight during the calibration of other PV devices.

Validation of Modifications to the ANSR(®) Listeria Method for Improved Ease of Use and Performance.

PubMed

Caballero, Oscar; Alles, Susan; Le, Quynh-Nhi; Gray, R Lucas; Hosking, Edan; Pinkava, Lisa; Norton, Paul; Tolan, Jerry; Mozola, Mark; Rice, Jennifer; Chen, Yi; Odumeru, Joseph; Ryser, Elliot

2016-01-01

A study was conducted to validate minor reagent formulation, enrichment, and procedural changes to the ANSR(®) Listeria method, Performance-Tested Method(SM) 101202. In order to improve ease of use and diminish risk of amplicon contamination, the lyophilized reagent components were reformulated for increased solubility, thus eliminating the need to mix by pipetting. In the alternative procedure, an aliquot of the lysate is added to lyophilized ANSR reagents, immediately capped, and briefly mixed by vortexing. When three foods (hot dogs, Mexican-style cheese, and cantaloupe) and sponge samples taken from a stainless steel surface were tested, significant differences in performance between the ANSR and U.S. Food and Drug Administration Bacteriological Analytical Manual or U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook reference culture procedures were seen with hot dogs and Mexican-style cheese after 16 h enrichment, with the reference methods producing more positive results. After 24 h enrichment, however, there were no significant differences in method performance for any of the four matrixes tested. Robustness testing was also conducted, with variations to lysis buffer volume, lysis time, and sample volume having no demonstrable effect on assay results. Accelerated stability testing was carried out over a 10-week period and showed no diminishment in assay performance. A second phase of the study examined performance of the ANSR assay following enrichment in a new medium, LESS Plus broth, designed for use with all food and environmental sample types. With the alternative LESS Plus broth, there were no significant differences in performance between the ANSR method and the reference culture procedures for any of the matrixes tested after either 16 or 24 h enrichment, although 24 h enrichment is recommended for hot dogs due to higher sensitivity. Results of inclusivity and exclusivity testing using LESS Plus broth showed that the ANSR assay is highly specific, with 100% expected results for target and nontarget bacteria.

40 CFR Appendix A to Subpart F of... - References

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Indoor Air Sampling: Design and Calibration., JAPCA, 37: 1303-1307 (1987). (2) Vanderpool, R.W. and K.L... Part 53 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) AMBIENT AIR MONITORING REFERENCE AND EQUIVALENT METHODS Procedures for Testing Performance Characteristics...

40 CFR Appendix A to Subpart F of... - References

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Indoor Air Sampling: Design and Calibration., JAPCA, 37: 1303-1307 (1987). (2) Vanderpool, R.W. and K.L... Part 53 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) AMBIENT AIR MONITORING REFERENCE AND EQUIVALENT METHODS Procedures for Testing Performance Characteristics...

Evaluation of an inhouse rapid ELISA test for detection of giardia in domestic sheep (Ovis aries).

PubMed

Wilson, Jolaine M; Hankenson, F Claire

2010-11-01

Sheep (Ovis aries) are increasingly used at our institution as models of human disease. Within the research environment, routine husbandry and handling of sheep has potential for transmission of zoonotic agents, including Giardia. The prevalence of Giardia in sheep may approach 68%. Classic diagnostic testing involves microscopic examination for fecal cysts or trophozoites; however, limitations of microscopy include time, labor, and potential false-negative results due to intermittent shedding. We wished to determine whether a commercial rapid ELISA used for Giardia detection in dogs and cats could be used in sheep. Fecal samples collected from sheep (n = 93) were tested with a combination of 6 methods: reference laboratory fecal flotation, reference laboratory ELISA, inhouse fecal flotation, and commercially available tests (enzyme immunoassay, direct fluorescence antibody assay, and rapid ELISA). Prevalence of Giardia infection in facility sheep was 11.8% (11 of 93 animals). Of the 11 samples considered positive, 3 were confirmed by multiple testing methods, and 5 were positive by microscopy alone. Inhouse fecal flotation for 8 samples was positive on only 1 of 2 consecutive testing days. The rapid ELISA test exhibited 0% sensitivity for sheep giardiasis. Overall, the examined methods had low sensitivities and low positive predictive values. Despite limitations, microscopic analysis of repeat fecal samples remained the most accurate diagnostic method for ovine giardiasis among the methods tested.

The use of digital PCR to improve the application of quantitative molecular diagnostic methods for tuberculosis.

PubMed

Devonshire, Alison S; O'Sullivan, Denise M; Honeyborne, Isobella; Jones, Gerwyn; Karczmarczyk, Maria; Pavšič, Jernej; Gutteridge, Alice; Milavec, Mojca; Mendoza, Pablo; Schimmel, Heinz; Van Heuverswyn, Fran; Gorton, Rebecca; Cirillo, Daniela Maria; Borroni, Emanuele; Harris, Kathryn; Barnard, Marinus; Heydenrych, Anthenette; Ndusilo, Norah; Wallis, Carole L; Pillay, Keshree; Barry, Thomas; Reddington, Kate; Richter, Elvira; Mozioğlu, Erkan; Akyürek, Sema; Yalçınkaya, Burhanettin; Akgoz, Muslum; Žel, Jana; Foy, Carole A; McHugh, Timothy D; Huggett, Jim F

2016-08-03

Real-time PCR (qPCR) based methods, such as the Xpert MTB/RIF, are increasingly being used to diagnose tuberculosis (TB). While qualitative methods are adequate for diagnosis, the therapeutic monitoring of TB patients requires quantitative methods currently performed using smear microscopy. The potential use of quantitative molecular measurements for therapeutic monitoring has been investigated but findings have been variable and inconclusive. The lack of an adequate reference method and reference materials is a barrier to understanding the source of such disagreement. Digital PCR (dPCR) offers the potential for an accurate method for quantification of specific DNA sequences in reference materials which can be used to evaluate quantitative molecular methods for TB treatment monitoring. To assess a novel approach for the development of quality assurance materials we used dPCR to quantify specific DNA sequences in a range of prototype reference materials and evaluated accuracy between different laboratories and instruments. The materials were then also used to evaluate the quantitative performance of qPCR and Xpert MTB/RIF in eight clinical testing laboratories. dPCR was found to provide results in good agreement with the other methods tested and to be highly reproducible between laboratories without calibration even when using different instruments. When the reference materials were analysed with qPCR and Xpert MTB/RIF by clinical laboratories, all laboratories were able to correctly rank the reference materials according to concentration, however there was a marked difference in the measured magnitude. TB is a disease where the quantification of the pathogen could lead to better patient management and qPCR methods offer the potential to rapidly perform such analysis. However, our findings suggest that when precisely characterised materials are used to evaluate qPCR methods, the measurement result variation is too high to determine whether molecular quantification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis would provide a clinically useful readout. The methods described in this study provide a means by which the technical performance of quantitative molecular methods can be evaluated independently of clinical variability to improve accuracy of measurement results. These will assist in ultimately increasing the likelihood that such approaches could be used to improve patient management of TB.

Reference values assessment in a Mediterranean population for small dense low-density lipoprotein concentration isolated by an optimized precipitation method.

PubMed

Fernández-Cidón, Bárbara; Padró-Miquel, Ariadna; Alía-Ramos, Pedro; Castro-Castro, María José; Fanlo-Maresma, Marta; Dot-Bach, Dolors; Valero-Politi, José; Pintó-Sala, Xavier; Candás-Estébanez, Beatriz

2017-01-01

High serum concentrations of small dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (sd-LDL-c) particles are associated with risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Their clinical application has been hindered as a consequence of the laborious current method used for their quantification. Optimize a simple and fast precipitation method to isolate sd-LDL particles and establish a reference interval in a Mediterranean population. Forty-five serum samples were collected, and sd-LDL particles were isolated using a modified heparin-Mg 2+ precipitation method. sd-LDL-c concentration was calculated by subtracting high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) from the total cholesterol measured in the supernatant. This method was compared with the reference method (ultracentrifugation). Reference values were estimated according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute and The International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine recommendations. sd-LDL-c concentration was measured in serums from 79 subjects with no lipid metabolism abnormalities. The Passing-Bablok regression equation is y = 1.52 (0.72 to 1.73) + 0.07 x (-0.1 to 0.13), demonstrating no significant statistical differences between the modified precipitation method and the ultracentrifugation reference method. Similarly, no differences were detected when considering only sd-LDL-c from dyslipidemic patients, since the modifications added to the precipitation method facilitated the proper sedimentation of triglycerides and other lipoproteins. The reference interval for sd-LDL-c concentration estimated in a Mediterranean population was 0.04-0.47 mmol/L. An optimization of the heparin-Mg 2+ precipitation method for sd-LDL particle isolation was performed, and reference intervals were established in a Spanish Mediterranean population. Measured values were equivalent to those obtained with the reference method, assuring its clinical application when tested in both normolipidemic and dyslipidemic subjects.

40 CFR 53.35 - Test procedure for Class II and Class III methods for PM 2.5 and PM −2.5.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... section. All reference method samplers shall be of single-filter design (not multi-filter, sequential sample design). Each candidate method shall be setup and operated in accordance with its associated... precision specified in table C-4 of this subpart. (g) Test for additive and multiplicative bias (comparative...

40 CFR 53.35 - Test procedure for Class II and Class III methods for PM 2.5 and PM −2.5.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... section. All reference method samplers shall be of single-filter design (not multi-filter, sequential sample design). Each candidate method shall be setup and operated in accordance with its associated... precision specified in table C-4 of this subpart. (g) Test for additive and multiplicative bias (comparative...

Reference data on reaction time and aging using the Nintendo Wii Balance Board: A cross-sectional study of 354 subjects from 20 to 99 years of age

PubMed Central

Rahbek, Martin T.; Eikhof, Karin D.; Hansen, Mette D.; Søndergaard, Malene; Ryg, Jesper; Andersen, Stig; Jørgensen, Martin G.

2017-01-01

Background Falls among older adults is one of the major public health challenges facing the rapidly changing demography. The valid assessment of reaction time (RT) and other well-documented risk factors for falls are mainly restricted to specialized clinics due to the equipment needed. The Nintendo Wii Balance Board has the potential to be a multi-modal test and intervention instrument for these risk factors, however, reference data are lacking. Objective To provide RT reference data and to characterize the age-related changes in RT measured by the Nintendo Wii Balance Board. Method Healthy participants were recruited at various locations and their RT in hands and feet were tested by six assessors using the Nintendo Wii Balance Board. Reference data were analysed and presented in age-groups, while the age-related change in RT was tested and characterized with linear regression models. Results 354 participants between 20 and 99 years of age were tested. For both hands and feet, mean RT and its variation increased with age. There was a statistically significant non-linear increase in RT with age. The averaged difference between male and female was significant, with males being faster than females for both hands and feet. The averaged difference between dominant and non-dominant side was non-significant. Conclusion This study reported reference data with percentiles for a new promising method for reliably testing RT. The RT data were consistent with previously known effects of age and gender on RT. PMID:29287063

Test method research on weakening interface strength of steel - concrete under cyclic loading

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Ming-wei; Zhang, Fang-hua; Su, Guang-quan

2018-02-01

The mechanical properties of steel - concrete interface under cyclic loading are the key factors affecting the rule of horizontal load transfer, the calculation of bearing capacity and cumulative horizontal deformation. Cyclic shear test is an effective method to study the strength reduction of steel - concrete interface. A test system composed of large repeated direct shear test instrument, hydraulic servo system, data acquisition system, test control software system and so on is independently designed, and a set of test method, including the specimen preparation, the instrument preparation, the loading method and so on, is put forward. By listing a set of test results, the validity of the test method is verified. The test system and the test method based on it provide a reference for the experimental study on mechanical properties of steel - concrete interface.

MicroSEQ® Salmonella spp. Detection Kit Using the Pathatrix® 10-Pooling Salmonella spp. Kit Linked Protocol Method Modification.

PubMed

Wall, Jason; Conrad, Rick; Latham, Kathy; Liu, Eric

2014-03-01

Real-time PCR methods for detecting foodborne pathogens offer the advantages of simplicity and quick time to results compared to traditional culture methods. The addition of a recirculating pooled immunomagnetic separation method prior to real-time PCR analysis increases processing output while reducing both cost and labor. This AOAC Research Institute method modification study validates the MicroSEQ® Salmonella spp. Detection Kit [AOAC Performance Tested Method (PTM) 031001] linked with the Pathatrix® 10-Pooling Salmonella spp. Kit (AOAC PTM 090203C) in diced tomatoes, chocolate, and deli ham. The Pathatrix 10-Pooling protocol represents a method modification of the enrichment portion of the MicroSEQ Salmonella spp. The results of the method modification were compared to standard cultural reference methods for diced tomatoes, chocolate, and deli ham. All three matrixes were analyzed in a paired study design. An additional set of chocolate test portions was analyzed using an alternative enrichment medium in an unpaired study design. For all matrixes tested, there were no statistically significant differences in the number of positive test portions detected by the modified candidate method compared to the appropriate reference method. The MicroSEQ Salmonella spp. protocol linked with the Pathatrix individual or 10-Pooling procedure demonstrated reliability as a rapid, simplified, method for the preparation of samples and subsequent detection of Salmonella in diced tomatoes, chocolate, and deli ham.

Atlas(®) Listeria monocytogenes LmG2 Detection Assay Using Transcription Mediated Amplification to Detect Listeria monocytogenes in Selected Foods and Stainless Steel Surface.

PubMed

Bres, Vanessa; Yang, Hua; Hsu, Ernie; Ren, Yan; Cheng, Ying; Wisniewski, Michele; Hanhan, Maesa; Zaslavsky, Polina; Noll, Nathan; Weaver, Brett; Campbell, Paul; Reshatoff, Michael; Becker, Michael

2014-01-01

The Atlas Listeria monocytogenes LmG2 Detection Assay, developed by Roka Bioscience Inc., was compared to a reference culture method for seven food types (hot dogs, cured ham, deli turkey, chicken salad, vanilla ice cream, frozen chocolate cream pie, and frozen cheese pizza) and one surface (stainless steel, grade 316). A 125 g portion of deli turkey was tested using a 1:4 food:media dilution ratio, and a 25 g portion for all other foods was tested using 1:9 food:media dilution ratio. The enrichment time and media for Roka's method was 24 to 28 h for 25 g food samples and environmental surfaces, and 44 to 48 h for 125 g at 35 ± 2°C in PALCAM broth containing 0.02 g/L nalidixic acid. Comparison of the Atlas Listeria monocytogenes LmG2 Detection Assay to the reference method required an unpaired approach. For each matrix, 20 samples inoculated at a fractional level and five samples inoculated at a high level with a different strain of Listeria monocytogenes were tested by each method. The Atlas Listeria monocytogenes LmG2 Detection Assay was compared to the Official Methods of Analysis of AOAC INTERNATIONAL 993.12 method for dairy products, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook 8.08 method for ready-to-eat meat and environmental samples, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Bacteriological Analytical Manual, Chapter 10 method for frozen foods. In the method developer studies, Roka's method, at 24 h (or 44 h for 125 g food samples), had 126 positives out of 200 total inoculated samples, compared to 102 positives for the reference methods at 48 h. In the independent laboratory studies, vanilla ice cream, deli turkey and stainless steel grade 316 were evaluated. Roka's method, at 24 h (or 44 h for 125 g food samples), had 64 positives out of 75 total inoculated samples compared to 54 positives for the reference methods at 48 h. The Atlas Listeria monocytogenes LmG2 Detection Assay detected all 50 L. monocytogenes strains that encompassed 13 serotypes across the various lineages and none of the 30 exclusive organisms, including seven other Listeria species. The product consistency and kit stability studies revealed no statistical differences between the three lots tested or to the term of the shelf life. Finally, the robustness study demonstrated no statistical differences when samples were incubated at 33 ± 2°C or 37 ± 2°C, when enrichment aliquots were 1.3 mL or 1.7 mL, or when the samples were analyzed the same day or five days later. Overall the Atlas Listeria monocytogenes LmG2 Detection Assay is statistically equivalent to or better than the reference methods and is robust to the tested variations.

A New Method with General Diagnostic Utility for the Calculation of Immunoglobulin G Avidity

PubMed Central

Korhonen, Maria H.; Brunstein, John; Haario, Heikki; Katnikov, Alexei; Rescaldani, Roberto; Hedman, Klaus

1999-01-01

The reference method for immunoglobulin G (IgG) avidity determination includes reagent-consuming serum titration. Aiming at better IgG avidity diagnostics, we applied a logistic model for the reproduction of antibody titration curves. This method was tested with well-characterized serum panels for cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, rubella virus, parvovirus B19, and Toxoplasma gondii. This approach for IgG avidity calculation is generally applicable and attains the diagnostic performance of the reference method while being less laborious and twice as cost-effective. PMID:10473525

Parallel But Not Equivalent: Challenges and Solutions for Repeated Assessment of Cognition over Time

PubMed Central

Gross, Alden L.; Inouye, Sharon K.; Rebok, George W.; Brandt, Jason; Crane, Paul K.; Parisi, Jeanine M.; Tommet, Doug; Bandeen-Roche, Karen; Carlson, Michelle C.; Jones, Richard N.

2013-01-01

Objective Analyses of individual differences in change may be unintentionally biased when versions of a neuropsychological test used at different follow-ups are not of equivalent difficulty. This study’s objective was to compare mean, linear, and equipercentile equating methods and demonstrate their utility in longitudinal research. Study Design and Setting The Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE, N=1,401) study is a longitudinal randomized trial of cognitive training. The Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI, n=819) is an observational cohort study. Nonequivalent alternate versions of the Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT) were administered in both studies. Results Using visual displays, raw and mean-equated AVLT scores in both studies showed obvious nonlinear trajectories in reference groups that should show minimal change, poor equivalence over time (ps≤0.001), and raw scores demonstrated poor fits in models of within-person change (RMSEAs>0.12). Linear and equipercentile equating produced more similar means in reference groups (ps≥0.09) and performed better in growth models (RMSEAs<0.05). Conclusion Equipercentile equating is the preferred equating method because it accommodates tests more difficult than a reference test at different percentiles of performance and performs well in models of within-person trajectory. The method has broad applications in both clinical and research settings to enhance the ability to use nonequivalent test forms. PMID:22540849

Measurement of the depth of narrow slotted sections in eddy current reference standards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Young-Joo; Kim, Young-gil; Ahn, Bongyoung; Yoon, Dong-Jin

2007-02-01

The dimensions of the slots in eddy current (EC) reference standards are too narrow to be measured by general depth measurement methods such as the optical (laser) or stylus methods. However, measurement of the dimensions of the machined slots is a prerequisite to using the blocks as references. The present paper suggests a measurement method for the slotted section using an ultrasonic test. The width and depth of the slots measured in our study are roughly 0.1 mm and 0.5 mm, respectively. The time of flight (TOF) of the ultrasonic wave was measured precisely. The ultrasonic velocity in the material of the EC reference standard was calculated with the measured values of the TOF and its thickness. Reflected waves from the tip of the slot and the bottom surface of the EC standard were successfully classified. Using this method we have successfully determined the depth of the slotted section.

Characterization of iris pattern stretches and application to the measurement of roll axis eye movements.

PubMed

Nishiyama, Junpei; Hashimoto, Tsutomu; Sakashita, Yusuke; Fujiyoshi, Hironobu; Hirata, Yutaka

2008-01-01

Eye movements are utilized in many scientific studies as a probe that reflects the neural representation of 3 dimensional extrapersonal space. This study proposes a method to accurately measure the roll component of eye movements under the conditions in which the pupil diameter changes. Generally, the iris pattern matching between a reference and a test iris image is performed to estimate roll angle of the test image. However, iris patterns are subject to change when the pupil size changes, thus resulting in less accurate roll angle estimation if the pupil sizes in the test and reference images are different. We characterized non-uniform iris pattern contraction/expansion caused by pupil dilation/constriction, and developed an algorithm to convert an iris pattern with an arbitrary pupil size into that with the same pupil size as the reference iris pattern. It was demonstrated that the proposed method improved the accuracy of the measurement of roll eye movement by up to 76.9%.

[Study on seed testing for Salvia miltiorrhiza].

PubMed

Dan, Hong-mei; Qi, Jian-jun; Zhou, Li-li; Li, Xian-en

2008-09-01

To establish a seed testing methods for Salvia miltiorrhiza. Referring to the International Seed Testing Rules made by ISTA and the Seed Testing for Crops (GB/T3543. 1-1995) issued by China. The seeds are selected by winnowing; the seed purity is about 50%-60%; 100 grain weight is used to determine the quality of the seed; the seed moisture content is determined by air drying, the drying hour is 3 h. Seed viability is tested by TFC method.

Evaluation of 3M molecular detection assay (MDA) Salmonella for the detection of Salmonella in selected foods: collaborative study.

PubMed

Bird, Patrick; Fisher, Kiel; Boyle, Megan; Huffman, Travis; Benzinger, M Joseph; Bedinghaus, Paige; Flannery, Jonathan; Crowley, Erin; Agin, James; Goins, David; Benesh, DeAnn; David, John

2013-01-01

The 3M Molecular Detection Assay (MDA) Salmonella is used with the 3M Molecular Detection System for the detection of Salmonella spp. in food, food-related, and environmental samples after enrichment. The assay utilizes loop-mediated isothermal amplification to rapidly amplify Salmonella target DNA with high specificity and sensitivity, combined with bioluminescence to detect the amplification. The 3M MDA Salmonella method was compared using an unpaired study design in a multilaboratory collaborative study to the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Food Safety and Inspection Service-Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook (USDA/FSIS-MLG 4.05), Isolation and Identification of Salmonella from Meat, Poultry, Pasteurized Egg and Catfish Products for raw ground beef and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration/Bacteriological Analytical Manual (FDA/BAM) Chapter 5 Salmonella reference method for wet dog food following the current AOAC guidelines. A total of 20 laboratories participated. For the 3M MDA Salmonella method, raw ground beef was analyzed using 25 g test portions, and wet dog food was analyzed using 375 g test portions. For the reference methods, 25 g test portions of each matrix were analyzed. Each matrix was artificially contaminated with Salmonella at three inoculation levels: an uninoculated control level (0 CFU/test portion), a low inoculum level (0.2-2 CFU/test portion), and a high inoculum level (2-5 CFU/test portion). In this study, 1512 unpaired replicate samples were analyzed. Statistical analysis was conducted according to the probability of detection (POD). For the low-level raw ground beef test portions, the following dLPOD (difference between the POD of the reference and candidate method) values with 95% confidence intervals were obtained: -0.01 (-0.14, +0.12). For the low-level wet dog food test portions, the following dLPOD with 95% confidence intervals were obtained: -0.04 (-0.16, +0.09). No significant differences were observed in the number of positive samples detected by the 3M MDA Salmonella method versus either the USDA/FSIS-MLG or FDA/BAM methods.

What is the best reference RNA? And other questions regarding the design and analysis of two-color microarray experiments.

PubMed

Kerr, Kathleen F; Serikawa, Kyle A; Wei, Caimiao; Peters, Mette A; Bumgarner, Roger E

2007-01-01

The reference design is a practical and popular choice for microarray studies using two-color platforms. In the reference design, the reference RNA uses half of all array resources, leading investigators to ask: What is the best reference RNA? We propose a novel method for evaluating reference RNAs and present the results of an experiment that was specially designed to evaluate three common choices of reference RNA. We found no compelling evidence in favor of any particular reference. In particular, a commercial reference showed no advantage in our data. Our experimental design also enabled a new way to test the effectiveness of pre-processing methods for two-color arrays. Our results favor using intensity normalization and foregoing background subtraction. Finally, we evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of data quality filters, and we propose a new filter that can be applied to any experimental design and does not rely on replicate hybridizations.

40 CFR 1065.720 - Liquefied petroleum gas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... CONTROLS ENGINE-TESTING PROCEDURES Engine Fluids, Test Fuels, Analytical Gases and Other Calibration....720—Test Fuel Specifications for Liquefied Petroleum Gas Property Value Reference procedure 1 Propane... methods yield different results, use the results from ASTM D1267. 3 The test fuel must not yield a...

Soy foods have low glycemic and insulin response indices in normal weight subjects

PubMed Central

2006-01-01

Background Foods with a low glycemic index (GI) may provide a variety of health benefits. The objective of the present study was to measure the GI and insulin index (II) of select soy foods. Methods The study was conducted in two parts with low-carbohydrate products being tested separately. In Experiment 1, subjects averaged 23.2 years of age with BMI = 22.0 kg/m2, while subjects in Experiment 2 averaged 23.9 years of age with BMI = 21.6 kg/m2. The reference (glucose) and test foods were served in portions containing 10 g of carbohydrates in Experiment 1 (two test foods) and 25 g of carbohydrates in Experiment 2 (four test foods). Subjects consumed the reference food twice and each test food once. For each test, subjects were instructed to consume a fixed portion of the reference food or test food together with 250 g of water within 12 min. Blood samples were collected before each test and at 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, and 120 min after consumption of reference or test foods to quantify glucose and insulin. Two-hour blood glucose and plasma insulin curves were constructed and areas under the curves were calculated. GI and II values for each subject and test food were calculated. Results In Experiment 1, both low-carbohydrate soy foods were shown to have significantly (P < 0.05) lower GI and II values than the reference food. In Experiment 2, three of the four test foods had significantly (P < 0.05) lower GI and II values than the reference food. Conclusion All but one of the soy foods tested had a low GI, suggesting that soy foods may be an appropriate part of diets intended to improve control of blood glucose and insulin levels. PMID:17192192

Smartphone-Based Point-of-Care Urinalysis Under Variable Illumination

PubMed Central

Ra, Moonsoo; Lim, Chiawei; Han, Sehui; Jung, Chansung; Kim, Whoi-Yul

2018-01-01

Urine tests are performed by using an off-the-shelf reference sheet to compare the color of test strips. However, the tabular representation is difficult to use and more prone to visual errors, especially when the reference color-swatches to be compared are spatially apart. Thus, making it is difficult to distinguish between the subtle differences of shades on the reagent pads. This manuscript represents a new arrangement of reference arrays for urine test strips (urinalysis). Reference color swatches are grouped in a doughnut chart, surrounding each reagent pad on the strip. The urine test can be evaluated using naked eye by referring to the strip with no additional sheet necessary. Along with this new strip, an algorithm for smartphone based application is also proposed as an alternative to deliver diagnostic results. The proposed colorimetric detection method evaluates the captured image of the strip, under various color spaces and evaluates ten different tests for urine. Thus, the proposed system can deliver results on the spot using both naked eye and smartphone. The proposed scheme delivered accurate results under various environmental illumination conditions without any calibration requirements, exhibiting performances suitable for real-life applications and an ease for a common user. PMID:29333352

An IMU Evaluation Method Using a Signal Grafting Scheme

PubMed Central

Niu, Xiaoji; Wang, Qiang; Li, You; Zhang, Quan; Jiang, Peng

2016-01-01

As various inertial measurement units (IMUs) from different manufacturers appear every year, it is not affordable to evaluate every IMU through tests. Therefore, this paper presents an IMU evaluation method by grafting data from the tested IMU to the reference data from a higher-grade IMU. The signal grafting (SG) method has several benefits: (a) only one set of field tests with a higher-grade IMU is needed, and can be used to evaluate numerous IMUs. Thus, SG is effective and economic because all data from the tested IMU is collected in the lab; (b) it is a general approach to compare navigation performances of various IMUs by using the same reference data; and, finally, (c) through SG, one can first evaluate an IMU in the lab, and then decide whether to further test it. Moreover, this paper verified the validity of SG to both medium- and low-grade IMUs, and presents and compared two SG strategies, i.e., the basic-error strategy and the full-error strategy. SG provided results similar to field tests, with a difference of under 5% and 19.4%–26.7% for tested tactical-grade and MEMS IMUs. Meanwhile, it was found that dynamic IMU errors were essential to guarantee the effect of the SG method. PMID:27294932

A localization algorithm of adaptively determining the ROI of the reference circle in image

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Zeen; Zhang, Jun; Zhang, Daimeng; Liu, Xiaomao; Tian, Jinwen

2018-03-01

Aiming at solving the problem of accurately positioning the detection probes underwater, this paper proposed a method based on computer vision which can effectively solve this problem. The theory of this method is that: First, because the shape information of the heat tube is similar to a circle in the image, we can find a circle which physical location is well known in the image, we set this circle as the reference circle. Second, we calculate the pixel offset between the reference circle and the probes in the picture, and adjust the steering gear through the offset. As a result, we can accurately measure the physical distance between the probes and the under test heat tubes, then we can know the precise location of the probes underwater. However, how to choose reference circle in image is a difficult problem. In this paper, we propose an algorithm that can adaptively confirm the area of reference circle. In this area, there will be only one circle, and the circle is the reference circle. The test results show that the accuracy of the algorithm of extracting the reference circle in the whole picture without using ROI (region of interest) of the reference circle is only 58.76% and the proposed algorithm is 95.88%. The experimental results indicate that the proposed algorithm can effectively improve the efficiency of the tubes detection.

10 CFR 431.263 - Materials incorporated by reference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Standard F2324-03, “Standard Test Method for Prerinse Spray..., Forrestal Building, Room 1J-018 (Resource Room of the Building Technologies Program), 1000 Independence...

10 CFR 431.263 - Materials incorporated by reference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Standard F2324-03, “Standard Test Method for Prerinse Spray..., Forrestal Building, Room 1J-018 (Resource Room of the Building Technologies Program), 1000 Independence...

40 CFR 89.6 - Reference materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... July 1, 2009), Standard Test Method for Kinematic Viscosity of Transparent and Opaque Liquids (the Calculation of Dynamic Viscosity), IBR approved for appendix A to subpart D. (6) ASTM D613-95, Standard Test...

40 CFR 89.6 - Reference materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... July 1, 2009), Standard Test Method for Kinematic Viscosity of Transparent and Opaque Liquids (the Calculation of Dynamic Viscosity), IBR approved for appendix A to subpart D. (6) ASTM D613-95, Standard Test...

40 CFR 89.6 - Reference materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... July 1, 2009), Standard Test Method for Kinematic Viscosity of Transparent and Opaque Liquids (the Calculation of Dynamic Viscosity), IBR approved for appendix A to subpart D. (6) ASTM D613-95, Standard Test...

Solving large test-day models by iteration on data and preconditioned conjugate gradient.

PubMed

Lidauer, M; Strandén, I; Mäntysaari, E A; Pösö, J; Kettunen, A

1999-12-01

A preconditioned conjugate gradient method was implemented into an iteration on a program for data estimation of breeding values, and its convergence characteristics were studied. An algorithm was used as a reference in which one fixed effect was solved by Gauss-Seidel method, and other effects were solved by a second-order Jacobi method. Implementation of the preconditioned conjugate gradient required storing four vectors (size equal to number of unknowns in the mixed model equations) in random access memory and reading the data at each round of iteration. The preconditioner comprised diagonal blocks of the coefficient matrix. Comparison of algorithms was based on solutions of mixed model equations obtained by a single-trait animal model and a single-trait, random regression test-day model. Data sets for both models used milk yield records of primiparous Finnish dairy cows. Animal model data comprised 665,629 lactation milk yields and random regression test-day model data of 6,732,765 test-day milk yields. Both models included pedigree information of 1,099,622 animals. The animal model ¿random regression test-day model¿ required 122 ¿305¿ rounds of iteration to converge with the reference algorithm, but only 88 ¿149¿ were required with the preconditioned conjugate gradient. To solve the random regression test-day model with the preconditioned conjugate gradient required 237 megabytes of random access memory and took 14% of the computation time needed by the reference algorithm.

Evaluation and improvements of a mayfly, Neocloeon (Centroptilum) triangulifer (Ephemeroptera: Baetidae) toxicity test method - SETAC Europe 2016

EPA Science Inventory

A recently published test method for Neocloeon triangulifer assessed the survival and growth of larval mayflies exposed to several reference toxicants (NaCl, KCl, and CuSO4). Results were not able to be replicated in subsequent experiments. To identify potential sources of variab...

Evaluation of constant-Weber-number scaling for icing tests

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, David N.

1996-01-01

Previous studies showed that for conditions simulating an aircraft encountering super-cooled water droplets the droplets may splash before freezing. Other surface effects dependent on the water surface tension may also influence the ice accretion process. Consequently, the Weber number appears to be important in accurately scaling ice accretion. A scaling method which uses a constant-Weber-number approach has been described previously; this study provides an evaluation of this scaling method. Tests are reported on cylinders of 2.5 to 15-cm diameter and NACA 0012 airfoils with chords of 18 to 53 cm in the NASA Lewis Icing Research Tunnel (IRT). The larger models were used to establish reference ice shapes, the scaling method was applied to determine appropriate scaled test conditions using the smaller models, and the ice shapes were compared. Icing conditions included warm glaze, horn glaze and mixed. The smallest size scaling attempted was 1/3, and scale and reference ice shapes for both cylinders and airfoils indicated that the constant-Weber-number scaling method was effective for the conditions tested.

REGULATORY METHODS PROGRAM SUPPORT FOR NAAQSS

EPA Science Inventory

This task supports attainment determinations of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for particulate matter (PM) in the areas of development, testing, and improvement of new and current PM Federal Reference Methods (FRMs) and Federal Equivalent Methods (FEMs). The ...

Validation of powder X-ray diffraction following EN ISO/IEC 17025.

PubMed

Eckardt, Regina; Krupicka, Erik; Hofmeister, Wolfgang

2012-05-01

Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) is used widely in forensic science laboratories with the main focus of qualitative phase identification. Little is found in literature referring to the topic of validation of PXRD in the field of forensic sciences. According to EN ISO/IEC 17025, the method has to be tested for several parameters. Trueness, specificity, and selectivity of PXRD were tested using certified reference materials or a combination thereof. All three tested parameters showed the secure performance of the method. Sample preparation errors were simulated to evaluate the robustness of the method. These errors were either easily detected by the operator or nonsignificant for phase identification. In case of the detection limit, a statistical evaluation of the signal-to-noise ratio showed that a peak criterion of three sigma is inadequate and recommendations for a more realistic peak criterion are given. Finally, the results of an international proficiency test showed the secure performance of PXRD. © 2012 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Evaluation of the reliability of maize reference assays for GMO quantification.

PubMed

Papazova, Nina; Zhang, David; Gruden, Kristina; Vojvoda, Jana; Yang, Litao; Buh Gasparic, Meti; Blejec, Andrej; Fouilloux, Stephane; De Loose, Marc; Taverniers, Isabel

2010-03-01

A reliable PCR reference assay for relative genetically modified organism (GMO) quantification must be specific for the target taxon and amplify uniformly along the commercialised varieties within the considered taxon. Different reference assays for maize (Zea mays L.) are used in official methods for GMO quantification. In this study, we evaluated the reliability of eight existing maize reference assays, four of which are used in combination with an event-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay validated and published by the Community Reference Laboratory (CRL). We analysed the nucleotide sequence variation in the target genomic regions in a broad range of transgenic and conventional varieties and lines: MON 810 varieties cultivated in Spain and conventional varieties from various geographical origins and breeding history. In addition, the reliability of the assays was evaluated based on their PCR amplification performance. A single base pair substitution, corresponding to a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) reported in an earlier study, was observed in the forward primer of one of the studied alcohol dehydrogenase 1 (Adh1) (70) assays in a large number of varieties. The SNP presence is consistent with a poor PCR performance observed for this assay along the tested varieties. The obtained data show that the Adh1 (70) assay used in the official CRL NK603 assay is unreliable. Based on our results from both the nucleotide stability study and the PCR performance test, we can conclude that the Adh1 (136) reference assay (T25 and Bt11 assays) as well as the tested high mobility group protein gene assay, which also form parts of CRL methods for quantification, are highly reliable. Despite the observed uniformity in the nucleotide sequence of the invertase gene assay, the PCR performance test reveals that this target sequence might occur in more than one copy. Finally, although currently not forming a part of official quantification methods, zein and SSIIb assays are found to be highly reliable in terms of nucleotide stability and PCR performance and are proposed as good alternative targets for a reference assay for maize.

Determination of mercury in ambient water samples by anodic stripping voltammetry on screen-printed gold electrodes.

PubMed

Bernalte, E; Marín Sánchez, C; Pinilla Gil, E

2011-03-09

The applicability of commercial screen-printed gold electrodes (SPGEs) for the determination of Hg(II) in ambient water samples by square wave anodic stripping voltammetry has been demonstrated. Electrode conditioning procedures, chemical and instrumental variables have been optimized to develop a reliable method capable of measuring dissolved mercury in the low ng mL(-1) range (detection limit 1.1 ng mL(-1)), useful for pollution monitoring or screening purposes. The proposed method was tested with the NIST 1641d Mercury in Water Standard Reference Material (recoveries 90.0-110%) and the NCS ZC 76303 Mercury in Water Certified Reference Material (recoveries 82.5-90.6%). Waste water samples from industrial origin and fortified rain water samples were assayed for mercury by the proposed method and by a reference ICP-MS method, with good agreement. Screen printing technology thus opens a useful way for the construction of reliable electrochemical sensors for decentralized or even field Hg(II) testing. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Indirect methods for reference interval determination - review and recommendations.

PubMed

Jones, Graham R D; Haeckel, Rainer; Loh, Tze Ping; Sikaris, Ken; Streichert, Thomas; Katayev, Alex; Barth, Julian H; Ozarda, Yesim

2018-04-19

Reference intervals are a vital part of the information supplied by clinical laboratories to support interpretation of numerical pathology results such as are produced in clinical chemistry and hematology laboratories. The traditional method for establishing reference intervals, known as the direct approach, is based on collecting samples from members of a preselected reference population, making the measurements and then determining the intervals. An alternative approach is to perform analysis of results generated as part of routine pathology testing and using appropriate statistical techniques to determine reference intervals. This is known as the indirect approach. This paper from a working group of the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry (IFCC) Committee on Reference Intervals and Decision Limits (C-RIDL) aims to summarize current thinking on indirect approaches to reference intervals. The indirect approach has some major potential advantages compared with direct methods. The processes are faster, cheaper and do not involve patient inconvenience, discomfort or the risks associated with generating new patient health information. Indirect methods also use the same preanalytical and analytical techniques used for patient management and can provide very large numbers for assessment. Limitations to the indirect methods include possible effects of diseased subpopulations on the derived interval. The IFCC C-RIDL aims to encourage the use of indirect methods to establish and verify reference intervals, to promote publication of such intervals with clear explanation of the process used and also to support the development of improved statistical techniques for these studies.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Holmes, J.P.; Maxwell, R.L.; Wright, L.J.

A biometric identification device is an automatic device that can verify a person's identity from a measurement of a physical feature or repeatable action of the individual. A reference measurement of the biometric is obtained when the individual is enrolled on the device. Subsequent verifications are made by comparing the submitted biometric feature against the reference sample. Sandia Laboratories has been evaluating the relative performance of several identity verifiers, using volunteer test subjects. Sandia testing methods and results are discussed.

Necklace: combining reference and assembled transcriptomes for more comprehensive RNA-Seq analysis.

PubMed

Davidson, Nadia M; Oshlack, Alicia

2018-05-01

RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analyses can benefit from performing a genome-guided and de novo assembly, in particular for species where the reference genome or the annotation is incomplete. However, tools for integrating an assembled transcriptome with reference annotation are lacking. Necklace is a software pipeline that runs genome-guided and de novo assembly and combines the resulting transcriptomes with reference genome annotations. Necklace constructs a compact but comprehensive superTranscriptome out of the assembled and reference data. Reads are subsequently aligned and counted in preparation for differential expression testing. Necklace allows a comprehensive transcriptome to be built from a combination of assembled and annotated transcripts, which results in a more comprehensive transcriptome for the majority of organisms. In addition RNA-seq data are mapped back to this newly created superTranscript reference to enable differential expression testing with standard methods.

Application of solid/liquid extraction for the gravimetric determination of lipids in royal jelly.

PubMed

Antinelli, Jean-François; Davico, Renée; Rognone, Catherine; Faucon, Jean-Paul; Lizzani-Cuvelier, Louisette

2002-04-10

Gravimetric lipid determination is a major parameter for the characterization and the authentication of royal jelly quality. A solid/liquid extraction was compared to the reference method, which is based on liquid/liquid extraction. The amount of royal jelly and the time of the extraction were optimized in comparison to the reference method. Boiling/rinsing ratio and spread of royal jelly onto the extraction thimble were identified as critical parameters, resulting in good accuracy and precision for the alternative method. Comparison of reproducibility and repeatability of both methods associated with gas chromatographic analysis of the composition of the extracted lipids showed no differences between the two methods. As the intra-laboratory validation tests were comparable to the reference method, while offering rapidity and a decrease in amount of solvent used, it was concluded that the proposed method should be used with no modification of quality criteria and norms established for royal jelly characterization.

Determination of Age-Dependent Reference Ranges for Coagulation Tests Performed Using Destiny Plus

PubMed Central

Arslan, Fatma Demet; Serdar, Muhittin; Merve Ari, Elif; Onur Oztan, Mustafa; Hikmet Kozcu, Sureyya; Tarhan, Huseyin; Cakmak, Ozgur; Zeytinli, Merve; Yasar Ellidag, Hamit

2016-01-01

Background In order to apply the right treatment for hemostatic disorders in pediatric patients, laboratory data should be interpreted with age-appropriate reference ranges. Objectives The purpose of this study was to determining age-dependent reference range values for prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), fibrinogen tests, and D-dimer tests. Materials and Methods A total of 320 volunteers were included in the study with the following ages: 1 month - 1 year (n = 52), 2 - 5 years (n = 50), 6 - 10 years (n = 48), 11 - 17 years (n = 38), and 18 - 65 years (n = 132). Each volunteer completed a survey to exclude hemostatic system disorder. Using a nonparametric method, the lower and upper limits, including 95% distribution and 90% confidence intervals, were calculated. Results No statistically significant differences were found between PT and aPTT values in the groups consisting of children. Thus, the reference ranges were separated into child and adult age groups. PT and aPTT values were significantly higher in the children than in the adults. Fibrinogen values in the 6 - 10 age group and the adult age group were significantly higher than in the other groups. D-dimer levels were significantly lower in those aged 2 - 17; thus, a separate reference range was established. Conclusions These results support other findings related to developmental hemostasis, confirming that adult and pediatric age groups should be evaluated using different reference ranges. PMID:27617078

Standard wool fabric as a reference material. [for fire toxicity tests

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hilado, C. J.; Cumming, H. J.

1977-01-01

Standard wool fabric is investigated as a potential reference material. A screening test method for relative toxicity exposes four albino male rats enclosed in a 4.2 liter hemispherical chamber to pyrolysis effluents produced by pyrolyzing a 1.00 g sample under a variety of test conditions (200-800 C with a 40 C/min heating rate). It is found that for fabrics containing 86-100% wool, animal response remains virtually unchanged, although a 100% wool fabric is preferred as it eliminates local composition differences as a source of variation.

Fast lossless compression via cascading Bloom filters

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Data from large Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) experiments present challenges both in terms of costs associated with storage and in time required for file transfer. It is sometimes possible to store only a summary relevant to particular applications, but generally it is desirable to keep all information needed to revisit experimental results in the future. Thus, the need for efficient lossless compression methods for NGS reads arises. It has been shown that NGS-specific compression schemes can improve results over generic compression methods, such as the Lempel-Ziv algorithm, Burrows-Wheeler transform, or Arithmetic Coding. When a reference genome is available, effective compression can be achieved by first aligning the reads to the reference genome, and then encoding each read using the alignment position combined with the differences in the read relative to the reference. These reference-based methods have been shown to compress better than reference-free schemes, but the alignment step they require demands several hours of CPU time on a typical dataset, whereas reference-free methods can usually compress in minutes. Results We present a new approach that achieves highly efficient compression by using a reference genome, but completely circumvents the need for alignment, affording a great reduction in the time needed to compress. In contrast to reference-based methods that first align reads to the genome, we hash all reads into Bloom filters to encode, and decode by querying the same Bloom filters using read-length subsequences of the reference genome. Further compression is achieved by using a cascade of such filters. Conclusions Our method, called BARCODE, runs an order of magnitude faster than reference-based methods, while compressing an order of magnitude better than reference-free methods, over a broad range of sequencing coverage. In high coverage (50-100 fold), compared to the best tested compressors, BARCODE saves 80-90% of the running time while only increasing space slightly. PMID:25252952

Fast lossless compression via cascading Bloom filters.

PubMed

Rozov, Roye; Shamir, Ron; Halperin, Eran

2014-01-01

Data from large Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) experiments present challenges both in terms of costs associated with storage and in time required for file transfer. It is sometimes possible to store only a summary relevant to particular applications, but generally it is desirable to keep all information needed to revisit experimental results in the future. Thus, the need for efficient lossless compression methods for NGS reads arises. It has been shown that NGS-specific compression schemes can improve results over generic compression methods, such as the Lempel-Ziv algorithm, Burrows-Wheeler transform, or Arithmetic Coding. When a reference genome is available, effective compression can be achieved by first aligning the reads to the reference genome, and then encoding each read using the alignment position combined with the differences in the read relative to the reference. These reference-based methods have been shown to compress better than reference-free schemes, but the alignment step they require demands several hours of CPU time on a typical dataset, whereas reference-free methods can usually compress in minutes. We present a new approach that achieves highly efficient compression by using a reference genome, but completely circumvents the need for alignment, affording a great reduction in the time needed to compress. In contrast to reference-based methods that first align reads to the genome, we hash all reads into Bloom filters to encode, and decode by querying the same Bloom filters using read-length subsequences of the reference genome. Further compression is achieved by using a cascade of such filters. Our method, called BARCODE, runs an order of magnitude faster than reference-based methods, while compressing an order of magnitude better than reference-free methods, over a broad range of sequencing coverage. In high coverage (50-100 fold), compared to the best tested compressors, BARCODE saves 80-90% of the running time while only increasing space slightly.

21 CFR 660.43 - Potency test.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 7 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Potency test. 660.43 Section 660.43 Food and Drugs... STANDARDS FOR DIAGNOSTIC SUBSTANCES FOR LABORATORY TESTS Hepatitis B Surface Antigen § 660.43 Potency test... antibody in the appropriate sera of the reference panel by all test methods recommended by the manufacturer...

National and international veterinary reference laboratories for infectious diseases.

PubMed

Edwards, S; Alexander, D

1998-08-01

Reference laboratories play an increasingly important role in the harmonisation of laboratory diagnostic tests and the standardisation of veterinary vaccines. This is particularly important in building confidence between international trading partners. The authors review aspects of the organisation, designation and support of reference laboratories for infectious diseases of animals and discuss the principal activities which such laboratories would normally perform. These activities include advice and consultancy, publications and communication, training, research, disease surveillance, maintenance of culture collections, evaluation of reference methods, preparation of reference materials and organisation of inter-laboratory comparisons.

40 CFR 60.547 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...) Method 24 or formulation data for the determination of the VOC content of cements or green tire spray materials. In the event of dispute, Method 24 shall be the reference method. For Method 24, the cement or... corrected using an experimentally determined response factor comparing the alternative calibration gas to...

40 CFR 60.547 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...) Method 24 or formulation data for the determination of the VOC content of cements or green tire spray materials. In the event of dispute, Method 24 shall be the reference method. For Method 24, the cement or... corrected using an experimentally determined response factor comparing the alternative calibration gas to...

Effectiveness of Cool Roof Coatings with Ceramic Particles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brehob, Ellen G; Desjarlais, Andre Omer; Atchley, Jerald Allen

2011-01-01

Liquid applied coatings promoted as cool roof coatings, including several with ceramic particles, were tested at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, Tenn., for the purpose of quantifying their thermal performances. Solar reflectance measurements were made for new samples and aged samples using a portable reflectometer (ASTM C1549, Standard Test Method for Determination of Solar Reflectance Near Ambient Temperature Using a Portable Solar Reflectometer) and for new samples using the integrating spheres method (ASTM E903, Standard Test Method for Solar Absorptance, Reflectance, and Transmittance of Materials Using Integrating Spheres). Thermal emittance was measured for the new samples using amore » portable emissometer (ASTM C1371, Standard Test Method for Determination of Emittance of Materials Near Room 1 Proceedings of the 2011 International Roofing Symposium Temperature Using Portable Emissometers). Thermal conductivity of the coatings was measured using a FOX 304 heat flow meter (ASTM C518, Standard Test Method for Steady-State Thermal Transmission Properties by Means of the Heat Flow Meter Apparatus). The surface properties of the cool roof coatings had higher solar reflectance than the reference black and white material, but there were no significant differences among coatings with and without ceramics. The coatings were applied to EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer) membranes and installed on the Roof Thermal Research Apparatus (RTRA), an instrumented facility at ORNL for testing roofs. Roof temperatures and heat flux through the roof were obtained for a year of exposure in east Tennessee. The field tests showed significant reduction in cooling required compared with the black reference roof (~80 percent) and a modest reduction in cooling compared with the white reference roof (~33 percent). The coating material with the highest solar reflectivity (no ceramic particles) demonstrated the best overall thermal performance (combination of reducing the cooling load cost and not incurring a large heating penalty cost) and suggests solar reflectivity is the significant characteristic for selecting cool roof coatings.« less

75 FR 33391 - Amendments to the Protocol Gas Verification Program and Minimum Competency Requirements for Air...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-11

...Recent EPA gas audit results indicate that some gas cylinders used to calibrate continuous emission monitoring systems on stationary sources do not meet EPA's performance specification. Reviews of stack test reports in recent years indicate that some stack testers do not properly follow EPA test methods or do not correctly calculate test method results. Therefore, EPA is proposing to amend its Protocol Gas Verification Program (PGVP) and the minimum competency requirements for air emission testing (formerly air emission testing body requirements) to improve the accuracy of emissions data. EPA is also proposing to amend other sections of the Acid Rain Program continuous emission monitoring system regulations by adding and clarifying certain recordkeeping and reporting requirements, removing the provisions pertaining to mercury monitoring and reporting, removing certain requirements associated with a class-approved alternative monitoring system, disallowing the use of a particular quality assurance option in EPA Reference Method 7E, adding an incorporation by reference that was inadvertently left out of the January 24, 2008 final rule, and clarifying the language and applicability of certain provisions.

40 CFR 92.5 - Reference materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., or at http://www.ansi.org. (1) ANSI B109.1-1992, Diaphragm Type Gas Displacment Meters, IBR approved..., Standard Test Method for API Gravity of Crude Petroleum and Petroleum Products (Hydrometer Method), IBR...

40 CFR 92.5 - Reference materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., or at http://www.ansi.org. (1) ANSI B109.1-1992, Diaphragm Type Gas Displacment Meters, IBR approved..., Standard Test Method for API Gravity of Crude Petroleum and Petroleum Products (Hydrometer Method), IBR...

40 CFR 92.5 - Reference materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., or at http://www.ansi.org. (1) ANSI B109.1-1992, Diaphragm Type Gas Displacment Meters, IBR approved..., Standard Test Method for API Gravity of Crude Petroleum and Petroleum Products (Hydrometer Method), IBR...

40 CFR 98.34 - Monitoring and QA/QC requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... D4809-06 Standard Test Method for Heat of Combustion of Liquid Hydrocarbon Fuels by Bomb Calorimeter... Method for Heat of Combustion of Liquid Hydrocarbon Fuels by Bomb Calorimeter (incorporated by reference...

Comparison of a novel strategy for the detection and isolation of Salmonella in shell eggs with the Food and Drug Administration Bacteriological Analytical Manual method.

PubMed

Zhang, Guodong; Thau, Eve; Brown, Eric W; Hammack, Thomas S

2013-12-01

The current FDA Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM) method for the detection of Salmonella in eggs requires 2 wk to complete. The objective of this project was to improve the BAM method for the detection and isolation of Salmonella in whole shell eggs. A novel protocol, using 1,000 g of liquid eggs for direct preenrichment with 2 L of tryptic soy broth (TSB) followed by enrichment using Rappaport-Vassiliadis and Tetrathionate broths, was compared with the standard BAM method, which requires 96 h room temperature incubation of whole shell egg samples followed by preenrichment in TSB supplemented with FeSO4. Four Salmonella ser. Enteritidis (4 phage types) and one Salmonella ser. Heidelberg isolates were used in the study. Bulk inoculated pooled liquid eggs, weighing 52 or 56 kg (approximately 1,100 eggs) were used in each trial. Twenty 1,000-g test portions were withdrawn from the pooled eggs for both the alternative and the reference methods. Test portions were inoculated with Salmonella at 1 to 5 cfu/1,000 g eggs. Two replicates were performed for each isolate. In the 8 trials conducted with Salmonella ser. Enteritidis, the alternative method was significantly (P < 0.05) more productive than the reference method in 3 trials, and significantly (P < 0.05) less productive than the reference method in 1 trial. There were no significant (P < 0.05) differences between the 2 methods for the other 4 trials. For Salmonella ser. Heidelberg, combined data from 2 trials showed the alternative method was significantly (P < 0.05) more efficient than the BAM method. We have concluded that the alternative method, described herein, has the potential to replace the current BAM culture method for detection and isolation of Salmonella from shell eggs based on the following factors: 1) the alternative method is 4 d shorter than the reference method; 2) it uses regular TSB instead of the more complicated TSB supplemented with FeSO4; and 3) it was equivalent or superior to the reference method in 9 out of 10 trials for the detection of Salmonella in shell eggs.

Methodological evaluation and comparison of five urinary albumin measurements.

PubMed

Liu, Rui; Li, Gang; Cui, Xiao-Fan; Zhang, Dong-Ling; Yang, Qing-Hong; Mu, Xiao-Yan; Pan, Wen-Jie

2011-01-01

Microalbuminuria is an indicator of kidney damage and a risk factor for the progression kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, and so on. Therefore, accurate and precise measurement of urinary albumin is critical. However, there are no reference measurement procedures and reference materials for urinary albumin. Nephelometry, turbidimetry, colloidal gold method, radioimmunoassay, and chemiluminescence immunoassay were performed for methodological evaluation, based on imprecision test, recovery rate, linearity, haemoglobin interference rate, and verified reference interval. Then we tested 40 urine samples from diabetic patients by each method, and compared the result between assays. The results indicate that nephelometry is the method with best analytical performance among the five methods, with an average intraassay coefficient of variation (CV) of 2.6%, an average interassay CV of 1.7%, a mean recovery of 99.6%, a linearity of R=1.00 from 2 to 250 mg/l, and an interference rate of <10% at haemoglobin concentrations of <1.82 g/l. The correlation (r) between assays was from 0.701 to 0.982, and the Bland-Altman plots indicated each assay provided significantly different results from each other. Nephelometry is the clinical urinary albumin method with best analytical performance in our study. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Accuracy, Precision, Ease-Of-Use, and Cost of Methods to Test Ebola-Relevant Chlorine Solutions

PubMed Central

Wells, Emma; Wolfe, Marlene K.; Murray, Anna; Lantagne, Daniele

2016-01-01

To prevent transmission in Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreaks, it is recommended to disinfect living things (hands and people) with 0.05% chlorine solution and non-living things (surfaces, personal protective equipment, dead bodies) with 0.5% chlorine solution. In the current West African EVD outbreak, these solutions (manufactured from calcium hypochlorite (HTH), sodium dichloroisocyanurate (NaDCC), and sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl)) have been widely used in both Ebola Treatment Unit and community settings. To ensure solution quality, testing is necessary, however test method appropriateness for these Ebola-relevant concentrations has not previously been evaluated. We identified fourteen commercially-available methods to test Ebola-relevant chlorine solution concentrations, including two titration methods, four DPD dilution methods, and six test strips. We assessed these methods by: 1) determining accuracy and precision by measuring in quintuplicate five different 0.05% and 0.5% chlorine solutions manufactured from NaDCC, HTH, and NaOCl; 2) conducting volunteer testing to assess ease-of-use; and, 3) determining costs. Accuracy was greatest in titration methods (reference-12.4% error compared to reference method), then DPD dilution methods (2.4–19% error), then test strips (5.2–48% error); precision followed this same trend. Two methods had an accuracy of <10% error across all five chlorine solutions with good precision: Hach digital titration for 0.05% and 0.5% solutions (recommended for contexts with trained personnel and financial resources), and Serim test strips for 0.05% solutions (recommended for contexts where rapid, inexpensive, and low-training burden testing is needed). Measurement error from test methods not including pH adjustment varied significantly across the five chlorine solutions, which had pH values 5–11. Volunteers found test strip easiest and titration hardest; costs per 100 tests were $14–37 for test strips and $33–609 for titration. Given the ease-of-use and cost benefits of test strips, we recommend further development of test strips robust to pH variation and appropriate for Ebola-relevant chlorine solution concentrations. PMID:27243817

PARTICULATE EMISSION CONTROL

EPA Science Inventory

Particle or particulate matter is defined as any finely divided solid or liquid material, other than uncombined water, emitted to the ambient air as measured by applicable reference methods, or an equivalent or alternative method, or by a test method specified in 40CFR50.

40 CFR Table C-4 to Subpart C of... - Test Specifications for PM 10, PM 2.5 and PM 10-2.5 Candidate Equivalent Methods

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Test Specifications for PM 10, PM 2.5 and PM 10-2.5 Candidate Equivalent Methods C Table C-4 to Subpart C of Part 53 Protection of... Reference Methods Pt. 53, Subpt. C, Table C-4 Table C-4 to Subpart C of Part 53—Test Specifications for PM...

40 CFR Table C-4 to Subpart C of... - Test Specifications for PM 10, PM 2.5 and PM 10-2.5 Candidate Equivalent Methods

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Test Specifications for PM 10, PM 2.5 and PM 10-2.5 Candidate Equivalent Methods C Table C-4 to Subpart C of Part 53 Protection of... Reference Methods Pt. 53, Subpt. C, Table C-4 Table C-4 to Subpart C of Part 53—Test Specifications for PM...

First proficiency testing to evaluate the ability of European Union National Reference Laboratories to detect staphylococcal enterotoxins in milk products.

PubMed

Hennekinne, Jacques-Antoine; Gohier, Martine; Maire, Tiphaine; Lapeyre, Christiane; Lombard, Bertrand; Dragacci, Sylviane

2003-01-01

The European Commission has designed a network of European Union-National Reference Laboratories (EU-NRLs), coordinated by a Community Reference Laboratory (CRL), for control of hygiene of milk and milk products (Council Directive 92/46/ECC). As a common contaminant of milk and milk products such as cheese, staphylococcal enterotoxins are often involved in human outbreaks and should be monitored regularly. The main tasks of the EU-CRLs were to select and transfer to the EU-NRLs a reference method for detection of enterotoxins, and to set up proficiency testing to evaluate the competency of the European laboratory network. The first interlaboratory exercise was performed on samples of freeze-dried cheese inoculated with 2 levels of staphylococcal enterotoxins (0.1 and 0.25 ng/g) and on an uninoculated control. These levels were chosen considering the EU regulation for staphylococcal enterotoxins in milk and milk products and the limit of detection of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test recommended in the reference method. The trial was conducted according to the recommendations of ISO Guide 43. Results produced by laboratories were compiled and compared through statistical analysis. Except for data from 2 laboratories for the uninoculated control and cheese inoculated at 0.1 ng/g, all laboratories produced satisfactory results, showing the ability of the EU-NRL network to monitor the enterotoxin contaminant.

Some Tests of Randomness with Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-02-01

freedom. For further details, the reader is referred to Gnanadesikan (1977, p. 169) wherein other relevant tests are also given, Graphical tests, as...sample from a gamma distri- bution. J. Am. Statist. Assoc. 71, 480-7. Gnanadesikan , R. (1977). Methods for Statistical Data Analysis of Multivariate

40 CFR 98.254 - Monitoring and QA/QC requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...) ASTM D1945-03 Standard Test Method for Analysis of Natural Gas by Gas Chromatography (incorporated by... by Gas Chromatography (incorporated by reference, see § 98.7). (4) GPA 2261-00 Analysis for Natural Gas and Similar Gaseous Mixtures by Gas Chromatography (incorporated by reference, see § 98.7). (5...

10 CFR 431.15 - Materials incorporated by reference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... approval, and a notice of any change in the material will be published in the Federal Register. All... 10 Energy 3 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Materials incorporated by reference. 431.15 Section 431.15... INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT Electric Motors Test Procedures, Materials Incorporated and Methods of Determining...

Simple, Low-Cost Data Collection Methods for Agricultural Field Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koenig, Richard T.; Winger, Marlon; Kitchen, Boyd

2000-01-01

Summarizes relatively simple and inexpensive methods for collecting data from agricultural field studies. Describes methods involving on-farm testing, crop yield measurement, quality evaluations, weed control effectiveness, plant nutrient status, and other measures. Contains 29 references illustrating how these methods were used to conduct…

Bias in Testing: A Presentation of Selected Methods.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merz, William R.; Rudner, Lawrence M.

A variety of terms related to test bias or test fairness have been used in a variety of ways, but in this document the "fair use of tests" is defined as equitable selection procedures by means of intact tests, and "test item bias" refers to the study of separate items with respect to the tests of which they are a part. Seven…

Efficient Testing Combining Design of Experiment and Learn-to-Fly Strategies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murphy, Patrick C.; Brandon, Jay M.

2017-01-01

Rapid modeling and efficient testing methods are important in a number of aerospace applications. In this study efficient testing strategies were evaluated in a wind tunnel test environment and combined to suggest a promising approach for both ground-based and flight-based experiments. Benefits of using Design of Experiment techniques, well established in scientific, military, and manufacturing applications are evaluated in combination with newly developing methods for global nonlinear modeling. The nonlinear modeling methods, referred to as Learn-to-Fly methods, utilize fuzzy logic and multivariate orthogonal function techniques that have been successfully demonstrated in flight test. The blended approach presented has a focus on experiment design and identifies a sequential testing process with clearly defined completion metrics that produce increased testing efficiency.

[Standard sample preparation method for quick determination of trace elements in plastic].

PubMed

Yao, Wen-Qing; Zong, Rui-Long; Zhu, Yong-Fa

2011-08-01

Reference sample was prepared by masterbatch method, containing heavy metals with known concentration of electronic information products (plastic), the repeatability and precision were determined, and reference sample preparation procedures were established. X-Ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) analysis method was used to determine the repeatability and uncertainty in the analysis of the sample of heavy metals and bromine element. The working curve and the metrical methods for the reference sample were carried out. The results showed that the use of the method in the 200-2000 mg x kg(-1) concentration range for Hg, Pb, Cr and Br elements, and in the 20-200 mg x kg(-1) range for Cd elements, exhibited a very good linear relationship, and the repeatability of analysis methods for six times is good. In testing the circuit board ICB288G and ICB288 from the Mitsubishi Heavy Industry Company, results agreed with the recommended values.

Adjusting for partial verification or workup bias in meta-analyses of diagnostic accuracy studies.

PubMed

de Groot, Joris A H; Dendukuri, Nandini; Janssen, Kristel J M; Reitsma, Johannes B; Brophy, James; Joseph, Lawrence; Bossuyt, Patrick M M; Moons, Karel G M

2012-04-15

A key requirement in the design of diagnostic accuracy studies is that all study participants receive both the test under evaluation and the reference standard test. For a variety of practical and ethical reasons, sometimes only a proportion of patients receive the reference standard, which can bias the accuracy estimates. Numerous methods have been described for correcting this partial verification bias or workup bias in individual studies. In this article, the authors describe a Bayesian method for obtaining adjusted results from a diagnostic meta-analysis when partial verification or workup bias is present in a subset of the primary studies. The method corrects for verification bias without having to exclude primary studies with verification bias, thus preserving the main advantages of a meta-analysis: increased precision and better generalizability. The results of this method are compared with the existing methods for dealing with verification bias in diagnostic meta-analyses. For illustration, the authors use empirical data from a systematic review of studies of the accuracy of the immunohistochemistry test for diagnosis of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 status in breast cancer patients.

40 CFR 98.324 - Monitoring and QA/QC requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Tracking System Handbook Number: PH-08-V-1, January 1, 2008 (incorporated by reference, see § 98.7). You... paragraphs (d)(1) through (d)(2) of this section. (1) ASTM D1945-03, Standard Test Method for Analysis of... Reformed Gas by Gas Chromatography; ASTM D4891-89 (Reapproved 2006), Standard Test Method for Heating Value...

46 CFR 164.120-5 - Incorporation by reference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

...), IBR approved for § 164.120-7 (“ASTM D 543”). (2) ASTM D 570-98 (Reapproved 2005), Standard Test Method for Water Absorption of Plastics, (approved November 1, 2005), IBR approved for § 164.120-7 (“ASTM D 570”). (3) ASTM D 638-08, Standard Test Method for Tensile Properties of Plastics, (approved April 1...

40 CFR 63.1349 - Performance testing requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...) THC emissions test. (i) If you are subject to limitations on THC emissions, you must operate a CEMS in... assurance evaluations for CEMS, the THC span value (as propane) is 50 ppmvd and the reference method (RM) is Method 25A of appendix A to part 60 of this chapter. (ii) Use the THC CEMS to conduct the initial...

40 CFR Table C-2 to Subpart C of... - Sequence of Test Measurements

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Sequence of Test Measurements C Table C-2 to Subpart C of Part 53 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR... Comparability Between Candidate Methods and Reference Methods Pt. 53, Subpt. C, Table C-2 Table C-2 to Subpart C...

40 CFR Table C-2 to Subpart C of... - Sequence of Test Measurements

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Sequence of Test Measurements C Table C-2 to Subpart C of Part 53 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR... Comparability Between Candidate Methods and Reference Methods Pt. 53, Subpt. C, Table C-2 Table C-2 to Subpart C...

40 CFR Table C-2 to Subpart C of... - Sequence of Test Measurements

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Sequence of Test Measurements C Table C-2 to Subpart C of Part 53 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR... Comparability Between Candidate Methods and Reference Methods Pt. 53, Subpt. C, Table C-2 Table C-2 to Subpart C...

40 CFR Table C-2 to Subpart C of... - Sequence of Test Measurements

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 5 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Sequence of Test Measurements C Table C-2 to Subpart C of Part 53 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR... Comparability Between Candidate Methods and Reference Methods Pt. 53, Subpt. C, Table C-2 Table C-2 to Subpart C...

40 CFR Table C-2 to Subpart C of... - Sequence of Test Measurements

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 5 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Sequence of Test Measurements C Table C-2 to Subpart C of Part 53 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR... Comparability Between Candidate Methods and Reference Methods Pt. 53, Subpt. C, Table C-2 Table C-2 to Subpart C...

Field assessment of dried Plasmodium falciparum samples for malaria rapid diagnostic test quality control and proficiency testing in Ethiopia.

PubMed

Tamiru, Afework; Boulanger, Lucy; Chang, Michelle A; Malone, Joseph L; Aidoo, Michael

2015-01-21

Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are now widely used for laboratory confirmation of suspected malaria cases to comply with the World Health Organization recommendation for universal testing before treatment. However, many malaria programmes lack quality control (QC) processes to assess RDT use under field conditions. Prior research showed the feasibility of using the dried tube specimen (DTS) method for preserving Plasmodium falciparum parasites for use as QC samples for RDTs. This study focused on the use of DTS for RDT QC and proficiency testing under field conditions. DTS were prepared using cultured P. falciparum at densities of 500 and 1,000 parasites/μL; 50 μL aliquots of these along with parasite negative human blood controls (0 parasites/μL) were air-dried in specimen tubes and reactivity verified after rehydration. The DTS were used in a field study in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Replicate DTS samples containing 0, 500 and 1,000 parasites/μL were stored at 4°C at a reference laboratory and at ambient temperatures at two nearby health facilities. At weeks 0, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, and 24, the DTS were rehydrated and tested on RDTs stored under manufacturer-recommended temperatures at the RL and on RDTs stored under site-specific conditions at the two health facilities. Reactivity of DTS stored at 4°C at the reference laboratory on RDTs stored at the reference laboratory was considered the gold standard for assessing DTS stability. A proficiency-testing panel consisting of one negative and three positive samples, monitored with a checklist was administered at weeks 12 and 24. At all the seven time points, DTS stored at both the reference laboratory and health facility were reactive on RDTs stored under the recommended temperature and under field conditions, and the DTS without malaria parasites were negative. At the reference laboratory and one health facility, a 500 parasites/μL DTS from the proficiency panel was falsely reported as negative at week 24 due to errors in interpreting faint test lines. The DTS method can be used under field conditions to supplement other RDT QC methods and health worker proficiency in Ethiopia and possibly other malaria-endemic countries.

The projection of a test genome onto a reference population and applications to humans and archaic hominins.

PubMed

Yang, Melinda A; Harris, Kelley; Slatkin, Montgomery

2014-12-01

We introduce a method for comparing a test genome with numerous genomes from a reference population. Sites in the test genome are given a weight, w, that depends on the allele frequency, x, in the reference population. The projection of the test genome onto the reference population is the average weight for each x, [Formula: see text]. The weight is assigned in such a way that, if the test genome is a random sample from the reference population, then [Formula: see text]. Using analytic theory, numerical analysis, and simulations, we show how the projection depends on the time of population splitting, the history of admixture, and changes in past population size. The projection is sensitive to small amounts of past admixture, the direction of admixture, and admixture from a population not sampled (a ghost population). We compute the projections of several human and two archaic genomes onto three reference populations from the 1000 Genomes project-Europeans, Han Chinese, and Yoruba-and discuss the consistency of our analysis with previously published results for European and Yoruba demographic history. Including higher amounts of admixture between Europeans and Yoruba soon after their separation and low amounts of admixture more recently can resolve discrepancies between the projections and demographic inferences from some previous studies. Copyright © 2014 by the Genetics Society of America.

Diagnostic Accuracy Assessment of Sensititre and Agar Disk Diffusion for Determining Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles of Bovine Clinical Mastitis Pathogens▿

PubMed Central

Saini, V.; Riekerink, R. G. M. Olde; McClure, J. T.; Barkema, H. W.

2011-01-01

Determining the accuracy and precision of a measuring instrument is pertinent in antimicrobial susceptibility testing. This study was conducted to predict the diagnostic accuracy of the Sensititre MIC mastitis panel (Sensititre) and agar disk diffusion (ADD) method with reference to the manual broth microdilution test method for antimicrobial resistance profiling of Escherichia coli (n = 156), Staphylococcus aureus (n = 154), streptococcal (n = 116), and enterococcal (n = 31) bovine clinical mastitis isolates. The activities of ampicillin, ceftiofur, cephalothin, erythromycin, oxacillin, penicillin, the penicillin-novobiocin combination, pirlimycin, and tetracycline were tested against the isolates. Diagnostic accuracy was determined by estimating the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve; intertest essential and categorical agreements were determined as well. Sensititre and the ADD method demonstrated moderate to highly accurate (71 to 99%) and moderate to perfect (71 to 100%) predictive accuracies for 74 and 76% of the isolate-antimicrobial MIC combinations, respectively. However, the diagnostic accuracy was low for S. aureus-ceftiofur/oxacillin combinations and other streptococcus-ampicillin combinations by either testing method. Essential agreement between Sensititre automatic MIC readings and MIC readings obtained by the broth microdilution test method was 87%. Essential agreement between Sensititre automatic and manual MIC reading methods was 97%. Furthermore, the ADD test method and Sensititre MIC method exhibited 92 and 91% categorical agreement (sensitive, intermediate, resistant) of results, respectively, compared with the reference method. However, both methods demonstrated lower agreement for E. coli-ampicillin/cephalothin combinations than for Gram-positive isolates. In conclusion, the Sensititre and ADD methods had moderate to high diagnostic accuracy and very good essential and categorical agreement for most udder pathogen-antimicrobial combinations and can be readily employed in veterinary diagnostic laboratories. PMID:21270215

27 CFR 21.127 - Shellac (refined).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... Gutzeit Method (AOAC method 25.020; for incorporation by reference, see § 21.6(c)). (b) Color. White or... layer (at least 50 ml) and filter if cloudy. Evaporate the petroleum ether and test as follows: Solution...

27 CFR 21.127 - Shellac (refined).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... Gutzeit Method (AOAC method 25.020; for incorporation by reference, see § 21.6(c)). (b) Color. White or... layer (at least 50 ml) and filter if cloudy. Evaporate the petroleum ether and test as follows: Solution...

27 CFR 21.127 - Shellac (refined).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... Gutzeit Method (AOAC method 25.020; for incorporation by reference, see § 21.6(c)). (b) Color. White or... layer (at least 50 ml) and filter if cloudy. Evaporate the petroleum ether and test as follows: Solution...

27 CFR 21.127 - Shellac (refined).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... Gutzeit Method (AOAC method 25.020; for incorporation by reference, see § 21.6(c)). (b) Color. White or... layer (at least 50 ml) and filter if cloudy. Evaporate the petroleum ether and test as follows: Solution...

40 CFR 90.7 - Reference materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Appendix A to subpart D, Table 3. ASTM D2699-92: Standard Test Method for Knock Characteristics of Motor... Knock Characteristics of Motor and Aviation Fuels by the Motor Method Appendix A to subpart D, Table 3...

40 CFR 90.7 - Reference materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Appendix A to subpart D, Table 3. ASTM D2699-92: Standard Test Method for Knock Characteristics of Motor... Knock Characteristics of Motor and Aviation Fuels by the Motor Method Appendix A to subpart D, Table 3...

Rapid Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Using Forward Laser Light Scatter Technology

PubMed Central

Clinton, Lani K.; Hewitt, Carolyn; Koyamatsu, Terri; Sun, Yilun; Jamison, Ginger; Perkins, Rosalie; Tang, Li; Pounds, Stanley; Bankowski, Matthew J.

2016-01-01

The delayed reporting of antimicrobial susceptibility testing remains a limiting factor in clinical decision-making in the treatment of bacterial infection. This study evaluates the use of forward laser light scatter (FLLS) to measure bacterial growth for the early determination of antimicrobial susceptibility. Three isolates each (two clinical isolates and one reference strain) of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were tested in triplicate using two commercial antimicrobial testing systems, the Vitek2 and the MicroScan MIC panel, to challenge the BacterioScan FLLS. The BacterioScan FLLS showed a high degree of categorical concordance with the commercial methods. Pairwise comparison with each commercial system serving as a reference standard showed 88.9% agreement with MicroScan (two minor errors) and 72.2% agreement with Vitek (five minor errors). FLLS using the BacterioScan system shows promise as a novel method for the rapid and accurate determination of antimicrobial susceptibility. PMID:27558176

U.S. residential consumer product information: Validation of methods for post-stratification weighting of Amazon Mechanical Turk surveys

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Greenblatt, Jeffery B.; Yang, Hung-Chia; Desroches, Louis-Benoit

2013-04-01

We present two post-stratification weighting methods to validate survey data collected using Amazon Mechanical Turk (AMT). Two surveys focused on appliance and consumer electronics devices were administered in the spring and summer of 2012 to each of approximately 3,000 U.S. households. Specifically, the surveys asked questions about residential refrigeration products, televisions (TVs) and set-top boxes (STBs). Filtered data were assigned weights using each of two weighting methods, termed “sequential” and “simultaneous,” by examining up to eight demographic variables (income, education, gender, race, Hispanic origin, number of occupants, ages of occupants, and geographic region) in comparison to reference U.S. demographic datamore » from the 2009 Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS). Five key questions from the surveys (number of refrigerators, number of freezers, number of TVs, number of STBs and primary service provider) were evaluated with a set of statistical tests to determine whether either method improved the agreement of AMT with reference data, and if so, which method was better. The statistical tests used were: differences in proportions, distributions of proportions (using Pearson’s chi-squared test), and differences in average numbers of devices as functions of all demographic variables. The results indicated that both methods generally improved the agreement between AMT and reference data, sometimes greatly, but that the simultaneous method was usually superior to the sequential method. Some differences in sample populations were found between the AMT and reference data. Differences in the proportion of STBs reflected large changes in the STB market since the time our reference data was acquired in 2009. Differences in the proportions of some primary service providers suggested real sample bias, with the possible explanation that AMT user are more likely to subscribe to providers who also provide home internet service. Differences in other variables, while statistically significant in some cases, were nonetheless considered to be minor. Depending on the intended purpose of the data collected using AMT, these biases may or may not be important; to correct them, additional questions and/or further post-survey adjustments could be employed. In general, based on the analysis methods and the sample datasets used in this study, AMT surveys appeared to provide useful data on appliance and consumer electronics devices.« less

Redundancy management of electrohydraulic servoactuators by mathematical model referencing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Campbell, R. A.

1971-01-01

A description of a mathematical model reference system is presented which provides redundancy management for an electrohydraulic servoactuator. The mathematical model includes a compensation network that calculates reference parameter perturbations induced by external disturbance forces. This is accomplished by using the measured pressure differential data taken from the physical system. This technique was experimentally verified by tests performed using the H-1 engine thrust vector control system for Saturn IB. The results of these tests are included in this report. It was concluded that this technique improves the tracking accuracy of the model reference system to the extent that redundancy management of electrohydraulic servosystems may be performed using this method.

Sensitivity and specificity of normality tests and consequences on reference interval accuracy at small sample size: a computer-simulation study.

PubMed

Le Boedec, Kevin

2016-12-01

According to international guidelines, parametric methods must be chosen for RI construction when the sample size is small and the distribution is Gaussian. However, normality tests may not be accurate at small sample size. The purpose of the study was to evaluate normality test performance to properly identify samples extracted from a Gaussian population at small sample sizes, and assess the consequences on RI accuracy of applying parametric methods to samples that falsely identified the parent population as Gaussian. Samples of n = 60 and n = 30 values were randomly selected 100 times from simulated Gaussian, lognormal, and asymmetric populations of 10,000 values. The sensitivity and specificity of 4 normality tests were compared. Reference intervals were calculated using 6 different statistical methods from samples that falsely identified the parent population as Gaussian, and their accuracy was compared. Shapiro-Wilk and D'Agostino-Pearson tests were the best performing normality tests. However, their specificity was poor at sample size n = 30 (specificity for P < .05: .51 and .50, respectively). The best significance levels identified when n = 30 were 0.19 for Shapiro-Wilk test and 0.18 for D'Agostino-Pearson test. Using parametric methods on samples extracted from a lognormal population but falsely identified as Gaussian led to clinically relevant inaccuracies. At small sample size, normality tests may lead to erroneous use of parametric methods to build RI. Using nonparametric methods (or alternatively Box-Cox transformation) on all samples regardless of their distribution or adjusting, the significance level of normality tests depending on sample size would limit the risk of constructing inaccurate RI. © 2016 American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology.

The choice of statistical methods for comparisons of dosimetric data in radiotherapy.

PubMed

Chaikh, Abdulhamid; Giraud, Jean-Yves; Perrin, Emmanuel; Bresciani, Jean-Pierre; Balosso, Jacques

2014-09-18

Novel irradiation techniques are continuously introduced in radiotherapy to optimize the accuracy, the security and the clinical outcome of treatments. These changes could raise the question of discontinuity in dosimetric presentation and the subsequent need for practice adjustments in case of significant modifications. This study proposes a comprehensive approach to compare different techniques and tests whether their respective dose calculation algorithms give rise to statistically significant differences in the treatment doses for the patient. Statistical investigation principles are presented in the framework of a clinical example based on 62 fields of radiotherapy for lung cancer. The delivered doses in monitor units were calculated using three different dose calculation methods: the reference method accounts the dose without tissues density corrections using Pencil Beam Convolution (PBC) algorithm, whereas new methods calculate the dose with tissues density correction for 1D and 3D using Modified Batho (MB) method and Equivalent Tissue air ratio (ETAR) method, respectively. The normality of the data and the homogeneity of variance between groups were tested using Shapiro-Wilks and Levene test, respectively, then non-parametric statistical tests were performed. Specifically, the dose means estimated by the different calculation methods were compared using Friedman's test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test. In addition, the correlation between the doses calculated by the three methods was assessed using Spearman's rank and Kendall's rank tests. The Friedman's test showed a significant effect on the calculation method for the delivered dose of lung cancer patients (p <0.001). The density correction methods yielded to lower doses as compared to PBC by on average (-5 ± 4.4 SD) for MB and (-4.7 ± 5 SD) for ETAR. Post-hoc Wilcoxon signed-rank test of paired comparisons indicated that the delivered dose was significantly reduced using density-corrected methods as compared to the reference method. Spearman's and Kendall's rank tests indicated a positive correlation between the doses calculated with the different methods. This paper illustrates and justifies the use of statistical tests and graphical representations for dosimetric comparisons in radiotherapy. The statistical analysis shows the significance of dose differences resulting from two or more techniques in radiotherapy.

Measurement of aspheric mirror segments using Fizeau interferometry with CGH correction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burge, James H.; Zhao, Chunyu; Dubin, Matt

2010-07-01

Large aspheric primary mirrors are proposed that use hundreds segments that all must be aligned and phased to approximate the desired continuous mirror. We present a method of measuring these concave segments with a Fizeau interferometer where a spherical convex reference surface is held a few millimeters from the aspheric segment. The aspheric shape is accommodated by a small computer generated hologram (CGH). Different segments are measured by replacing the CGH. As a Fizeau test, nearly all of the optical elements and air spaces are common to both the measurement and reference wavefront, so the sensitivities are not tight. Also, since the reference surface of the test plate is common to all tests, this system achieves excellent control for the radius of curvature variation from one part to another. This paper describes the test system design and analysis for such a test, and presents data from a similar 1.4-m test performed at the University of Arizona.

Smoothing Forecasting Methods for Academic Library Circulations: An Evaluation and Recommendation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brooks, Terrence A.; Forys, John W., Jr.

1986-01-01

Circulation time-series data from 50 midwest academic libraries were used to test 110 variants of 8 smoothing forecasting methods. Data and methodologies and illustrations of two recommended methods--the single exponential smoothing method and Brown's one-parameter linear exponential smoothing method--are given. Eight references are cited. (EJS)

A Meta-Analysis of Typhoid Diagnostic Accuracy Studies: A Recommendation to Adopt a Standardized Composite Reference

PubMed Central

Storey, Helen L.; Huang, Ying; Crudder, Chris; Golden, Allison; de los Santos, Tala; Hawkins, Kenneth

2015-01-01

Novel typhoid diagnostics currently under development have the potential to improve clinical care, surveillance, and the disease burden estimates that support vaccine introduction. Blood culture is most often used as the reference method to evaluate the accuracy of new typhoid tests; however, it is recognized to be an imperfect gold standard. If no single gold standard test exists, use of a composite reference standard (CRS) can improve estimation of diagnostic accuracy. Numerous studies have used a CRS to evaluate new typhoid diagnostics; however, there is no consensus on an appropriate CRS. In order to evaluate existing tests for use as a reference test or inclusion in a CRS, we performed a systematic review of the typhoid literature to include all index/reference test combinations observed. We described the landscape of comparisons performed, showed results of a meta-analysis on the accuracy of the more common combinations, and evaluated sources of variability based on study quality. This wide-ranging meta-analysis suggests that no single test has sufficiently good performance but some existing diagnostics may be useful as part of a CRS. Additionally, based on findings from the meta-analysis and a constructed numerical example demonstrating the use of CRS, we proposed necessary criteria and potential components of a typhoid CRS to guide future recommendations. Agreement and adoption by all investigators of a standardized CRS is requisite, and would improve comparison of new diagnostics across independent studies, leading to the identification of a better reference test and improved confidence in prevalence estimates. PMID:26566275

Experimental study on cross-sensitivity of temperature and vibration of embedded fiber Bragg grating sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Tao; Ye, Meng-li; Liu, Shu-liang; Deng, Yan

2018-03-01

In view of the principle for occurrence of cross-sensitivity, a series of calibration experiments are carried out to solve the cross-sensitivity problem of embedded fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) using the reference grating method. Moreover, an ultrasonic-vibration-assisted grinding (UVAG) model is established, and finite element analysis (FEA) is carried out under the monitoring environment of embedded temperature measurement system. In addition, the related temperature acquisition tests are set in accordance with requirements of the reference grating method. Finally, comparative analyses of the simulation and experimental results are performed, and it may be concluded that the reference grating method may be utilized to effectively solve the cross-sensitivity of embedded FBGs.

EPA flow reference method testing and analysis: Data report -- Pennsylvania Electric Company, G.P.U. Genco Homer City Station. Volume 1: Test description and appendix A (data distribution package)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1998-09-01

This report describes the test site, equipment, and procedures and presents the data obtained during field testing at G.P.U. Genco Homer City Station, August 19--24, 1997. This was the third of three field tests that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted in 1997 as part of a major study to evaluate potential improvements to Method 3, EPA`s test method for measuring flue gas volumetric flow in stacks. The report also includes a Data Distribution Package, the official, complete repository of the results obtained at the test site.

Reference interval computation: which method (not) to choose?

PubMed

Pavlov, Igor Y; Wilson, Andrew R; Delgado, Julio C

2012-07-11

When different methods are applied to reference interval (RI) calculation the results can sometimes be substantially different, especially for small reference groups. If there are no reliable RI data available, there is no way to confirm which method generates results closest to the true RI. We randomly drawn samples obtained from a public database for 33 markers. For each sample, RIs were calculated by bootstrapping, parametric, and Box-Cox transformed parametric methods. Results were compared to the values of the population RI. For approximately half of the 33 markers, results of all 3 methods were within 3% of the true reference value. For other markers, parametric results were either unavailable or deviated considerably from the true values. The transformed parametric method was more accurate than bootstrapping for sample size of 60, very close to bootstrapping for sample size 120, but in some cases unavailable. We recommend against using parametric calculations to determine RIs. The transformed parametric method utilizing Box-Cox transformation would be preferable way of RI calculation, if it satisfies normality test. If not, the bootstrapping is always available, and is almost as accurate and precise as the transformed parametric method. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of home allergen sampling devices.

PubMed

Sercombe, J K; Liu-Brennan, D; Garcia, M L; Tovey, E R

2005-04-01

Simple, inexpensive methods of sampling from allergen reservoirs are necessary for large-scale studies or low-cost householder-operated allergen measurement. We tested two commercial devices: the Indoor Biotechnologies Mitest Dust Collector and the Drager Bio-Check Allergen Control; two devices of our own design: the Electrostatic Cloth Sampler (ECS) and the Press Tape Sampler (PTS); and a Vacuum Sampler as used in many allergen studies (our Reference Method). Devices were used to collect dust mite allergen samples from 16 domestic carpets. Results were examined for correlations between the sampling methods. With mite allergen concentration expressed as microg/g, the Mitest, the ECS and the PTS correlated with the Reference Method but not with each other. When mite allergen concentration was expressed as microg/m2 the Mitest and the ECS correlated with the Reference Method but the PTS did not. In the high allergen conditions of this study, the Drager Bio-Check did not relate to any methods. The Mitest Dust Collector, the ECS and the PTS show performance consistent with the Reference Method. Many techniques can be used to collect dust mite allergen samples. More investigation is needed to prove any method as superior for estimating allergen exposure.

Conventional Rapid Latex Agglutination in Estimation of von Willebrand Factor: Method Revisited and Potential Clinical Applications

PubMed Central

Che Hussin, Che Maraina

2014-01-01

Measurement of von Willebrand factor antigen (VWF : Ag) levels is usually performed in a specialised laboratory which limits its application in routine clinical practice. So far, no commercial rapid test kit is available for VWF : Ag estimation. This paper discusses the technical aspect of latex agglutination method which was established to suit the purpose of estimating von Willebrand factor (VWF) levels in the plasma sample. The latex agglutination test can be performed qualitatively and semiquantitatively. Reproducibility, stability, linearity, limit of detection, interference, and method comparison studies were conducted to evaluate the performance of this test. Semiquantitative latex agglutination test was strongly correlated with the reference immunoturbidimetric assay (Spearman's rho = 0.946, P < 0.001, n = 132). A substantial agreement (κ = 0.77) was found between qualitative latex agglutination test and the reference assay. Using the scoring system for the rapid latex test, no agglutination is with 0% VWF : Ag (control negative), 1+ reaction is equivalent to <20% VWF : Ag, and 4+ reaction indicates >150% VWF : Ag (when comparing with immunoturbidimetric assay). The findings from evaluation studies suggest that latex agglutination method is suitable to be used as a rapid test kit for the estimation of VWF : Ag levels in various clinical conditions associated with high levels and low levels of VWF : Ag. PMID:25759835

A comparative overview of modal testing and system identification for control of structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Juang, J.-N.; Pappa, R. S.

1988-01-01

A comparative overview is presented of the disciplines of modal testing used in structural engineering and system identification used in control theory. A list of representative references from both areas is given, and the basic methods are described briefly. Recent progress on the interaction of modal testing and control disciplines is discussed. It is concluded that combined efforts of researchers in both disciplines are required for unification of modal testing and system identification methods for control of flexible structures.

40 CFR 261.21 - Characteristic of ignitability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... determined by a Pensky-Martens Closed Cup Tester, using the test method specified in ASTM Standard D 93-79 or D 93-80 (incorporated by reference, see § 260.11), or a Setaflash Closed Cup Tester, using the test...

40 CFR 261.21 - Characteristic of ignitability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... determined by a Pensky-Martens Closed Cup Tester, using the test method specified in ASTM Standard D 93-79 or D 93-80 (incorporated by reference, see § 260.11), or a Setaflash Closed Cup Tester, using the test...

Reconstruction method for fringe projection profilometry based on light beams.

PubMed

Li, Xuexing; Zhang, Zhijiang; Yang, Chen

2016-12-01

A novel reconstruction method for fringe projection profilometry, based on light beams, is proposed and verified by experiments. Commonly used calibration techniques require the parameters of projector calibration or the reference planes placed in many known positions. Obviously, introducing the projector calibration can reduce the accuracy of the reconstruction result, and setting the reference planes to many known positions is a time-consuming process. Therefore, in this paper, a reconstruction method without projector's parameters is proposed and only two reference planes are introduced. A series of light beams determined by the subpixel point-to-point map on the two reference planes combined with their reflected light beams determined by the camera model are used to calculate the 3D coordinates of reconstruction points. Furthermore, the bundle adjustment strategy and the complementary gray-code phase-shifting method are utilized to ensure the accuracy and stability. Qualitative and quantitative comparisons as well as experimental tests demonstrate the performance of our proposed approach, and the measurement accuracy can reach about 0.0454 mm.

Optical measurement of high-temperature melt flow rate.

PubMed

Bizjan, Benjamin; Širok, Brane; Chen, Jinpeng

2018-05-20

This paper presents an optical method and system for contactless measurement of the mass flow rate of melts by digital cameras. The proposed method is based on reconstruction of melt stream geometry and flow velocity calculation by cross correlation, and is very cost-effective due its modest hardware requirements. Using a laboratory test rig with a small inductive melting pot and reference mass flow rate measurement by weighing, the proposed method was demonstrated to have an excellent dynamic response (0.1 s order of magnitude) while producing deviations from the reference of about 5% in the steady-state flow regime. Similar results were obtained in an industrial stone wool production line for two repeated measurements. Our method was tested in a wide range of melt flow rates (0.05-1.2 kg/s) and did not require very fast cameras (120 frames per second would be sufficient for most industrial applications).

Regional probability distribution of the annual reference evapotranspiration and its effective parameters in Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khanmohammadi, Neda; Rezaie, Hossein; Montaseri, Majid; Behmanesh, Javad

2017-10-01

The reference evapotranspiration (ET0) plays an important role in water management plans in arid or semi-arid countries such as Iran. For this reason, the regional analysis of this parameter is important. But, ET0 process is affected by several meteorological parameters such as wind speed, solar radiation, temperature and relative humidity. Therefore, the effect of distribution type of effective meteorological variables on ET0 distribution was analyzed. For this purpose, the regional probability distribution of the annual ET0 and its effective parameters were selected. Used data in this research was recorded data at 30 synoptic stations of Iran during 1960-2014. Using the probability plot correlation coefficient (PPCC) test and the L-moment method, five common distributions were compared and the best distribution was selected. The results of PPCC test and L-moment diagram indicated that the Pearson type III distribution was the best probability distribution for fitting annual ET0 and its four effective parameters. The results of RMSE showed that the ability of the PPCC test and L-moment method for regional analysis of reference evapotranspiration and its effective parameters was similar. The results also showed that the distribution type of the parameters which affected ET0 values can affect the distribution of reference evapotranspiration.

Development and application of a general plasmid reference material for GMO screening.

PubMed

Wu, Yuhua; Li, Jun; Wang, Yulei; Li, Xiaofei; Li, Yunjing; Zhu, Li; Li, Jun; Wu, Gang

The use of analytical controls is essential when performing GMO detection through screening tests. Additionally, the presence of taxon-specific sequences is analyzed mostly for quality control during GMO detection. In this study, 11 commonly used genetic elements involving three promoters (P-35S, P-FMV35S and P-NOS), four marker genes (Bar, NPTII, HPT and Pmi), and four terminators (T-NOS, T-35S, T-g7 and T-e9), together with the reference gene fragments from six major crops of maize, soybean, rapeseed, rice, cotton and wheat, were co-integrated into the same single plasmid to construct a general reference plasmid pBI121-Screening. The suitability test of pBI121-Screening plasmid as reference material indicated that the non-target sequence on the pBI121-Screening plasmid did not affect the PCR amplification efficiencies of screening methods and taxon-specific methods. The sensitivity of screening and taxon-specific assays ranged from 5 to 10 copies of pBI121-Screening plasmid, meeting the sensitivity requirement of GMO detection. The construction of pBI121-Screening solves the lack of a general positive control for screening tests, thereby reducing the workload and cost of preparing a plurality of the positive control. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ethnic identity salience improves recognition memory in Tibetan students via priming.

PubMed

Li, Hongxia; Wang, Echo Xue; Jin, Shenghua; Wu, Song

2016-04-01

Social identity salience affects group-reference effect in memory. However, limited studies have examined the influence of ethnic identity salience on group-reference effect among minority group people in conditions where the minority group dominates. In the present research, we aim to investigate, in a Tibetan-dominant context, whether the salience of ethnic identity among Tibetan students could display an influence on their group-reference effect via priming method. We recruited 50 Tibetan and 62 Han Chinese students from Tibetan University in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet Autonomous Region, where Tibetans were the majority. A month before the experiment, we tested the baseline of ethnic identity salience of both Tibetan and Han Chinese students using the Twenty Statements Test. In the formal experiment, we assessed the effectiveness of priming method first and then conducted a recognition memory test 2 week later via priming approach. The results showed that the ethnic identity both of Tibetan and Han Chinese participants was not salient in the baseline assessment. However, it was successfully induced via priming among Tibetan students. Tibetan students showed a significant group-reference effect in recognition memory task when their ethnic identity was induced via priming. On the contrary, Han Chinese students did not show increased ethnic awareness and superiority of ethnic in-group reference memory after being primed. Current research provides new evidence for the influence of salience of ethnic identity on group-reference effect, contributing to the application and extension of social identity theory among minority group people. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

[Establishing biological reference intervals of alanine transaminase for clinical laboratory stored database].

PubMed

Guo, Wei; Song, Binbin; Shen, Junfei; Wu, Jiong; Zhang, Chunyan; Wang, Beili; Pan, Baishen

2015-08-25

To establish an indirect reference interval based on the test results of alanine aminotransferase stored in a laboratory information system. All alanine aminotransferase results were included for outpatients and physical examinations that were stored in the laboratory information system of Zhongshan Hospital during 2014. The original data were transformed using a Box-Cox transformation to obtain an approximate normal distribution. Outliers were identified and omitted using the Chauvenet and Tukey methods. The indirect reference intervals were obtained by simultaneously applying nonparametric and Hoffmann methods. The reference change value was selected to determine the statistical significance of the observed differences between the calculated and published reference intervals. The indirect reference intervals for alanine aminotransferase of all groups were 12 to 41 U/L (male, outpatient), 12 to 48 U/L (male, physical examination), 9 to 32 U/L (female, outpatient), and 8 to 35 U/L (female, physical examination), respectively. The absolute differences when compared with the direct results were all smaller than the reference change value of alanine aminotransferase. The Box-Cox transformation combined with the Hoffmann and Tukey methods is a simple and reliable technique that should be promoted and used by clinical laboratories.

40 CFR Figure E-1 to Subpart E of... - Designation Testing Checklist

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...) Field Sampling Procedure (§ 53.30, .31, .34) Design Specification Tests Filter (L-6) Range of... Testing Physical (Design) and Performance Characteristics of Reference Methods and Class I and Class II... Process or of Documented Evidence: Performance, Design or Application Spec. Corresponding to Sections of...

40 CFR Figure E-1 to Subpart E of... - Designation Testing Checklist

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...) Field Sampling Procedure (§ 53.30, .31, .34) Design Specification Tests Filter (L-6) Range of... Testing Physical (Design) and Performance Characteristics of Reference Methods and Class I and Class II... Process or of Documented Evidence: Performance, Design or Application Spec. Corresponding to Sections of...

40 CFR Figure E-1 to Subpart E of... - Designation Testing Checklist

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...) Field Sampling Procedure (§ 53.30, .31, .34) Design Specification Tests Filter ( L-6) Range of... Testing Physical (Design) and Performance Characteristics of Reference Methods and Class I and Class II... Process or of Documented Evidence: Performance, Design or Application Spec. Corresponding to Sections of...

VIDAS Listeria species Xpress (LSX).

PubMed

Johnson, Ronald; Mills, John

2013-01-01

The AOAC GovVal study compared the VIDAS Listeria species Xpress (LSX) to the Health Products and Food Branch MFHPB-30 reference method for detection of Listeria on stainless steel. The LSX method utilizes a novel and proprietary enrichment media, Listeria Xpress broth, enabling detection of Listeria species in environmental samples with the automated VIDAS in a minimum of 26 h. The LSX method also includes the use of the chromogenic media, chromID Ottaviani Agosti Agar (OAA) and chromID Lmono for confirmation of LSX presumptive results. In previous AOAC validation studies comparing VIDAS LSX to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Bacteriological Analytical Manual (FDA-BAM) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) reference methods, the LSX method was approved as AOAC Official Method 2010.02 for the detection of Listeria species in dairy products, vegetables, seafood, raw meats and poultry, and processed meats and poultry, and as AOAC Performance Tested Method 100501 in a variety of foods and on environmental surfaces. The GovVal comparative study included 20 replicate test portions each at two contamination levels for stainless steel where fractionally positive results (5-15 positive results/20 replicate portions tested) were obtained by at least one method at one level. Five uncontaminated controls were included. In the stainless steel artificially contaminated surface study, there were 25 confirmed positives by the VIDAS LSX assay and 22 confirmed positives by the standard culture methods. Chi-square analysis indicated no statistical differences between the VIDAS LSX method and the MFHPB-30 standard methods at the 5% level of significance. Confirmation of presumptive LSX results with the chromogenic OAA and Lmono media was shown to be equivalent to the appropriate reference method agars. The data in this study demonstrate that the VIDAS LSX method is an acceptable alternative method to the MFHPB-30 standard culture method for the detection of Listeria species on stainless steel.

Radar target classification method with high accuracy and decision speed performance using MUSIC spectrum vectors and PCA projection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Secmen, Mustafa

2011-10-01

This paper introduces the performance of an electromagnetic target recognition method in resonance scattering region, which includes pseudo spectrum Multiple Signal Classification (MUSIC) algorithm and principal component analysis (PCA) technique. The aim of this method is to classify an "unknown" target as one of the "known" targets in an aspect-independent manner. The suggested method initially collects the late-time portion of noise-free time-scattered signals obtained from different reference aspect angles of known targets. Afterward, these signals are used to obtain MUSIC spectrums in real frequency domain having super-resolution ability and noise resistant feature. In the final step, PCA technique is applied to these spectrums in order to reduce dimensionality and obtain only one feature vector per known target. In the decision stage, noise-free or noisy scattered signal of an unknown (test) target from an unknown aspect angle is initially obtained. Subsequently, MUSIC algorithm is processed for this test signal and resulting test vector is compared with feature vectors of known targets one by one. Finally, the highest correlation gives the type of test target. The method is applied to wire models of airplane targets, and it is shown that it can tolerate considerable noise levels although it has a few different reference aspect angles. Besides, the runtime of the method for a test target is sufficiently low, which makes the method suitable for real-time applications.

Use of gelatin gels as a reference material for performance evaluation of meat shear force measurements

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Establishing standards for meat tenderness based on Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) is complicated by the lack of methods for certifying WBSF testing among texture systems or laboratories. The objective of this study was to determine the suitability of using gelatin gels as a reference material ...

40 CFR 63.705 - Performance test methods and procedures to determine initial compliance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... per gram-mole. Pi = Barometric pressure at the time of sample analysis, millimeters mercury absolute. 760 = Reference or standard pressure, millimeters mercury absolute. 293 = Reference or standard...: ER15DE94.005 (i) The value of RSi is zero unless the owner or operator submits the following information to...

40 CFR 63.705 - Performance test methods and procedures to determine initial compliance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... per gram-mole. Pi = Barometric pressure at the time of sample analysis, millimeters mercury absolute. 760 = Reference or standard pressure, millimeters mercury absolute. 293 = Reference or standard...: ER15DE94.005 (i) The value of RSi is zero unless the owner or operator submits the following information to...

40 CFR 63.705 - Performance test methods and procedures to determine initial compliance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... per gram-mole. Pi = Barometric pressure at the time of sample analysis, millimeters mercury absolute. 760 = Reference or standard pressure, millimeters mercury absolute. 293 = Reference or standard...: ER15DE94.005 (i) The value of RSi is zero unless the owner or operator submits the following information to...

40 CFR 63.705 - Performance test methods and procedures to determine initial compliance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... per gram-mole. Pi = Barometric pressure at the time of sample analysis, millimeters mercury absolute. 760 = Reference or standard pressure, millimeters mercury absolute. 293 = Reference or standard...: ER15DE94.005 (i) The value of RSi is zero unless the owner or operator submits the following information to...

40 CFR 63.705 - Performance test methods and procedures to determine initial compliance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... per gram-mole. Pi = Barometric pressure at the time of sample analysis, millimeters mercury absolute. 760 = Reference or standard pressure, millimeters mercury absolute. 293 = Reference or standard...: ER15DE94.005 (i) The value of RSi is zero unless the owner or operator submits the following information to...

40 CFR 80.580 - What are the sampling and testing methods for sulfur?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) REGULATION OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES Motor Vehicle Diesel Fuel... (incorporated by reference, see paragraph (e) of this section). (2) For motor vehicle diesel fuel and diesel... (incorporated by reference, see paragraph (e) of this section). (3) Beginning August 30, 2004, for motor vehicle...

Bayesian SEM for Specification Search Problems in Testing Factorial Invariance.

PubMed

Shi, Dexin; Song, Hairong; Liao, Xiaolan; Terry, Robert; Snyder, Lori A

2017-01-01

Specification search problems refer to two important but under-addressed issues in testing for factorial invariance: how to select proper reference indicators and how to locate specific non-invariant parameters. In this study, we propose a two-step procedure to solve these issues. Step 1 is to identify a proper reference indicator using the Bayesian structural equation modeling approach. An item is selected if it is associated with the highest likelihood to be invariant across groups. Step 2 is to locate specific non-invariant parameters, given that a proper reference indicator has already been selected in Step 1. A series of simulation analyses show that the proposed method performs well under a variety of data conditions, and optimal performance is observed under conditions of large magnitude of non-invariance, low proportion of non-invariance, and large sample sizes. We also provide an empirical example to demonstrate the specific procedures to implement the proposed method in applied research. The importance and influences are discussed regarding the choices of informative priors with zero mean and small variances. Extensions and limitations are also pointed out.

Homogeneity study of a corn flour laboratory reference material candidate for inorganic analysis.

PubMed

Dos Santos, Ana Maria Pinto; Dos Santos, Liz Oliveira; Brandao, Geovani Cardoso; Leao, Danilo Junqueira; Bernedo, Alfredo Victor Bellido; Lopes, Ricardo Tadeu; Lemos, Valfredo Azevedo

2015-07-01

In this work, a homogeneity study of a corn flour reference material candidate for inorganic analysis is presented. Seven kilograms of corn flour were used to prepare the material, which was distributed among 100 bottles. The elements Ca, K, Mg, P, Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn and Mo were quantified by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES) after acid digestion procedure. The method accuracy was confirmed by analyzing the rice flour certified reference material, NIST 1568a. All results were evaluated by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and principal component analysis (PCA). In the study, a sample mass of 400mg was established as the minimum mass required for analysis, according to the PCA. The between-bottle test was performed by analyzing 9 bottles of the material. Subsamples of a single bottle were analyzed for the within-bottle test. No significant differences were observed for the results obtained through the application of both statistical methods. This fact demonstrates that the material is homogeneous for use as a laboratory reference material. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparative study between EDXRF and ASTM E572 methods using two-way ANOVA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krummenauer, A.; Veit, H. M.; Zoppas-Ferreira, J.

2018-03-01

Comparison with reference method is one of the necessary requirements for the validation of non-standard methods. This comparison was made using the experiment planning technique with two-way ANOVA. In ANOVA, the results obtained using the EDXRF method, to be validated, were compared with the results obtained using the ASTM E572-13 standard test method. Fisher's tests (F-test) were used to comparative study between of the elements: molybdenum, niobium, copper, nickel, manganese, chromium and vanadium. All F-tests of the elements indicate that the null hypothesis (Ho) has not been rejected. As a result, there is no significant difference between the methods compared. Therefore, according to this study, it is concluded that the EDXRF method was approved in this method comparison requirement.

40 CFR 86.1 - Reference materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...) ASTM D1945-91, Standard Test Method for Analysis of Natural Gas by Gas Chromatography, IBR approved for §§ 86.113-94, 86.513-94, 86.1213-94, 86.1313-94. (iii) ASTM D2163-91, Standard Test Method for Analysis... §§ 86.113-94, 86.1213-94, 86.1313-94. (iv) ASTM D2986-95a, Reapproved 1999, Standard Practice for...

40 CFR 86.1 - Reference materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...) ASTM D1945-91, Standard Test Method for Analysis of Natural Gas by Gas Chromatography, IBR approved for §§ 86.113-94, 86.513-94, 86.1213-94, 86.1313-94. (iii) ASTM D2163-91, Standard Test Method for Analysis... §§ 86.113-94, 86.1213-94, 86.1313-94. (iv) ASTM D2986-95a, Reapproved 1999, Standard Practice for...

Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy as a Technique for Gentamicin Drug Susceptibility Studies with Escherichia coli ATCC 25922

PubMed Central

García-Álvarez, Lara; Busto, Jesús H.; Avenoza, Alberto; Sáenz, Yolanda; Peregrina, Jesús Manuel

2015-01-01

Antimicrobial drug susceptibility tests involving multiple time-consuming steps are still used as reference methods. Today, there is a need for the development of new automated instruments that can provide faster results and reduce operating time, reagent costs, and labor requirements. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy meets those requirements. The metabolism and antimicrobial susceptibility of Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 in the presence of gentamicin have been analyzed using NMR and compared with a reference method. Direct incubation of the bacteria (with and without gentamicin) into the NMR tube has also been performed, and differences in the NMR spectra were obtained. The MIC, determined by the reference method found in this study, would correspond with the termination of the bacterial metabolism observed with NMR. Experiments carried out directly into the NMR tube enabled the development of antimicrobial drug susceptibility tests to assess the effectiveness of the antibiotic. NMR is an objective and reproducible method for showing the effects of a drug on the subject bacterium and can emerge as an excellent tool for studying bacterial activity in the presence of different antibiotic concentrations. PMID:25972417

Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy as a Technique for Gentamicin Drug Susceptibility Studies with Escherichia coli ATCC 25922.

PubMed

García-Álvarez, Lara; Busto, Jesús H; Avenoza, Alberto; Sáenz, Yolanda; Peregrina, Jesús Manuel; Oteo, José A

2015-08-01

Antimicrobial drug susceptibility tests involving multiple time-consuming steps are still used as reference methods. Today, there is a need for the development of new automated instruments that can provide faster results and reduce operating time, reagent costs, and labor requirements. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy meets those requirements. The metabolism and antimicrobial susceptibility of Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 in the presence of gentamicin have been analyzed using NMR and compared with a reference method. Direct incubation of the bacteria (with and without gentamicin) into the NMR tube has also been performed, and differences in the NMR spectra were obtained. The MIC, determined by the reference method found in this study, would correspond with the termination of the bacterial metabolism observed with NMR. Experiments carried out directly into the NMR tube enabled the development of antimicrobial drug susceptibility tests to assess the effectiveness of the antibiotic. NMR is an objective and reproducible method for showing the effects of a drug on the subject bacterium and can emerge as an excellent tool for studying bacterial activity in the presence of different antibiotic concentrations. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Flip-avoiding interpolating surface registration for skull reconstruction.

PubMed

Xie, Shudong; Leow, Wee Kheng; Lee, Hanjing; Lim, Thiam Chye

2018-03-30

Skull reconstruction is an important and challenging task in craniofacial surgery planning, forensic investigation and anthropological studies. Existing methods typically reconstruct approximating surfaces that regard corresponding points on the target skull as soft constraints, thus incurring non-zero error even for non-defective parts and high overall reconstruction error. This paper proposes a novel geometric reconstruction method that non-rigidly registers an interpolating reference surface that regards corresponding target points as hard constraints, thus achieving low reconstruction error. To overcome the shortcoming of interpolating a surface, a flip-avoiding method is used to detect and exclude conflicting hard constraints that would otherwise cause surface patches to flip and self-intersect. Comprehensive test results show that our method is more accurate and robust than existing skull reconstruction methods. By incorporating symmetry constraints, it can produce more symmetric and normal results than other methods in reconstructing defective skulls with a large number of defects. It is robust against severe outliers such as radiation artifacts in computed tomography due to dental implants. In addition, test results also show that our method outperforms thin-plate spline for model resampling, which enables the active shape model to yield more accurate reconstruction results. As the reconstruction accuracy of defective parts varies with the use of different reference models, we also study the implication of reference model selection for skull reconstruction. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Validation of reference genes for quantitative real-time PCR during leaf and flower development in Petunia hybrida

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Identification of genes with invariant levels of gene expression is a prerequisite for validating transcriptomic changes accompanying development. Ideally expression of these genes should be independent of the morphogenetic process or environmental condition tested as well as the methods used for RNA purification and analysis. Results In an effort to identify endogenous genes meeting these criteria nine reference genes (RG) were tested in two Petunia lines (Mitchell and V30). Growth conditions differed in Mitchell and V30, and different methods were used for RNA isolation and analysis. Four different software tools were employed to analyze the data. We merged the four outputs by means of a non-weighted unsupervised rank aggregation method. The genes identified as optimal for transcriptomic analysis of Mitchell and V30 were EF1α in Mitchell and CYP in V30, whereas the least suitable gene was GAPDH in both lines. Conclusions The least adequate gene turned out to be GAPDH indicating that it should be rejected as reference gene in Petunia. The absence of correspondence of the best-suited genes suggests that assessing reference gene stability is needed when performing normalization of data from transcriptomic analysis of flower and leaf development. PMID:20056000

A Framework for Establishing Standard Reference Scale of Texture by Multivariate Statistical Analysis Based on Instrumental Measurement and Sensory Evaluation.

PubMed

Zhi, Ruicong; Zhao, Lei; Xie, Nan; Wang, Houyin; Shi, Bolin; Shi, Jingye

2016-01-13

A framework of establishing standard reference scale (texture) is proposed by multivariate statistical analysis according to instrumental measurement and sensory evaluation. Multivariate statistical analysis is conducted to rapidly select typical reference samples with characteristics of universality, representativeness, stability, substitutability, and traceability. The reasonableness of the framework method is verified by establishing standard reference scale of texture attribute (hardness) with Chinese well-known food. More than 100 food products in 16 categories were tested using instrumental measurement (TPA test), and the result was analyzed with clustering analysis, principal component analysis, relative standard deviation, and analysis of variance. As a result, nine kinds of foods were determined to construct the hardness standard reference scale. The results indicate that the regression coefficient between the estimated sensory value and the instrumentally measured value is significant (R(2) = 0.9765), which fits well with Stevens's theory. The research provides reliable a theoretical basis and practical guide for quantitative standard reference scale establishment on food texture characteristics.

Development of certified reference materials for electrolytes in human serum (GBW09124-09126).

PubMed

Feng, Liuxing; Wang, Jun; Cui, Yanjie; Shi, Naijie; Li, Haifeng; Li, Hongmei

2017-05-01

Three reference materials, at relatively low, middle, and high concentrations, were developed for analysis of the mass fractions of electrolytes (K, Ca, Na, Mg, Cl, and Li) in human serum. The reference materials were prepared by adding high purity chloride salts to normal human serum. The concentration range of the three levels is within ±20% of normal human serum. It was shown that 14 units with duplicate analysis is enough to demonstrate the homogeneity of these candidate reference materials. The statistical results also showed no significant trends in both short-term stability test for 1 week at 40 °C and long-term stability test for 14 months. The certification methods of the six elements include isotope dilution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ID-ICP-MS), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), ion chromatography (IC), and ion-selective electrode (ISE). The certification methods were validated by international comparisons among a number of national metrology institutes (NMIs). The combined relative standard uncertainties of the property values were estimated by considering the uncertainties of the analytical methods, homogeneity, and stability. The range of the expanded uncertainties of all the elements is from 2.2% to 3.9%. The certified reference materials (CRMs) are primarily intended for use in the calibration and validation of procedures in clinical analysis for the determination of electrolytes in human serum or plasma. Graphical Abstract Certified reference materials for K, Ca, Mg, Na, Cl and Li in human serum (GBW09124-09126).

Sequential Testing: Basics and Benefits

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-03-01

Eii~TARADC6M and x _..TECHNICAL REPORT NO. 12325 SEQUENTIAL TESTING: BASICS AND BENEFITS / i * p iREFERENCE CP...Sequential Testing: Basics and Benefits Contents Page I. Introduction and Summary II. Sequential Analysis 2 III. Mathematics of Sequential Testing 4 IV...testing. The added benefit of reduced energy needs are inherent in this testing method. The text was originally released by the authors in 1972. The text

Real-time PCR assay for the diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis

PubMed Central

Cárdenas Bernal, Ana María; Giraldo-Cadavid, Luis Fernando; Prieto Diago, Enrique; Santander, Sandra Paola

2017-01-01

Abstract Introduction: The diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis requires an invasive and time-consuming reference method. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is rapid, but validation in pleural tuberculosis is still weak. Objective: To establish the operating characteristics of real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) hybridization probes for the diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis. Methods: The validity of the RT-PCR hybridization probes was evaluated compared to a composite reference method by a cross-sectional study at the Hospital Universitario de la Samaritana. 40 adults with lymphocytic pleural effusion were included. Pleural tuberculosis was confirmed (in 9 patients) if the patient had at least one of three tests using the positive reference method: Ziehl-Neelsen or Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture in fluid or pleural tissue, or pleural biopsy with granulomas. Pleural tuberculosis was ruled out (in 31 patients) if all three tests were negative. The operating characteristics of the RT-PCR, using the Mid-P Exact Test, were determined using the OpenEpi 2.3 Software (2009). Results: The RT-PCR hybridization probes showed a sensitivity of 66.7% (95% CI: 33.2%-90.7%) and a specificity of 93.5% (95% CI: 80.3%-98.9%). The PPV was 75.0% (95% CI: 38.8%-95.6%) and a NPV of 90.6% (95% CI: 76.6%-97.6%). Two false positives were found for the test, one with pleural mesothelioma and the other with chronic pleuritis with mesothelial hyperplasia. Conclusions: The RT-PCR hybridization probes had good specificity and acceptable sensitivity, but a negative value cannot rule out pleural tuberculosis. PMID:29021638

Roka Listeria detection method using transcription mediated amplification to detect Listeria species in select foods and surfaces. Performance Tested Method(SM) 011201.

PubMed

Hua, Yang; Kaplan, Shannon; Reshatoff, Michael; Hu, Ernie; Zukowski, Alexis; Schweis, Franz; Gin, Cristal; Maroni, Brett; Becker, Michael; Wisniewski, Michele

2012-01-01

The Roka Listeria Detection Assay was compared to the reference culture methods for nine select foods and three select surfaces. The Roka method used Half-Fraser Broth for enrichment at 35 +/- 2 degrees C for 24-28 h. Comparison of Roka's method to reference methods requires an unpaired approach. Each method had a total of 545 samples inoculated with a Listeria strain. Each food and surface was inoculated with a different strain of Listeria at two different levels per method. For the dairy products (Brie cheese, whole milk, and ice cream), our method was compared to AOAC Official Method(SM) 993.12. For the ready-to-eat meats (deli chicken, cured ham, chicken salad, and hot dogs) and environmental surfaces (sealed concrete, stainless steel, and plastic), these samples were compared to the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Food Safety and Inspection Service-Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook (USDA/FSIS-MLG) method MLG 8.07. Cold-smoked salmon and romaine lettuce were compared to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration/Bacteriological Analytical Manual, Chapter 10 (FDA/BAM) method. Roka's method had 358 positives out of 545 total inoculated samples compared to 332 positive for the reference methods. Overall the probability of detection analysis of the results showed better or equivalent performance compared to the reference methods.

Integrated Data Collection Analysis (IDCA) Program - RDX Type II Class 5 Standard, Data Set 1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sandstrom, Mary M.; Brown, Geoffrey W.; Preston, Daniel N.

This document describes the results of the first reference sample material—RDX Type II Class 5—examined in the proficiency study for small-scale safety and thermal (SSST) testing of explosive materials for the Integrated Data Collection Analysis (IDCA) Program. The IDCA program is conducting proficiency testing on homemade explosives (HMEs). The reference sample materials are being studied to establish the accuracy of traditional explosives safety testing for each performing laboratory. These results will be used for comparison to results from testing HMEs. This effort, funded by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ultimately will put the issues of safe handling of thesemore » materials in perspective with standard military explosives. The results of the study will add SSST testing results for a broad suite of different HMEs to the literature, potentially suggest new guidelines and methods for HME testing, and possibly establish what are the needed accuracies in SSST testing to develop safe handling practices. Described here are the results for impact, friction, electrostatic discharge, and scanning calorimetry analysis of a reference sample of RDX Type II Class 5. The results from each participating testing laboratory are compared using identical test material and preparation methods wherever possible. Note, however, the test procedures differ among the laboratories. These results are then compared to historical data from various sources. The performers involved are Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Air Force Research Laboratory/ RXQL (AFRL), Indian Head Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center, (IHD-NSWC), and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). These tests are conducted as a proficiency study in order to establish some consistency in test protocols, procedures, and experiments and to understand how to compare results when test protocols are not identical.« less

On Statistical Approaches for Demonstrating Analytical Similarity in the Presence of Correlation.

PubMed

Yang, Harry; Novick, Steven; Burdick, Richard K

Analytical similarity is the foundation for demonstration of biosimilarity between a proposed product and a reference product. For this assessment, currently the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends a tiered system in which quality attributes are categorized into three tiers commensurate with their risk and approaches of varying statistical rigor are subsequently used for the three-tier quality attributes. Key to the analyses of Tiers 1 and 2 quality attributes is the establishment of equivalence acceptance criterion and quality range. For particular licensure applications, the FDA has provided advice on statistical methods for demonstration of analytical similarity. For example, for Tier 1 assessment, an equivalence test can be used based on an equivalence margin of 1.5 σ R , where σ R is the reference product variability estimated by the sample standard deviation S R from a sample of reference lots. The quality range for demonstrating Tier 2 analytical similarity is of the form X̄ R ± K × σ R where the constant K is appropriately justified. To demonstrate Tier 2 analytical similarity, a large percentage (e.g., 90%) of test product must fall in the quality range. In this paper, through both theoretical derivations and simulations, we show that when the reference drug product lots are correlated, the sample standard deviation S R underestimates the true reference product variability σ R As a result, substituting S R for σ R in the Tier 1 equivalence acceptance criterion and the Tier 2 quality range inappropriately reduces the statistical power and the ability to declare analytical similarity. Also explored is the impact of correlation among drug product lots on Type I error rate and power. Three methods based on generalized pivotal quantities are introduced, and their performance is compared against a two-one-sided tests (TOST) approach. Finally, strategies to mitigate risk of correlation among the reference products lots are discussed. A biosimilar is a generic version of the original biological drug product. A key component of a biosimilar development is the demonstration of analytical similarity between the biosimilar and the reference product. Such demonstration relies on application of statistical methods to establish a similarity margin and appropriate test for equivalence between the two products. This paper discusses statistical issues with demonstration of analytical similarity and provides alternate approaches to potentially mitigate these problems. © PDA, Inc. 2016.

DNA adduct formation in mice following dermal application of smoke condensates from cigarettes that burn or heat tobacco

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, C.K.; Brown, B.G.; Reed, E.A.

A prototype cigarette that heats tobacco (test cigarette), developed by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, has yielded consistently negative results in several in vivo and in vitro genetic toxicology tests. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the potential of cigarette smoke condensate (CSC) from the test cigarette to induce DNA adducts in mouse tissues and compare the results with those obtained with CSC from a reference tobacco-burning cigarette (1R4F). CD-1 mice were skin-painted with CSF from reference and test cigarettes three times a week for 4 weeks. The highest mass of CSC applied was 180 mg tar permore » week per animal for both reference and test cigarette. DNA adducts were analyzed in skin and lung tissues using the [sup 32]P-postlabeling method with the P[sub 1] nuclease modification. Distinct diagonal radioactive zones (DRZ) were observed in the DNA from both skin and lung tissues of animals dosed with reference CSC, whereas no corresponding DRZ were observed from the DNA of animals dosed with either test CSC or acetone (solvent control). The relative adduct labeling (RAL) values of skin and lung DNA from reference CSC-treated animals were significantly greater than those of the test CSC-treated animals. The RAL values of the test CSC-treated animals were no greater than those of solvent controls. The negative results in DNA adduct assays with test CSC are consistent with all previous results of in vivo and in vitro genetic toxicology testing on this cigarette and provide additional evidence that smoke condensate from the test cigarette is not genotoxic. 31 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs.« less

Detecting imipenem resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii by automated systems (BD Phoenix, Microscan WalkAway, Vitek 2); high error rates with Microscan WalkAway

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background Increasing reports of carbapenem resistant Acinetobacter baumannii infections are of serious concern. Reliable susceptibility testing results remains a critical issue for the clinical outcome. Automated systems are increasingly used for species identification and susceptibility testing. This study was organized to evaluate the accuracies of three widely used automated susceptibility testing methods for testing the imipenem susceptibilities of A. baumannii isolates, by comparing to the validated test methods. Methods Selected 112 clinical isolates of A. baumanii collected between January 2003 and May 2006 were tested to confirm imipenem susceptibility results. Strains were tested against imipenem by the reference broth microdilution (BMD), disk diffusion (DD), Etest, BD Phoenix, MicroScan WalkAway and Vitek 2 automated systems. Data were analysed by comparing the results from each test method to those produced by the reference BMD test. Results MicroScan performed true identification of all A. baumannii strains while Vitek 2 unidentified one strain, Phoenix unidentified two strains and misidentified two strains. Eighty seven of the strains (78%) were resistant to imipenem by BMD. Etest, Vitek 2 and BD Phoenix produced acceptable error rates when tested against imipenem. Etest showed the best performance with only two minor errors (1.8%). Vitek 2 produced eight minor errors(7.2%). BD Phoenix produced three major errors (2.8%). DD produced two very major errors (1.8%) (slightly higher (0.3%) than the acceptable limit) and three major errors (2.7%). MicroScan showed the worst performance in susceptibility testing with unacceptable error rates; 28 very major (25%) and 50 minor errors (44.6%). Conclusion Reporting errors for A. baumannii against imipenem do exist in susceptibility testing systems. We suggest clinical laboratories using MicroScan system for routine use should consider using a second, independent antimicrobial susceptibility testing method to validate imipenem susceptibility. Etest, whereever available, may be used as an easy method to confirm imipenem susceptibility. PMID:19291298

A bioequivalence study of two memantine formulations in healthy Chinese male volunteers
.

PubMed

Deng, Ying; Zhuang, Jialang; Wu, Jingguo; Chen, Jiangying; Ding, Liang; Wang, Xueding; Huang, Lihui; Zeng, Guixiong; Chen, Jie; Ma, Zhongfu; Chen, Xiao; Zhong, Guoping; Huang, Min; Zhao, Xianglan

2017-10-01

The aim of the current study is to evaluate the bioequivalence between the test and reference formulations of memantine in a single-dose, two-period and two-sequence crossover study with a 44-day washout interval. A total of 20 healthy Chinese male volunteers were enrolled and completed the study, after oral administration of single doses of 10 mg test and reference formulations of memantine. The blood samples were collected at different time points and memantine concentrations were determined by a fully validated HPLC-MS/MS method. The evaluated pharmacokinetic parameters (test vs. reference) including C_max (18 ± 3.2 vs. 17.8 ± 3.4), AUC_0-t (1,188.5 ± 222.2 vs. 1,170.9 ± 135.7), and AUC_0-∞ (1,353.3 ± 258.6 vs. 1,291.3 ± 136.7) values were assessed for bioequivalence based on current guidelines. The observed pharmacokinetic parameters of memantine test drug were similar to those of the reference formulation. The 90% confidence intervals of test/reference ratios for C_max, AUC_0-t, and AUC_0-∞ were within the bioequivalence acceptance range of 80 - 125%. The results obtained from the healthy Chinese subjects in this study suggests that the test formulation of memantine 10 mg tablet is bioequivalent to the reference formulation (Ebixa^®10 mg tablet).
.

Reference Values for the Six-Minute Walk Test in Healthy Children and Adolescents: a Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Cacau, Lucas de Assis Pereira; de Santana-Filho, Valter Joviniano; Maynard, Luana G.; Gomes Neto, Mansueto; Fernandes, Marcelo; Carvalho, Vitor Oliveira

2016-01-01

Objective The aim of the study is to compare the available reference values and the six-minute walk test equations in healthy children/adolescents. Our systematic review was planned and performed in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. We included all studies that established reference values for the six-minute walk test in healthy children/adolescents. Methods To perform this review, a research was performed in PubMed, EMBASE (via SCOPUS) and Cochrane (LILACS), Bibliographic Index Spanish in Health Sciences, Organization Collection Pan-American Health Organization, Publications of the World Health Organization and Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) via Virtual Health Library until June 2015 without language restriction. Results The initial research identified 276 abstracts. Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria and were fully reviewed and approved by both reviewers. None of the selected studies presented sample size calculation. Most of the studies recruited children and adolescents from school. Six studies reported the use of random samples. Most studies used a corridor of 30 meters. All studies followed the American Thoracic Society guidelines to perform the six-minute walk test. The walked distance ranged 159 meters among the studies. Of the 12 included studies, 7 (58%) reported descriptive data and 6 (50%) established reference equation for the walked distance in the six-minute walk test. Conclusion The reference value for the six-minute walk test in children and adolescents ranged substantially from studies in different countries. A reference equation was not provided in all studies, but the ones available took into account well established variables in the context of exercise performance, such as height, heart rate, age and weight. Countries that did not established reference values for the six-minute walk test should be encouraged to do because it would help their clinicians and researchers have a more precise interpretation of the test. PMID:27982347

Method of Testing Oxygen Regulators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sontag, Harcourt; Borlik, E L

1935-01-01

Oxygen regulators are used in aircraft to regulate automatically the flow of oxygen to the pilot from a cylinder at pressures ranging up to 150 atmospheres. The instruments are adjusted to open at an altitude of about 15,000 ft. and thereafter to deliver oxygen at a rate which increases with the altitude. The instruments are tested to determine the rate of flow of oxygen delivered at various altitudes and to detect any mechanical defects which may exist. A method of testing oxygen regulators was desired in which the rate of flow could be determined more accurately than by the test method previously used (reference 1) and by which instruments defective mechanically could be detected. The new method of test fulfills these requirements.

Method for determining thermo-physical properties of specimens. [photographic recording of changes in thin film phase-change temperature indicating material in wind tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, R. A. (Inventor)

1974-01-01

The square root of the product of thermophysical properties q, c and k, where p is density, c is specific heat and k is thermal conductivity, is determined directly on a test specimen such as a wind tunnel model. The test specimen and a reference specimen of known specific heat are positioned at a given distance from a heat source. The specimens are provided with a coating, such as a phase change coating, to visually indicate that a given temperature was reached. A shutter interposed between the heat source and the specimens is opened and a motion picture camera is actuated to provide a time record of the heating step. The temperature of the reference specimen is recorded as a function of time. The heat rate to which both the test and reference specimens were subjected is determined from the temperature time response of the reference specimen by the conventional thin-skin calorimeter equation.

Paradigm Diagnostics Salmonella Indicator Broth (PDX-SIB) for detection of Salmonella on selected environmental surfaces.

PubMed

Olstein, Alan; Griffith, Leena; Feirtag, Joellen; Pearson, Nicole

2013-01-01

The Paradigm Diagnostics Salmonella Indicator Broth (PDX-SIB) is intended as a single-step selective enrichment indicator broth to be used as a simple screening test for the presence of Salmonella spp. in environmental samples. This method permits the end user to avoid multistep sample processing to identify presumptively positive samples, as exemplified by standard U.S. reference methods. PDX-SIB permits the outgrowth of Salmonella while inhibiting the growth of competitive Gram-negative and -positive microflora. Growth of Salmonella-positive cultures results in a visual color change of the medium from purple to yellow when the sample is grown at 37 +/- 1 degree C. Performance of PDX-SIB has been evaluated in five different categories: inclusivity-exclusivity, methods comparison, ruggedness, lot-to-lot variability, and shelf stability. The inclusivity panel included 100 different Salmonella serovars, 98 of which were SIB-positive during the 30 to 48 h incubation period. The exclusivity panel included 33 different non-Salmonella microorganisms, 31 of which were SIB-negative during the incubation period. Methods comparison studies included four different surfaces: S. Newport on plastic, S. Anatum on sealed concrete, S. Abaetetuba on ceramic tile, and S. Typhimurium in the presence of 1 log excess of Citrobacter freundii. Results of the methods comparison studies demonstrated no statistical difference between the SIB method and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration-Bacteriological Analytical Manual reference method, as measured by the Mantel-Haenszel Chi-square test. Ruggedness studies demonstrated little variation in test results when SIB incubation temperatures were varied over a 34-40 degrees C range. Lot-to-lot consistency results suggest no detectable differences in manufactured goods using two reference Salmonella serovars and one non-Salmonella microorganism.

Validation of the ANSR(®) Listeria monocytogenes Method for Detection of Listeria monocytogenes in Selected Food and Environmental Samples.

PubMed

Caballero, Oscar; Alles, Susan; Le, Quynh-Nhi; Gray, R Lucas; Hosking, Edan; Pinkava, Lisa; Norton, Paul; Tolan, Jerry; Mozola, Mark; Rice, Jennifer; Chen, Yi; Ryser, Elliot; Odumeru, Joseph

2016-01-01

Work was conducted to validate performance of the ANSR(®) for Listeria monocytogenes method in selected food and environmental matrixes. This DNA-based assay involves amplification of nucleic acid via an isothermal reaction based on nicking enzyme amplification technology. Following single-step sample enrichment for 16-24 h for most matrixes, the assay is completed in 40 min using only simple instrumentation. When 50 distinct strains of L. monocytogenes were tested for inclusivity, 48 produced positive results, the exceptions being two strains confirmed by PCR to lack the assay target gene. Forty-seven nontarget strains (30 species), including multiple non-monocytogenes Listeria species as well as non-Listeria, Gram-positive bacteria, were tested, and all generated negative ANSR assay results. Performance of the ANSR method was compared with that of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook reference culture procedure for detection of L. monocytogenes in hot dogs, pasteurized liquid egg, and sponge samples taken from an inoculated stainless steel surface. In addition, ANSR performance was measured against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Bacteriological Analytical Manual reference method for detection of L. monocytogenes in Mexican-style cheese, cantaloupe, sprout irrigation water, and guacamole. With the single exception of pasteurized liquid egg at 16 h, ANSR method performance as quantified by the number of positives obtained was not statistically different from that of the reference methods. Robustness trials demonstrated that deliberate introduction of small deviations to the normal assay parameters did not affect ANSR method performance. Results of accelerated stability testing conducted using two manufactured lots of reagents predicts stability at the specified storage temperature of 4°C of more than 1 year.

40 CFR Appendix A to Part 63 - Test Methods

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... components by a different analyst). 3.3Surrogate Reference Materials. The analyst may use surrogate compounds... the variance of the proposed method is significantly different from that of the validated method by... variables can be determined in eight experiments rather than 128 (W.J. Youden, Statistical Manual of the...

40 CFR 53.59 - Aerosol transport test for Class I equivalent method samplers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... sample collection filter) differs significantly from that specified for reference method samplers as... transport is the percentage of a laboratory challenge aerosol which penetrates to the active sample filter of the candidate equivalent method sampler. (2) The active sample filter is the exclusive filter...

40 CFR 53.59 - Aerosol transport test for Class I equivalent method samplers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... sample collection filter) differs significantly from that specified for reference method samplers as... transport is the percentage of a laboratory challenge aerosol which penetrates to the active sample filter of the candidate equivalent method sampler. (2) The active sample filter is the exclusive filter...

40 CFR 53.59 - Aerosol transport test for Class I equivalent method samplers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... sample collection filter) differs significantly from that specified for reference method samplers as... transport is the percentage of a laboratory challenge aerosol which penetrates to the active sample filter of the candidate equivalent method sampler. (2) The active sample filter is the exclusive filter...

40 CFR 53.59 - Aerosol transport test for Class I equivalent method samplers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... sample collection filter) differs significantly from that specified for reference method samplers as... transport is the percentage of a laboratory challenge aerosol which penetrates to the active sample filter of the candidate equivalent method sampler. (2) The active sample filter is the exclusive filter...

40 CFR 53.59 - Aerosol transport test for Class I equivalent method samplers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... sample collection filter) differs significantly from that specified for reference method samplers as... transport is the percentage of a laboratory challenge aerosol which penetrates to the active sample filter of the candidate equivalent method sampler. (2) The active sample filter is the exclusive filter...

21 CFR 1210.16 - Method of bacterial count.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED... FEDERAL IMPORT MILK ACT Inspection and Testing § 1210.16 Method of bacterial count. The bacterial count of milk and cream refers to the number of viable bacteria as determined by the standard plate method of...

21 CFR 1210.16 - Method of bacterial count.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED... FEDERAL IMPORT MILK ACT Inspection and Testing § 1210.16 Method of bacterial count. The bacterial count of milk and cream refers to the number of viable bacteria as determined by the standard plate method of...

Research of test fault diagnosis method for micro-satellite PSS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Haichao; Wang, Jinqi; Yang, Zhi; Yan, Meizhi

2017-11-01

Along with the increase in the number of micro-satellite and the shortening of the product's lifecycle, negative effects of satellite ground test failure become more and more serious. Real-time and efficient fault diagnosis becomes more and more necessary. PSS plays an important role in the satellite ground test's safety and reliability as one of the most important subsystems that guarantees the safety of micro-satellite energy. Take test fault diagnosis method of micro-satellite PSS as research object. On the basis of system features of PSS and classic fault diagnosis methods, propose a kind of fault diagnosis method based on the layered and loose coupling way. This article can provide certain reference for fault diagnosis methods research of other subsystems of micro-satellite.

CRISPR/Cas9 Technology-Based Xenograft Tumors as Candidate Reference Materials for Multiple EML4-ALK Rearrangements Testing.

PubMed

Peng, Rongxue; Zhang, Rui; Lin, Guigao; Yang, Xin; Li, Ziyang; Zhang, Kuo; Zhang, Jiawei; Li, Jinming

2017-09-01

The echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4 and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) receptor tyrosine kinase (EML4-ALK) rearrangement is an important biomarker that plays a pivotal role in therapeutic decision making for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Ensuring accuracy and reproducibility of EML4-ALK testing by fluorescence in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR, and next-generation sequencing requires reliable reference materials for monitoring assay sensitivity and specificity. Herein, we developed novel reference materials for various kinds of EML4-ALK testing. CRISPR/Cas9 was used to edit various NSCLC cell lines containing EML4-ALK rearrangement variants 1, 2, and 3a/b. After s.c. inoculation, the formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples from xenografts were prepared and tested for suitability as candidate reference materials by fluorescence in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR, and next-generation sequencing. Sample validation and commutability assessments showed that all types of FFPE samples derived from xenograft tumors have typical histological structures, and EML4-ALK testing results were similar to the clinical ALK-positive NSCLC specimens. Among the four methods for EML4-ALK detection, the validation test showed 100% concordance. Furthermore, these novel FFPE reference materials showed good stability and homogeneity. Without limitations on variant types and production, our novel FFPE samples based on CRISPR/Cas9 editing and xenografts are suitable as candidate reference materials for the validation, verification, internal quality control, and proficiency testing of EML4-ALK detection. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Investigative Pathology and the Association for Molecular Pathology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

ASBESTOS IN DRINKING WATER PERFORMANCE EVALUATION STUDIES

EPA Science Inventory

Performance evaluations of laboratories testing for asbestos in drinking water according to USEPA Test Method 100.1 or 100.2 are complicated by the difficulty of providing stable sample dispersions of asbestos in water. Reference samples of a graduated series of chrysotile asbes...

ASBESTOS IN DRINKING WATER PERFORMANCE EVALUATION STUDIES

EPA Science Inventory

Performance evaluations of laboratories testing for asbestos in drinking water according to USEPA Test Method 100.1 or 100.2 are complicated by the difficulty of providing stable sample dispersions of asbestos in water. Reference samples of a graduated series of chrysotile asbest...

78 FR 13243 - Updates to Standards Incorporated by Reference; Reapproved ASTM Standards; Technical Amendment

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-27

... Characteristics of Plastic Film 2009)[egr]1. and Sheeting. Standard Specification for F682-82a F682-82a 46 56.01-2... (Reapproved Standard Test Method for Determining Gas 2009)[egr]1. Permeability Characteristics of Plastic Film..., Fire prevention, Hazardous substances, Incorporation by reference, Oil pollution, Reporting and...

Development of synthetic nuclear melt glass for forensic analysis.

PubMed

Molgaard, Joshua J; Auxier, John D; Giminaro, Andrew V; Oldham, C J; Cook, Matthew T; Young, Stephen A; Hall, Howard L

A method for producing synthetic debris similar to the melt glass produced by nuclear surface testing is demonstrated. Melt glass from the first nuclear weapon test (commonly referred to as trinitite) is used as the benchmark for this study. These surrogates can be used to simulate a variety of scenarios and will serve as a tool for developing and validating forensic analysis methods.

Persistent digestive disorders in the tropics: causative infectious pathogens and reference diagnostic tests

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Persistent digestive disorders account for considerable disease burden in the tropics. Despite advances in understanding acute gastrointestinal infections, important issues concerning epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment and control of most persistent digestive symptomatologies remain to be elucidated. Helminths and intestinal protozoa are considered to play major roles, but the full extent of the aetiologic spectrum is still unclear. We provide an overview of pathogens causing digestive disorders in the tropics and evaluate available reference tests. Methods We searched the literature to identify pathogens that might give rise to persistent diarrhoea, chronic abdominal pain and/or blood in the stool. We reviewed existing laboratory diagnostic methods for each pathogen and stratified them by (i) microscopy; (ii) culture techniques; (iii) immunological tests; and (iv) molecular methods. Pathogen-specific reference tests providing highest diagnostic accuracy are described in greater detail. Results Over 30 pathogens may cause persistent digestive disorders. Bacteria, viruses and parasites are important aetiologic agents of acute and long-lasting symptomatologies. An integrated approach, consisting of stool culture, microscopy and/or specific immunological techniques for toxin, antigen and antibody detection, is required for accurate diagnosis of bacteria and parasites. Molecular techniques are essential for sensitive diagnosis of many viruses, bacteria and intestinal protozoa, and are increasingly utilised as adjuncts for helminth identification. Conclusions Diagnosis of the broad spectrum of intestinal pathogens is often cumbersome. There is a need for rapid diagnostic tests that are simple and affordable for resource-constrained settings, so that the management of patients suffering from persistent digestive disorders can be improved. PMID:23347408

New decision criteria for selecting delta check methods based on the ratio of the delta difference to the width of the reference range can be generally applicable for each clinical chemistry test item.

PubMed

Park, Sang Hyuk; Kim, So-Young; Lee, Woochang; Chun, Sail; Min, Won-Ki

2012-09-01

Many laboratories use 4 delta check methods: delta difference, delta percent change, rate difference, and rate percent change. However, guidelines regarding decision criteria for selecting delta check methods have not yet been provided. We present new decision criteria for selecting delta check methods for each clinical chemistry test item. We collected 811,920 and 669,750 paired (present and previous) test results for 27 clinical chemistry test items from inpatients and outpatients, respectively. We devised new decision criteria for the selection of delta check methods based on the ratio of the delta difference to the width of the reference range (DD/RR). Delta check methods based on these criteria were compared with those based on the CV% of the absolute delta difference (ADD) as well as those reported in 2 previous studies. The delta check methods suggested by new decision criteria based on the DD/RR ratio corresponded well with those based on the CV% of the ADD except for only 2 items each in inpatients and outpatients. Delta check methods based on the DD/RR ratio also corresponded with those suggested in the 2 previous studies, except for 1 and 7 items in inpatients and outpatients, respectively. The DD/RR method appears to yield more feasible and intuitive selection criteria and can easily explain changes in the results by reflecting both the biological variation of the test item and the clinical characteristics of patients in each laboratory. We suggest this as a measure to determine delta check methods.

Plasma creatinine in dogs: intra- and inter-laboratory variation in 10 European veterinary laboratories

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background There is substantial variation in reported reference intervals for canine plasma creatinine among veterinary laboratories, thereby influencing the clinical assessment of analytical results. The aims of the study was to determine the inter- and intra-laboratory variation in plasma creatinine among 10 veterinary laboratories, and to compare results from each laboratory with the upper limit of its reference interval. Methods Samples were collected from 10 healthy dogs, 10 dogs with expected intermediate plasma creatinine concentrations, and 10 dogs with azotemia. Overlap was observed for the first two groups. The 30 samples were divided into 3 batches and shipped in random order by postal delivery for plasma creatinine determination. Statistical testing was performed in accordance with ISO standard methodology. Results Inter- and intra-laboratory variation was clinically acceptable as plasma creatinine values for most samples were usually of the same magnitude. A few extreme outliers caused three laboratories to fail statistical testing for consistency. Laboratory sample means above or below the overall sample mean, did not unequivocally reflect high or low reference intervals in that laboratory. Conclusions In spite of close analytical results, further standardization among laboratories is warranted. The discrepant reference intervals seem to largely reflect different populations used in establishing the reference intervals, rather than analytical variation due to different laboratory methods. PMID:21477356

Test-retest stability of the Task and Ego Orientation Questionnaire.

PubMed

Lane, Andrew M; Nevill, Alan M; Bowes, Neal; Fox, Kenneth R

2005-09-01

Establishing stability, defined as observing minimal measurement error in a test-retest assessment, is vital to validating psychometric tools. Correlational methods, such as Pearson product-moment, intraclass, and kappa are tests of association or consistency, whereas stability or reproducibility (regarded here as synonymous) assesses the agreement between test-retest scores. Indexes of reproducibility using the Task and Ego Orientation in Sport Questionnaire (TEOSQ; Duda & Nicholls, 1992) were investigated using correlational (Pearson product-moment, intraclass, and kappa) methods, repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance, and calculating the proportion of agreement within a referent value of +/-1 as suggested by Nevill, Lane, Kilgour, Bowes, and Whyte (2001). Two hundred thirteen soccer players completed the TEOSQ on two occasions, 1 week apart. Correlation analyses indicated a stronger test-retest correlation for the Ego subscale than the Task subscale. Multivariate analysis of variance indicated stability for ego items but with significant increases in four task items. The proportion of test-retest agreement scores indicated that all ego items reported relatively poor stability statistics with test-retest scores within a range of +/-1, ranging from 82.7-86.9%. By contrast, all task items showed test-retest difference scores ranging from 92.5-99%, although further analysis indicated that four task subscale items increased significantly. Findings illustrated that correlational methods (Pearson product-moment, intraclass, and kappa) are influenced by the range in scores, and calculating the proportion of agreement of test-retest differences with a referent value of +/-1 could provide additional insight into the stability of the questionnaire. It is suggested that the item-by-item proportion of agreement method proposed by Nevill et al. (2001) should be used to supplement existing methods and could be especially helpful in identifying rogue items in the initial stages of psychometric questionnaire validation.

First Nine Cases of Candida auris Infection Reported in Central America: Importance of Acurate Diagnosis and Susceptibility Testing

PubMed Central

Rodriguez, Ana Belen Arauz; Caceres, Diego H; Santiago, Erika; Armstrong, Paige; French, Amalia Rodriguez; Arosemena, Susan; Ramos, Carolina; Espinosa-Bode, Andres; Borace, Jovanna; Hayer, Lizbeth; Cedeño, Israel; Sosa, Nestor; Berkow, Elizabeth L; Lockhart, Shawn R; Jackson, Brendan R; Chiller, Tom

2017-01-01

Abstract Background Candida auris is an emerging multidrug-resistant pathogen associated with invasive infections and high mortality. This report describes the first 9 cases of C. auris in Central America in a hospital in Panama City, Panama, and highlights the challenges of accurate identification and methods for susceptibility testing. Methods Isolates initially identified at a Panama City acute care hospital during July–October 2016 as Candida haemulonii (a common misidentification for C. auris) or Candida species by Vitek® 2 automated system (bioMérieux) were further characterized by molecular methods. Antifungal susceptibility testing was performed and results were compared between standard and reference methodologies. Patient demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were collected from the medical record. Results A total of 14 isolates from 9 hospitalized patients were confirmed as C. auris. Isolates were from urine (11), blood (1), catheter tip (1) and pleural fluid (1). Results of susceptibility testing were highly discrepant between automated and reference techniques for fluconazole (92% resistant vs. 77%, respectively) and amphotericin B (100% vs. 8%). Six (67%) patients were male, and the mean age was 53 years (range 42–78). All patients were admitted to the intensive care unit and were mechanically ventilated. Seven (78%) patients died. Conclusion C. auris is present in Central America. Healthcare facilities in the region should be vigilant for this concerning pathogen, particularly given challenges in its identification and need for infection control precautions. Although automated testing overestimated amphotericin B resistance, most initial isolates were susceptible by reference testing. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

System For Surveillance Of Spectral Signals

DOEpatents

Gross, Kenneth C.; Wegerich, Stephan W.; Criss-Puszkiewicz, Cynthia; Wilks, Alan D.

2004-10-12

A method and system for monitoring at least one of a system, a process and a data source. A method and system have been developed for carrying out surveillance, testing and modification of an ongoing process or other source of data, such as a spectroscopic examination. A signal from the system under surveillance is collected and compared with a reference signal, a frequency domain transformation carried out for the system signal and reference signal, a frequency domain difference function established. The process is then repeated until a full range of data is accumulated over the time domain and a Sequential Probability Ratio Test ("SPRT") methodology applied to determine a three-dimensional surface plot characteristic of the operating state of the system under surveillance.

System For Surveillance Of Spectral Signals

DOEpatents

Gross, Kenneth C.; Wegerich, Stephan; Criss-Puszkiewicz, Cynthia; Wilks, Alan D.

2003-04-22

A method and system for monitoring at least one of a system, a process and a data source. A method and system have been developed for carrying out surveillance, testing and modification of an ongoing process or other source of data, such as a spectroscopic examination. A signal from the system under surveillance is collected and compared with a reference signal, a frequency domain transformation carried out for the system signal and reference signal, a frequency domain difference function established. The process is then repeated until a full range of data is accumulated over the time domain and a Sequential Probability Ratio Test methodology applied to determine a three-dimensional surface plot characteristic of the operating state of the system under surveillance.

System for surveillance of spectral signals

DOEpatents

Gross, Kenneth C.; Wegerich, Stephan W.; Criss-Puszkiewicz, Cynthia; Wilks, Alan D.

2006-02-14

A method and system for monitoring at least one of a system, a process and a data source. A method and system have been developed for carrying out surveillance, testing and modification of an ongoing process or other source of data, such as a spectroscopic examination. A signal from the system under surveillance is collected and compared with a reference signal, a frequency domain transformation carried out for the system signal and reference signal, a frequency domain difference function established. The process is then repeated until a full range of data is accumulated over the time domain and a Sequential Probability Ratio Test ("SPRT") methodology applied to determine a three-dimensional surface plot characteristic of the operating state of the system under surveillance.

System for surveillance of spectral signals

DOEpatents

Gross, Kenneth C.; Wegerich, Stephan W.; Criss-Puszkiewicz, Cynthia; Wilks, Alan D.

2001-01-01

A method and system for monitoring at least one of a system, a process and a data source. A method and system have been developed for carrying out surveillance, testing and modification of an ongoing process or other source of data, such as a spectroscopic examination. A signal from the system under surveillance is collected and compared with a reference signal, a frequency domain transformation carried out for the system signal and reference signal, a frequency domain difference function established. The process is then repeated until a full range of data is accumulated over the time domain and a SPRT sequential probability ratio test methodology applied to determine a three-dimensional surface plot characteristic of the operating state of the system under surveillance.

A statistical assessment of differences and equivalences between genetically modified and reference plant varieties

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Safety assessment of genetically modified organisms is currently often performed by comparative evaluation. However, natural variation of plant characteristics between commercial varieties is usually not considered explicitly in the statistical computations underlying the assessment. Results Statistical methods are described for the assessment of the difference between a genetically modified (GM) plant variety and a conventional non-GM counterpart, and for the assessment of the equivalence between the GM variety and a group of reference plant varieties which have a history of safe use. It is proposed to present the results of both difference and equivalence testing for all relevant plant characteristics simultaneously in one or a few graphs, as an aid for further interpretation in safety assessment. A procedure is suggested to derive equivalence limits from the observed results for the reference plant varieties using a specific implementation of the linear mixed model. Three different equivalence tests are defined to classify any result in one of four equivalence classes. The performance of the proposed methods is investigated by a simulation study, and the methods are illustrated on compositional data from a field study on maize grain. Conclusions A clear distinction of practical relevance is shown between difference and equivalence testing. The proposed tests are shown to have appropriate performance characteristics by simulation, and the proposed simultaneous graphical representation of results was found to be helpful for the interpretation of results from a practical field trial data set. PMID:21324199

10 CFR 431.76 - Uniform test method for the measurement of energy efficiency of commercial warm air furnaces.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... Gases), 2.5 (Test Pressures and Burner Adjustments), 2.6 (Static Pressure and Air Flow Adjustments), 2... pressure, as specified in Section 2.5.1 of ANSI Standard Z21.47-1998, (Incorporated by reference, see § 431... thermal efficiency test), 41 (Initial Test Conditions), 42 (Combustion Test—Burner and Furnace), 43.2...

10 CFR 431.76 - Uniform test method for the measurement of energy efficiency of commercial warm air furnaces.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Gases), 2.5 (Test Pressures and Burner Adjustments), 2.6 (Static Pressure and Air Flow Adjustments), 2... pressure, as specified in Section 2.5.1 of ANSI Standard Z21.47-1998, (Incorporated by reference, see § 431... thermal efficiency test), 41 (Initial Test Conditions), 42 (Combustion Test—Burner and Furnace), 43.2...

Solvent Replacement for Super Corr-A Corrosion Preventive Compound (CPC)

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-08-18

AFCPCO BUSINESS SENSITIVE 8 First Article Testing Results Insert table referred to in interim report ? Requirement Test Method Specification...Vertical BUSINESS SENSITIVE 23 Conclusions • No tested lubricants met all first article testing requirements • DuPont Vertrel SDG and Kyzen Cybersolv...Paul Hoth Battelle Hill AFB Distribution Statement A Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited Report Documentation Page

Common pitfalls in statistical analysis: The perils of multiple testing

PubMed Central

Ranganathan, Priya; Pramesh, C. S.; Buyse, Marc

2016-01-01

Multiple testing refers to situations where a dataset is subjected to statistical testing multiple times - either at multiple time-points or through multiple subgroups or for multiple end-points. This amplifies the probability of a false-positive finding. In this article, we look at the consequences of multiple testing and explore various methods to deal with this issue. PMID:27141478

The importance of reference materials in doping-control analysis.

PubMed

Mackay, Lindsey G; Kazlauskas, Rymantas

2011-08-01

Currently a large range of pure substance reference materials are available for calibration of doping-control methods. These materials enable traceability to the International System of Units (SI) for the results generated by World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-accredited laboratories. Only a small number of prohibited substances have threshold limits for which quantification is highly important. For these analytes only the highest quality reference materials that are available should be used. Many prohibited substances have no threshold limits and reference materials provide essential identity confirmation. For these reference materials the correct identity is critical and the methods used to assess identity in these cases should be critically evaluated. There is still a lack of certified matrix reference materials to support many aspects of doping analysis. However, in key areas a range of urine matrix materials have been produced for substances with threshold limits, for example 19-norandrosterone and testosterone/epitestosterone (T/E) ratio. These matrix-certified reference materials (CRMs) are an excellent independent means of checking method recovery and bias and will typically be used in method validation and then regularly as quality-control checks. They can be particularly important in the analysis of samples close to threshold limits, in which measurement accuracy becomes critical. Some reference materials for isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) analysis are available and a matrix material certified for steroid delta values is currently under production. In other new areas, for example the Athlete Biological Passport, peptide hormone testing, designer steroids, and gene doping, reference material needs still need to be thoroughly assessed and prioritised.

Reference gene selection for quantitative gene expression studies during biological invasions: A test on multiple genes and tissues in a model ascidian Ciona savignyi.

PubMed

Huang, Xuena; Gao, Yangchun; Jiang, Bei; Zhou, Zunchun; Zhan, Aibin

2016-01-15

As invasive species have successfully colonized a wide range of dramatically different local environments, they offer a good opportunity to study interactions between species and rapidly changing environments. Gene expression represents one of the primary and crucial mechanisms for rapid adaptation to local environments. Here, we aim to select reference genes for quantitative gene expression analysis based on quantitative Real-Time PCR (qRT-PCR) for a model invasive ascidian, Ciona savignyi. We analyzed the stability of ten candidate reference genes in three tissues (siphon, pharynx and intestine) under two key environmental stresses (temperature and salinity) in the marine realm based on three programs (geNorm, NormFinder and delta Ct method). Our results demonstrated only minor difference for stability rankings among the three methods. The use of different single reference gene might influence the data interpretation, while multiple reference genes could minimize possible errors. Therefore, reference gene combinations were recommended for different tissues - the optimal reference gene combination for siphon was RPS15 and RPL17 under temperature stress, and RPL17, UBQ and TubA under salinity treatment; for pharynx, TubB, TubA and RPL17 were the most stable genes under temperature stress, while TubB, TubA and UBQ were the best under salinity stress; for intestine, UBQ, RPS15 and RPL17 were the most reliable reference genes under both treatments. Our results suggest that the necessity of selection and test of reference genes for different tissues under varying environmental stresses. The results obtained here are expected to reveal mechanisms of gene expression-mediated invasion success using C. savignyi as a model species. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparative evaluation of two quantitative test methods for determining the efficacy of liquid sporicides and sterilants on a hard surface: a precollaborative study.

PubMed

Tomasino, Stephen F; Hamilton, Martin A

2007-01-01

Two quantitative carrier-based test methods for determining the efficacy of liquid sporicides and sterilants on a hard surface, the Standard Quantitative Carrier Test Method-ASTM E 2111-00 and an adaptation of a quantitative micro-method as reported by Sagripanti and Bonifacino, were compared in this study. The methods were selected based on their desirable characteristics (e.g., well-developed protocol, previous use with spores, fully quantitative, and use of readily available equipment) for testing liquid sporicides and sterilants on a hard surface. In this paper, the Sagripanti-Bonifacino procedure is referred to as the Three Step Method (TSM). AOAC Official Method 966.04 was included in this study as a reference method. Three laboratories participated in the evaluation. Three chemical treatments were tested: (1) 3000 ppm sodium hypochlorite with pH adjusted to 7.0, (2) a hydrogen peroxide/peroxyacetic acid product, and (3) 3000 ppm sodium hypochlorite with pH unadjusted (pH of approximately 10.0). A fourth treatment, 6000 ppm sodium hypochlorite solution with pH adjusted to 7.0, was included only for Method 966.04 as a positive control (high level of efficacy). The contact time was 10 min for all chemical treatments except the 6000 ppm sodium hypochlorite treatment which was tested at 30 min. Each chemical treatment was tested 3 times using each of the methods. Only 2 of the laboratories performed the AOAC method. Method performance was assessed by the within-laboratory variance, between-laboratory variance, and total variance associated with the log reduction (LR) estimates generated by each quantitative method. The quantitative methods performed similarly, and the LR values generated by each method were not statistically different for the 3 treatments evaluated. Based on feedback from the participating laboratories, compared to the TSM, ASTM E 2111-00 was more resource demanding and required more set-up time. The logistical and resource concerns identified for ASTM E 2111-00 were largely associated with the filtration process and counting bacterial colonies on filters. Thus, the TSM was determined to be the most suitable method.

Serum prolactin revisited: parametric reference intervals and cross platform evaluation of polyethylene glycol precipitation-based methods for discrimination between hyperprolactinemia and macroprolactinemia.

PubMed

Overgaard, Martin; Pedersen, Susanne Møller

2017-10-26

Hyperprolactinemia diagnosis and treatment is often compromised by the presence of biologically inactive and clinically irrelevant higher-molecular-weight complexes of prolactin, macroprolactin. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of two macroprolactin screening regimes across commonly used automated immunoassay platforms. Parametric total and monomeric gender-specific reference intervals were determined for six immunoassay methods using female (n=96) and male sera (n=127) from healthy donors. The reference intervals were validated using 27 hyperprolactinemic and macroprolactinemic sera, whose presence of monomeric and macroforms of prolactin were determined using gel filtration chromatography (GFC). Normative data for six prolactin assays included the range of values (2.5th-97.5th percentiles). Validation sera (hyperprolactinemic and macroprolactinemic; n=27) showed higher discordant classification [mean=2.8; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2-4.4] for the monomer reference interval method compared to the post-polyethylene glycol (PEG) recovery cutoff method (mean=1.8; 95% CI 0.8-2.8). The two monomer/macroprolactin discrimination methods did not differ significantly (p=0.089). Among macroprolactinemic sera evaluated by both discrimination methods, the Cobas and Architect/Kryptor prolactin assays showed the lowest and the highest number of misclassifications, respectively. Current automated immunoassays for prolactin testing require macroprolactin screening methods based on PEG precipitation in order to discriminate truly from falsely elevated serum prolactin. While the recovery cutoff and monomeric reference interval macroprolactin screening methods demonstrate similar discriminative ability, the latter method also provides the clinician with an easy interpretable monomeric prolactin concentration along with a monomeric reference interval.

Development and evaluation of pile "high strain dynamic test database" to improve driven capacity estimates : phase 1 report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-01-01

The Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) has noted poor correlation between predicted pile resistances : calculated using commonly accepted design methods and measured pile resistance from dynamic pile load tests (also : referred to as high ...

Development and evaluation of pile "high strain dynamic test database" to improve driven capacity estimates : phase 2 report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-01-01

The Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) has noted poor correlation between predicted pile resistances : calculated using commonly accepted design methods and measured pile resistance from dynamic pile load tests (also : referred to as high ...

Fuel and Fuel System Materials Compatibility Test Program for A JP-8+100 Fuel Additive. Volume 1: Thermal Stability Additive Package BetzDearborn Spec Aid(Registered) 8Q462

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-10-01

SAE Rings, Sealing, Butadiene-Acrylonitrile ( NBR ), Rubber Fuel and Low Temperature Resistant 60 - 70 MIL-R-83248C Rubber , Fluorocarbon...KAPTON/TEFLON (COMPOSITE) WIRE I.I.10 34 VI. REFERENCE DOCUMENTS Non-Metallics MIL-HDBK-149B Military Standardization Hand Book Rubber ...ASTM D-1414 Standard Test Methods for Rubber O-Rings ASTM D-412 Type II Standard Test Methods for Vulcanized Rubber and Thermoplastic

Use of Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization–Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry for Caspofungin Susceptibility Testing of Candida and Aspergillus Species

PubMed Central

De Carolis, Elena; Vella, Antonietta; Florio, Ada R.; Posteraro, Patrizia; Perlin, David S.; Posteraro, Brunella

2012-01-01

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) was evaluated for testing susceptibility to caspofungin of wild-type and fks mutant isolates of Candida and Aspergillus. Complete essential agreement was observed with the CLSI reference method, with categorical agreement for 94.1% of the Candida isolates tested. Thus, MALDI-TOF MS is a reliable and accurate method to detect fungal isolates with reduced caspofungin susceptibility. PMID:22535984

Use of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry for caspofungin susceptibility testing of Candida and Aspergillus species.

PubMed

De Carolis, Elena; Vella, Antonietta; Florio, Ada R; Posteraro, Patrizia; Perlin, David S; Sanguinetti, Maurizio; Posteraro, Brunella

2012-07-01

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) was evaluated for testing susceptibility to caspofungin of wild-type and fks mutant isolates of Candida and Aspergillus. Complete essential agreement was observed with the CLSI reference method, with categorical agreement for 94.1% of the Candida isolates tested. Thus, MALDI-TOF MS is a reliable and accurate method to detect fungal isolates with reduced caspofungin susceptibility.

Rapid Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Using Forward Laser Light Scatter Technology.

PubMed

Hayden, Randall T; Clinton, Lani K; Hewitt, Carolyn; Koyamatsu, Terri; Sun, Yilun; Jamison, Ginger; Perkins, Rosalie; Tang, Li; Pounds, Stanley; Bankowski, Matthew J

2016-11-01

The delayed reporting of antimicrobial susceptibility testing remains a limiting factor in clinical decision-making in the treatment of bacterial infection. This study evaluates the use of forward laser light scatter (FLLS) to measure bacterial growth for the early determination of antimicrobial susceptibility. Three isolates each (two clinical isolates and one reference strain) of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were tested in triplicate using two commercial antimicrobial testing systems, the Vitek2 and the MicroScan MIC panel, to challenge the BacterioScan FLLS. The BacterioScan FLLS showed a high degree of categorical concordance with the commercial methods. Pairwise comparison with each commercial system serving as a reference standard showed 88.9% agreement with MicroScan (two minor errors) and 72.2% agreement with Vitek (five minor errors). FLLS using the BacterioScan system shows promise as a novel method for the rapid and accurate determination of antimicrobial susceptibility. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Current status of antifungal susceptibility testing methods.

PubMed

Arikan, Sevtap

2007-11-01

Antifungal susceptibility testing is a very dynamic field of medical mycology. Standardization of in vitro susceptibility tests by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) and the European Committee for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST), and current availability of reference methods constituted the major remarkable steps in the field. Based on the established minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) breakpoints, it is now possible to determine the susceptibilities of Candida strains to fluconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole, and flucytosine. Moreover, utility of fluconazole antifungal susceptibility tests as an adjunct in optimizing treatment of candidiasis has now been validated. While the MIC breakpoints and clinical significance of susceptibility testing for the remaining fungi and antifungal drugs remain yet unclear, modifications of the available methods as well as other methodologies are being intensively studied to overcome the present drawbacks and limitations. Among the other methods under investigation are Etest, colorimetric microdilution, agar dilution, determination of fungicidal activity, flow cytometry, and ergosterol quantitation. Etest offers the advantage of practical application and favorable agreement rates with the reference methods that are frequently above acceptable limits. However, MIC breakpoints for Etest remain to be evaluated and established. Development of commercially available, standardized colorimetric panels that are based on CLSI method parameters has added more to the antifungal susceptibility testing armamentarium. Flow cytometry, on the other hand, appears to offer rapid susceptibility testing but requires specified equipment and further evaluation for reproducibility and standardization. Ergosterol quantitation is another novel approach, which appears potentially beneficial particularly in discrimination of azole-resistant isolates from heavy trailers. The method is yet investigational and requires to be further studied. Developments in methodology and applications of antifungal susceptibility testing will hopefully provide enhanced utility in clinical guidance of antifungal therapy. However, and particularly in immunosuppressed host, in vitro susceptibility is and will remain only one of several factors that influence clinical outcome.

Reference set for performance testing of pediatric vaccine safety signal detection methods and systems.

PubMed

Brauchli Pernus, Yolanda; Nan, Cassandra; Verstraeten, Thomas; Pedenko, Mariia; Osokogu, Osemeke U; Weibel, Daniel; Sturkenboom, Miriam; Bonhoeffer, Jan

2016-12-12

Safety signal detection in spontaneous reporting system databases and electronic healthcare records is key to detection of previously unknown adverse events following immunization. Various statistical methods for signal detection in these different datasources have been developed, however none are geared to the pediatric population and none specifically to vaccines. A reference set comprising pediatric vaccine-adverse event pairs is required for reliable performance testing of statistical methods within and across data sources. The study was conducted within the context of the Global Research in Paediatrics (GRiP) project, as part of the seventh framework programme (FP7) of the European Commission. Criteria for the selection of vaccines considered in the reference set were routine and global use in the pediatric population. Adverse events were primarily selected based on importance. Outcome based systematic literature searches were performed for all identified vaccine-adverse event pairs and complemented by expert committee reports, evidence based decision support systems (e.g. Micromedex), and summaries of product characteristics. Classification into positive (PC) and negative control (NC) pairs was performed by two independent reviewers according to a pre-defined algorithm and discussed for consensus in case of disagreement. We selected 13 vaccines and 14 adverse events to be included in the reference set. From a total of 182 vaccine-adverse event pairs, we classified 18 as PC, 113 as NC and 51 as unclassifiable. Most classifications (91) were based on literature review, 45 were based on expert committee reports, and for 46 vaccine-adverse event pairs, an underlying pathomechanism was not plausible classifying the association as NC. A reference set of vaccine-adverse event pairs was developed. We propose its use for comparing signal detection methods and systems in the pediatric population. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

A fast and automatic mosaic method for high-resolution satellite images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Hongshun; He, Hui; Xiao, Hongyu; Huang, Jing

2015-12-01

We proposed a fast and fully automatic mosaic method for high-resolution satellite images. First, the overlapped rectangle is computed according to geographical locations of the reference and mosaic images and feature points on both the reference and mosaic images are extracted by a scale-invariant feature transform (SIFT) algorithm only from the overlapped region. Then, the RANSAC method is used to match feature points of both images. Finally, the two images are fused into a seamlessly panoramic image by the simple linear weighted fusion method or other method. The proposed method is implemented in C++ language based on OpenCV and GDAL, and tested by Worldview-2 multispectral images with a spatial resolution of 2 meters. Results show that the proposed method can detect feature points efficiently and mosaic images automatically.

27 CFR 21.127 - Shellac (refined).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... Gutzeit Method (AOAC method 25.020; for incorporation by reference, see § 21.6(c)). (b) Color. White or orange. (c) Rosin content. None when tested by the following method: Add 20 ml of absolute alcohol or... petroleum ether and mix thoroughly. Add approximately 2 liters of water and separate a portion of the ether...

40 CFR Appendix A-3 to Part 60 - Test Methods 4 through 5I

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... isokinetic sampling rates prior to a pollutant emission measurement run. The approximation method described... with a pollutant emission measurement run. When it is, calculation of percent isokinetic, pollutant emission rate, etc., for the run shall be based upon the results of the reference method or its equivalent...

40 CFR 265.1034 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... or n-hexane and air at a concentration of approximately, but less than, 10,000 ppm methane or n-hexane. (5) The background level shall be determined as set forth in Reference Method 21. (6) The... or exiting control device, as determined by Method 2, dscm/h; n = Number of organic compounds in the...

40 CFR 265.1034 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... or n-hexane and air at a concentration of approximately, but less than, 10,000 ppm methane or n-hexane. (5) The background level shall be determined as set forth in Reference Method 21. (6) The... or exiting control device, as determined by Method 2, dscm/h; n = Number of organic compounds in the...

40 CFR 265.1034 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... or n-hexane and air at a concentration of approximately, but less than, 10,000 ppm methane or n-hexane. (5) The background level shall be determined as set forth in Reference Method 21. (6) The... or exiting control device, as determined by Method 2, dscm/h; n = Number of organic compounds in the...

40 CFR 265.1034 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... or n-hexane and air at a concentration of approximately, but less than, 10,000 ppm methane or n-hexane. (5) The background level shall be determined as set forth in Reference Method 21. (6) The... or exiting control device, as determined by Method 2, dscm/h; n = Number of organic compounds in the...

40 CFR 265.1034 - Test methods and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... or n-hexane and air at a concentration of approximately, but less than, 10,000 ppm methane or n-hexane. (5) The background level shall be determined as set forth in Reference Method 21. (6) The... or exiting control device, as determined by Method 2, dscm/h; n = Number of organic compounds in the...

Equivalency testing of TTC Tergitol 7 agar (ISO 9308-1:2000) with five culture media for the detection of E. coli in water samples in Greece.

PubMed

Mavridou, A; Smeti, E; Mandilara, G; Mandilara, G; Boufa, P; Vagiona-Arvanitidou, M; Vantarakis, A; Vassilandonopoulou, G; Pappa, O; Roussia, V; Tzouanopoulos, A; Livadara, M; Aisopou, I; Maraka, V; Nikolaou, E; Mandilara, G

2010-01-01

In this study ten laboratories in Greece compared the performance of reference method TTC Tergitol 7 Agar (with the additional test of beta-glucuronidase production) with five alternative methods, to detect E. coli in water, in line with European Water Directive recommendations. The samples were prepared by spiking drinking water with sewage effluent following a standard protocol. Chlorinated and non-chlorinated samples were used. The statistical analysis was based on the mean relative difference of confirmed counts and was performed in line with ISO 17994. The results showed that in total, three of the alternative methods (Chromocult Coliform agar, Membrane Lauryl Sulfate agar and Trypton Bilex-glucuronidase medium) were not different from TTC Tergitol 7 agar (TTC Tergitol 7 agar vs Chromocult Coliform agar, 294 samples, mean RD% 5.55; vs MLSA, 302 samples, mean RD% 1; vs TBX, 297 samples, mean RD% -2.78). The other two alternative methods (Membrane Faecal coliform medium and Colilert 18/ Quantitray) gave significantly higher counts than TTC Tergitol 7 agar (TTC Tergitol 7 agar vs MFc, 303 samples, mean RD% 8.81; vs Colilert-18/Quantitray, 76 samples, mean RD% 18.91). In other words, the alternative methods generated performance that was as reliable as, or even better than, the reference method. This study will help laboratories in Greece overcome culture and counting problems deriving from the EU reference method for E. coli counts in water samples.

Validity of flowmeter data in heterogeneous alluvial aquifers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bianchi, Marco

2017-04-01

Numerical simulations are performed to evaluate the impact of medium-scale sedimentary architecture and small-scale heterogeneity on the validity of the borehole flowmeter test, a widely used method for measuring hydraulic conductivity (K) at the scale required for detailed groundwater flow and solute transport simulations. Reference data from synthetic K fields representing the range of structures and small-scale heterogeneity typically observed in alluvial systems are compared with estimated values from numerical simulations of flowmeter tests. Systematic errors inherent in the flowmeter K estimates are significant when the reference K field structure deviates from the hypothetical perfectly stratified conceptual model at the basis of the interpretation method of flowmeter tests. Because of these errors, the true variability of the K field is underestimated and the distributions of the reference K data and log-transformed spatial increments are also misconstrued. The presented numerical analysis shows that the validity of flowmeter based K data depends on measureable parameters defining the architecture of the hydrofacies, the conductivity contrasts between the hydrofacies and the sub-facies-scale K variability. A preliminary geological characterization is therefore essential for evaluating the optimal approach for accurate K field characterization.

Effects of Average Signed Area Between Two Item Characteristic Curves and Test Purification Procedures on the DIF Detection via the Mantel-Haenszel Method

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Wen-Chung; Su, Ya-Hui

2004-01-01

In this study we investigated the effects of the average signed area (ASA) between the item characteristic curves of the reference and focal groups and three test purification procedures on the uniform differential item functioning (DIF) detection via the Mantel-Haenszel (M-H) method through Monte Carlo simulations. The results showed that ASA,…

Effects of General and Specific Cognitive Abilities on Reading Achievement in a Referred Sample

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Juarez, Betsy M.

2012-01-01

Psychoeducational assessment, and specifically cognitive testing, is important to the role of school psychologists; however, the utility of such testing has been called into question, and its future is unclear. Researchers are divided into two camps. One side grew disenchanted with cognitive testing after the failure of the discrepancy method to…

Part 2: Sensitivity comparisons of the insect Centroptilum triangulifer to Ceriodaphnia dubia and Daphnia magna using standard reference toxicants; NaCl, KCl and CuSO4

EPA Science Inventory

Criteria for establishing water quality standards that are protective of all native biota are generally based upon laboratory toxicity tests. These test utilize common model organisms that have established test methods. However, only a small portion of species have established ...

Validating Test Score Meaning and Defending Test Score Use: Different Aims, Different Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cizek, Gregory J.

2016-01-01

Advances in validity theory and alacrity in validation practice have suffered because the term "validity" has been used to refer to two incompatible concerns: (1) the degree of support for specified interpretations of test scores (i.e. intended score meaning) and (2) the degree of support for specified applications (i.e. intended test…

A simple micro-photometric method for urinary iodine determination.

PubMed

Grimm, Gabriele; Lindorfer, Heidelinde; Kieweg, Heidi; Marculescu, Rodrig; Hoffmann, Martha; Gessl, Alois; Sager, Manfred; Bieglmayer, Christian

2011-10-01

Urinary iodide concentration (UIC) is useful to evaluate nutritional iodine status. In clinical settings UIC helps to exclude blocking of the thyroid gland by excessive endogenous iodine, if diagnostic or therapeutic administration of radio-iodine is indicated. Therefore, this study established a simple test for the measurement of UIC. UIC was analyzed in urine samples of 200 patients. Samples were pre-treated at 95°C for 45 min with ammonium persulfate in a thermal cycler, followed by a photometric Sandell-Kolthoff reaction (SK) carried out in microtiter plates. For method comparison, UIC was analyzed in 30 samples by inductivity coupled plasma mass spectro-metry (ICP-MS) as a reference method. Incubation conditions were optimized concerning recovery. The photometric test correlated well to the reference method (SK=0.91*ICP-MS+1, r=0.962) and presented with a functional sensitivity of 20 μg/L. UIC of patient samples ranged from <20 to 750 μg/L (median 110 μg/L); 90% of the urine samples had iodide concentrations below 210 μg/L. The modified SK-test takes approximately 90 min for analyses of 20 urine samples compared with 27 h for ICP-MS. The photometric test provides satisfactory results and can be performed with the basic equipment of a clinical laboratory.

10 CFR Appendix P to Subpart B of... - Uniform Test Method for Measuring the Energy Consumption of Pool Heaters

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... with section 5 of IEC 62301 (Second Edition) (incorporated by reference; see § 430.3) and the fossil... power consumption during the off mode, PW,OFF = 0, and the fossil fuel energy consumed during the off... 62301 (Second Edition) (incorporated by reference; see § 430.3), and the fossil fuel energy consumption...

Randomised Controlled Trial of a Parenting Intervention in the Voluntary Sector for Reducing Child Conduct Problems: Outcomes and Mechanisms of Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gardner, Frances; Burton, Jennifer; Klimes, Ivana

2006-01-01

Background: To test effectiveness of a parenting intervention, delivered in a community-based voluntary-sector organisation, for reducing conduct problems in clinically-referred children. Methods: Randomised controlled trial, follow-up at 6, 18 months, assessors blind to treatment status. Participants--76 children referred for conduct problems,…

An Automated Method for Navigation Assessment for Earth Survey Sensors Using Island Targets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patt, F. S.; Woodward, R. H.; Gregg, W. W.

1997-01-01

An automated method has been developed for performing navigation assessment on satellite-based Earth sensor data. The method utilizes islands as targets which can be readily located in the sensor data and identified with reference locations. The essential elements are an algorithm for classifying the sensor data according to source, a reference catalogue of island locations, and a robust pattern-matching algorithm for island identification. The algorithms were developed and tested for the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS), an ocean colour sensor. This method will allow navigation error statistics to be automatically generated for large numbers of points, supporting analysis over large spatial and temporal ranges.

Development and Implementation of a Coagulation Factor Testing Method Utilizing Autoverification in a High-volume Clinical Reference Laboratory Environment

PubMed Central

Riley, Paul W.; Gallea, Benoit; Valcour, Andre

2017-01-01

Background: Testing coagulation factor activities requires that multiple dilutions be assayed and analyzed to produce a single result. The slope of the line created by plotting measured factor concentration against sample dilution is evaluated to discern the presence of inhibitors giving rise to nonparallelism. Moreover, samples producing results on initial dilution falling outside the analytic measurement range of the assay must be tested at additional dilutions to produce reportable results. Methods: The complexity of this process has motivated a large clinical reference laboratory to develop advanced computer algorithms with automated reflex testing rules to complete coagulation factor analysis. A method was developed for autoverification of coagulation factor activity using expert rules developed with on an off the shelf commercially available data manager system integrated into an automated coagulation platform. Results: Here, we present an approach allowing for the autoverification and reporting of factor activity results with greatly diminished technologist effort. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of its kind providing a detailed procedure for implementation of autoverification expert rules as applied to coagulation factor activity testing. Advantages of this system include ease of training for new operators, minimization of technologist time spent, reduction of staff fatigue, minimization of unnecessary reflex tests, optimization of turnaround time, and assurance of the consistency of the testing and reporting process. PMID:28706751

The use of regression analysis in determining reference intervals for low hematocrit and thrombocyte count in multiple electrode aggregometry and platelet function analyzer 100 testing of platelet function.

PubMed

Kuiper, Gerhardus J A J M; Houben, Rik; Wetzels, Rick J H; Verhezen, Paul W M; Oerle, Rene van; Ten Cate, Hugo; Henskens, Yvonne M C; Lancé, Marcus D

2017-11-01

Low platelet counts and hematocrit levels hinder whole blood point-of-care testing of platelet function. Thus far, no reference ranges for MEA (multiple electrode aggregometry) and PFA-100 (platelet function analyzer 100) devices exist for low ranges. Through dilution methods of volunteer whole blood, platelet function at low ranges of platelet count and hematocrit levels was assessed on MEA for four agonists and for PFA-100 in two cartridges. Using (multiple) regression analysis, 95% reference intervals were computed for these low ranges. Low platelet counts affected MEA in a positive correlation (all agonists showed r 2 ≥ 0.75) and PFA-100 in an inverse correlation (closure times were prolonged with lower platelet counts). Lowered hematocrit did not affect MEA testing, except for arachidonic acid activation (ASPI), which showed a weak positive correlation (r 2 = 0.14). Closure time on PFA-100 testing was inversely correlated with hematocrit for both cartridges. Regression analysis revealed different 95% reference intervals in comparison with originally established intervals for both MEA and PFA-100 in low platelet or hematocrit conditions. Multiple regression analysis of ASPI and both tests on the PFA-100 for combined low platelet and hematocrit conditions revealed that only PFA-100 testing should be adjusted for both thrombocytopenia and anemia. 95% reference intervals were calculated using multiple regression analysis. However, coefficients of determination of PFA-100 were poor, and some variance remained unexplained. Thus, in this pilot study using (multiple) regression analysis, we could establish reference intervals of platelet function in anemia and thrombocytopenia conditions on PFA-100 and in thrombocytopenia conditions on MEA.

Comparative Study of Impedance Eduction Methods. Part 1; DLR Tests and Methodology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Busse-Gerstengarbe, Stefan; Bake, Friedrich; Enghardt, Lars; Jones, Michael G.

2013-01-01

The absorption efficiency of acoustic liners used in aircraft engines is characterized by the acoustic impedance. World wide, many grazing ow test rigs and eduction methods are available that provide values for that impedance. However, a direct comparison and assessment of the data of the di erent rigs and methods is often not possible because test objects and test conditions are quite di erent. Only a few papers provide a direct comparison. Therefore, this paper together with a companion paper, present data measured with a reference test object under similar conditions in the DLR and NASA grazing ow test rigs. Additionally, by applying the in-house methods Liner Impedance Non-Uniform ow Solving algorithm (LINUS, DLR) and Convected Helmhholtz Equation approach (CHE, NASA) on the data sets, similarities and differences due to underlying theory are identi ed and discussed.

Recommended use of reclaimed asphalt pavement in the Superpave mix design method: technician's manual.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-01-01

This manual is a reference guide for mix design and field testing technicians who deal with reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) in Superpave mixtures. It will provide detailed descriptions and examples of each step involved in designing and testing a Su...

Reference genes for real-time PCR quantification of messenger RNAs and microRNAs in mouse model of obesity.

PubMed

Matoušková, Petra; Bártíková, Hana; Boušová, Iva; Hanušová, Veronika; Szotáková, Barbora; Skálová, Lenka

2014-01-01

Obesity and metabolic syndrome is increasing health problem worldwide. Among other ways, nutritional intervention using phytochemicals is important method for treatment and prevention of this disease. Recent studies have shown that certain phytochemicals could alter the expression of specific genes and microRNAs (miRNAs) that play a fundamental role in the pathogenesis of obesity. For study of the obesity and its treatment, monosodium glutamate (MSG)-injected mice with developed central obesity, insulin resistance and liver lipid accumulation are frequently used animal models. To understand the mechanism of phytochemicals action in obese animals, the study of selected genes expression together with miRNA quantification is extremely important. For this purpose, real-time quantitative PCR is a sensitive and reproducible method, but it depends on proper normalization entirely. The aim of present study was to identify the appropriate reference genes for mRNA and miRNA quantification in MSG mice treated with green tea catechins, potential anti-obesity phytochemicals. Two sets of reference genes were tested: first set contained seven commonly used genes for normalization of messenger RNA, the second set of candidate reference genes included ten small RNAs for normalization of miRNA. The expression stability of these reference genes were tested upon treatment of mice with catechins using geNorm, NormFinder and BestKeeper algorithms. Selected normalizers for mRNA quantification were tested and validated on expression of quinone oxidoreductase, biotransformation enzyme known to be modified by catechins. The effect of selected normalizers for miRNA quantification was tested on two obesity- and diabetes- related miRNAs, miR-221 and miR-29b, respectively. Finally, the combinations of B2M/18S/HPRT1 and miR-16/sno234 were validated as optimal reference genes for mRNA and miRNA quantification in liver and 18S/RPlP0/HPRT1 and sno234/miR-186 in small intestine of MSG mice. These reference genes will be used for mRNA and miRNA normalization in further study of green tea catechins action in obese mice.

Sixty-five years since the New York heat wave: advances in sweat testing for cystic fibrosis.

PubMed

Collie, Jake T B; Massie, R John; Jones, Oliver A H; LeGrys, Vicky A; Greaves, Ronda F

2014-02-01

The sweat test remains important as a diagnostic test for cystic fibrosis (CF) and has contributed greatly to our understanding of CF as a disease of epithelial electrolyte transport. The standardization of the sweat test, by Gibson and Cooke [Gibson and Cooke (1959) Pediatrics 1959;23:5], followed observations of excessive dehydration amongst patients with CF and confirmed the utility as a diagnostic test. Quantitative pilocarpine iontophoresis remains the gold standard for sweat induction, but there are a number of collection and analytical methods. The pathophysiology of electrolyte transport in sweat was described by Quinton [Quinton (1983) Nature 1983;301:421-422], and this complemented the developments in genetics that discovered the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), an epithelial-based electrolyte transport protein. Knowledge of CF has since increased rapidly and further developments in sweat testing include: new collection methods, further standardization of the technique with international recommendations and age related reference intervals. More recently, sweat chloride values have been used as proof of effect for the new drugs that activate CFTR. However, there remain issues with adherence to sweat test guidelines in many countries and there are gaps in our knowledge, including reference intervals for some age groups and stability of sweat samples in transport. Furthermore, modern methods of elemental quantification need to be explored as alternatives to the original analytical methods for sweat electrolyte measurement. The purpose of this review is therefore to describe the development of the sweat test and consider future directions. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Application of the modified chi-square ratio statistic in a stepwise procedure for cascade impactor equivalence testing.

PubMed

Weber, Benjamin; Lee, Sau L; Delvadia, Renishkumar; Lionberger, Robert; Li, Bing V; Tsong, Yi; Hochhaus, Guenther

2015-03-01

Equivalence testing of aerodynamic particle size distribution (APSD) through multi-stage cascade impactors (CIs) is important for establishing bioequivalence of orally inhaled drug products. Recent work demonstrated that the median of the modified chi-square ratio statistic (MmCSRS) is a promising metric for APSD equivalence testing of test (T) and reference (R) products as it can be applied to a reduced number of CI sites that are more relevant for lung deposition. This metric is also less sensitive to the increased variability often observed for low-deposition sites. A method to establish critical values for the MmCSRS is described here. This method considers the variability of the R product by employing a reference variance scaling approach that allows definition of critical values as a function of the observed variability of the R product. A stepwise CI equivalence test is proposed that integrates the MmCSRS as a method for comparing the relative shapes of CI profiles and incorporates statistical tests for assessing equivalence of single actuation content and impactor sized mass. This stepwise CI equivalence test was applied to 55 published CI profile scenarios, which were classified as equivalent or inequivalent by members of the Product Quality Research Institute working group (PQRI WG). The results of the stepwise CI equivalence test using a 25% difference in MmCSRS as an acceptance criterion provided the best matching with those of the PQRI WG as decisions of both methods agreed in 75% of the 55 CI profile scenarios.

Identification of suitable qPCR reference genes in leaves of Brassica oleracea under abiotic stresses.

PubMed

Brulle, Franck; Bernard, Fabien; Vandenbulcke, Franck; Cuny, Damien; Dumez, Sylvain

2014-04-01

Real-time quantitative PCR is nowadays a standard method to study gene expression variations in various samples and experimental conditions. However, to interpret results accurately, data normalization with appropriate reference genes appears to be crucial. The present study describes the identification and the validation of suitable reference genes in Brassica oleracea leaves. Expression stability of eight candidates was tested following drought and cold abiotic stresses by using three different softwares (BestKeeper, NormFinder and geNorm). Four genes (BolC.TUB6, BolC.SAND1, BolC.UBQ2 and BolC.TBP1) emerged as the most stable across the tested conditions. Further gene expression analysis of a drought- and a cold-responsive gene (BolC.DREB2A and BolC.ELIP, respectively), confirmed the stability and the reliability of the identified reference genes when used for normalization in the leaves of B. oleracea. These four genes were finally tested upon a benzene exposure and all appeared to be useful reference genes along this toxicological condition. These results provide a good starting point for future studies involving gene expression measurement on leaves of B. oleracea exposed to environmental modifications.

Selection and testing of reference genes for accurate RT-qPCR in rice seedlings under iron toxicity.

PubMed

Santos, Fabiane Igansi de Castro Dos; Marini, Naciele; Santos, Railson Schreinert Dos; Hoffman, Bianca Silva Fernandes; Alves-Ferreira, Marcio; de Oliveira, Antonio Costa

2018-01-01

Reverse Transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) is a technique for gene expression profiling with high sensibility and reproducibility. However, to obtain accurate results, it depends on data normalization by using endogenous reference genes whose expression is constitutive or invariable. Although the technique is widely used in plant stress analyzes, the stability of reference genes for iron toxicity in rice (Oryza sativa L.) has not been thoroughly investigated. Here, we tested a set of candidate reference genes for use in rice under this stressful condition. The test was performed using four distinct methods: NormFinder, BestKeeper, geNorm and the comparative ΔCt. To achieve reproducible and reliable results, Minimum Information for Publication of Quantitative Real-Time PCR Experiments (MIQE) guidelines were followed. Valid reference genes were found for shoot (P2, OsGAPDH and OsNABP), root (OsEF-1a, P8 and OsGAPDH) and root+shoot (OsNABP, OsGAPDH and P8) enabling us to perform further reliable studies for iron toxicity in both indica and japonica subspecies. The importance of the study of other than the traditional endogenous genes for use as normalizers is also shown here.

Selection and testing of reference genes for accurate RT-qPCR in rice seedlings under iron toxicity

PubMed Central

dos Santos, Fabiane Igansi de Castro; Marini, Naciele; dos Santos, Railson Schreinert; Hoffman, Bianca Silva Fernandes; Alves-Ferreira, Marcio

2018-01-01

Reverse Transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) is a technique for gene expression profiling with high sensibility and reproducibility. However, to obtain accurate results, it depends on data normalization by using endogenous reference genes whose expression is constitutive or invariable. Although the technique is widely used in plant stress analyzes, the stability of reference genes for iron toxicity in rice (Oryza sativa L.) has not been thoroughly investigated. Here, we tested a set of candidate reference genes for use in rice under this stressful condition. The test was performed using four distinct methods: NormFinder, BestKeeper, geNorm and the comparative ΔCt. To achieve reproducible and reliable results, Minimum Information for Publication of Quantitative Real-Time PCR Experiments (MIQE) guidelines were followed. Valid reference genes were found for shoot (P2, OsGAPDH and OsNABP), root (OsEF-1a, P8 and OsGAPDH) and root+shoot (OsNABP, OsGAPDH and P8) enabling us to perform further reliable studies for iron toxicity in both indica and japonica subspecies. The importance of the study of other than the traditional endogenous genes for use as normalizers is also shown here. PMID:29494624

Metabarcoding of marine nematodes – evaluation of reference datasets used in tree-based taxonomy assignment approach

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Abstract Background Metabarcoding is becoming a common tool used to assess and compare diversity of organisms in environmental samples. Identification of OTUs is one of the critical steps in the process and several taxonomy assignment methods were proposed to accomplish this task. This publication evaluates the quality of reference datasets, alongside with several alignment and phylogeny inference methods used in one of the taxonomy assignment methods, called tree-based approach. This approach assigns anonymous OTUs to taxonomic categories based on relative placements of OTUs and reference sequences on the cladogram and support that these placements receive. New information In tree-based taxonomy assignment approach, reliable identification of anonymous OTUs is based on their placement in monophyletic and highly supported clades together with identified reference taxa. Therefore, it requires high quality reference dataset to be used. Resolution of phylogenetic trees is strongly affected by the presence of erroneous sequences as well as alignment and phylogeny inference methods used in the process. Two preparation steps are essential for the successful application of tree-based taxonomy assignment approach. Curated collections of genetic information do include erroneous sequences. These sequences have detrimental effect on the resolution of cladograms used in tree-based approach. They must be identified and excluded from the reference dataset beforehand. Various combinations of multiple sequence alignment and phylogeny inference methods provide cladograms with different topology and bootstrap support. These combinations of methods need to be tested in order to determine the one that gives highest resolution for the particular reference dataset. Completing the above mentioned preparation steps is expected to decrease the number of unassigned OTUs and thus improve the results of the tree-based taxonomy assignment approach. PMID:27932919

Metabarcoding of marine nematodes - evaluation of reference datasets used in tree-based taxonomy assignment approach.

PubMed

Holovachov, Oleksandr

2016-01-01

Metabarcoding is becoming a common tool used to assess and compare diversity of organisms in environmental samples. Identification of OTUs is one of the critical steps in the process and several taxonomy assignment methods were proposed to accomplish this task. This publication evaluates the quality of reference datasets, alongside with several alignment and phylogeny inference methods used in one of the taxonomy assignment methods, called tree-based approach. This approach assigns anonymous OTUs to taxonomic categories based on relative placements of OTUs and reference sequences on the cladogram and support that these placements receive. In tree-based taxonomy assignment approach, reliable identification of anonymous OTUs is based on their placement in monophyletic and highly supported clades together with identified reference taxa. Therefore, it requires high quality reference dataset to be used. Resolution of phylogenetic trees is strongly affected by the presence of erroneous sequences as well as alignment and phylogeny inference methods used in the process. Two preparation steps are essential for the successful application of tree-based taxonomy assignment approach. Curated collections of genetic information do include erroneous sequences. These sequences have detrimental effect on the resolution of cladograms used in tree-based approach. They must be identified and excluded from the reference dataset beforehand.Various combinations of multiple sequence alignment and phylogeny inference methods provide cladograms with different topology and bootstrap support. These combinations of methods need to be tested in order to determine the one that gives highest resolution for the particular reference dataset.Completing the above mentioned preparation steps is expected to decrease the number of unassigned OTUs and thus improve the results of the tree-based taxonomy assignment approach.

Issues and Methods for Standard-Setting.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hambleton, Ronald K.; And Others

Issues involved in standard setting along with methods for standard setting are reviewed, with specific reference to their relevance for criterion referenced testing. Definitions are given of continuum and state models, and traditional and normative standard setting procedures. Since continuum models are considered more appropriate for criterion…

Analytical Bias Exceeding Desirable Quality Goal in 4 out of 5 Common Immunoassays: Results of a Native Single Serum Sample External Quality Assessment Program for Cobalamin, Folate, Ferritin, Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone, and Free T4 Analyses.

PubMed

Kristensen, Gunn B B; Rustad, Pål; Berg, Jens P; Aakre, Kristin M

2016-09-01

We undertook this study to evaluate method differences for 5 components analyzed by immunoassays, to explore whether the use of method-dependent reference intervals may compensate for method differences, and to investigate commutability of external quality assessment (EQA) materials. Twenty fresh native single serum samples, a fresh native serum pool, Nordic Federation of Clinical Chemistry Reference Serum X (serum X) (serum pool), and 2 EQA materials were sent to 38 laboratories for measurement of cobalamin, folate, ferritin, free T4, and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) by 5 different measurement procedures [Roche Cobas (n = 15), Roche Modular (n = 4), Abbott Architect (n = 8), Beckman Coulter Unicel (n = 2), and Siemens ADVIA Centaur (n = 9)]. The target value for each component was calculated based on the mean of method means or measured by a reference measurement procedure (free T4). Quality specifications were based on biological variation. Local reference intervals were reported from all laboratories. Method differences that exceeded acceptable bias were found for all components except folate. Free T4 differences from the uncommonly used reference measurement procedure were large. Reference intervals differed between measurement procedures but also within 1 measurement procedure. The serum X material was commutable for all components and measurement procedures, whereas the EQA materials were noncommutable in 13 of 50 occasions (5 components, 5 methods, 2 EQA materials). The bias between the measurement procedures was unacceptably large in 4/5 tested components. Traceability to reference materials as claimed by the manufacturers did not lead to acceptable harmonization. Adjustment of reference intervals in accordance with method differences and use of commutable EQA samples are not implemented commonly. © 2016 American Association for Clinical Chemistry.

External quality assurance programs as a tool for verifying standardization of measurement procedures: Pilot collaboration in Europe.

PubMed

Perich, C; Ricós, C; Alvarez, V; Biosca, C; Boned, B; Cava, F; Doménech, M V; Fernández-Calle, P; Fernández-Fernández, P; García-Lario, J V; Minchinela, J; Simón, M; Jansen, R

2014-05-15

Current external quality assurance schemes have been classified into six categories, according to their ability to verify the degree of standardization of the participating measurement procedures. SKML (Netherlands) is a Category 1 EQA scheme (commutable EQA materials with values assigned by reference methods), whereas SEQC (Spain) is a Category 5 scheme (replicate analyses of non-commutable materials with no values assigned by reference methods). The results obtained by a group of Spanish laboratories participating in a pilot study organized by SKML are examined, with the aim of pointing out the improvements over our current scheme that a Category 1 program could provide. Imprecision and bias are calculated for each analyte and laboratory, and compared with quality specifications derived from biological variation. Of the 26 analytes studied, 9 had results comparable with those from reference methods, and 10 analytes did not have comparable results. The remaining 7 analytes measured did not have available reference method values, and in these cases, comparison with the peer group showed comparable results. The reasons for disagreement in the second group can be summarized as: use of non-standard methods (IFCC without exogenous pyridoxal phosphate for AST and ALT, Jaffé kinetic at low-normal creatinine concentrations and with eGFR); non-commutability of the reference material used to assign values to the routine calibrator (calcium, magnesium and sodium); use of reference materials without established commutability instead of reference methods for AST and GGT, and lack of a systematic effort by manufacturers to harmonize results. Results obtained in this work demonstrate the important role of external quality assurance programs using commutable materials with values assigned by reference methods to correctly monitor the standardization of laboratory tests with consequent minimization of risk to patients. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Comparative Analysis of Three Monocular Passive Ranging Methods on Real Infrared Sequences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bondžulić, Boban P.; Mitrović, Srđan T.; Barbarić, Žarko P.; Andrić, Milenko S.

2013-09-01

Three monocular passive ranging methods are analyzed and tested on the real infrared sequences. The first method exploits scale changes of an object in successive frames, while other two use Beer-Lambert's Law. Ranging methods are evaluated by comparing with simultaneously obtained reference data at the test site. Research is addressed on scenarios where multiple sensor views or active measurements are not possible. The results show that these methods for range estimation can provide the fidelity required for object tracking. Maximum values of relative distance estimation errors in near-ideal conditions are less than 8%.

Dataset of Building and Environment Publication in 2016, A reference method for measuring emissions of SVOCs in small chambers

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The data presented in this data file is a product of a journal publication. The dataset contains DEHP air concentrations in the emission test chamber.This dataset is associated with the following publication:Wu, Y., S. Cox, Y. Xu, Y. Liang, D. Wong, X. Liu, J. Benning, P. Clausen, Y. Zhang, C. Liu, and J. Little. A Reference Method for Measuring Emissions of SVOCs in Small Chambers. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY. American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, USA, 95: 126-132, (2016).

Incorporating geographical factors with artificial neural networks to predict reference values of erythrocyte sedimentation rate.

PubMed

Yang, Qingsheng; Mwenda, Kevin M; Ge, Miao

2013-03-12

The measurement of the Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) value is a standard procedure performed during a typical blood test. In order to formulate a unified standard of establishing reference ESR values, this paper presents a novel prediction model in which local normal ESR values and corresponding geographical factors are used to predict reference ESR values using multi-layer feed-forward artificial neural networks (ANN). Local normal ESR values were obtained from hospital data, while geographical factors that include altitude, sunshine hours, relative humidity, temperature and precipitation were obtained from the National Geographical Data Information Centre in China.The results show that predicted values are statistically in agreement with measured values. Model results exhibit significant agreement between training data and test data. Consequently, the model is used to predict the unseen local reference ESR values. Reference ESR values can be established with geographical factors by using artificial intelligence techniques. ANN is an effective method for simulating and predicting reference ESR values because of its ability to model nonlinear and complex relationships.

Development of a diagnostic test set to assess agreement in breast pathology: practical application of the Guidelines for Reporting Reliability and Agreement Studies (GRRAS).

PubMed

Oster, Natalia V; Carney, Patricia A; Allison, Kimberly H; Weaver, Donald L; Reisch, Lisa M; Longton, Gary; Onega, Tracy; Pepe, Margaret; Geller, Berta M; Nelson, Heidi D; Ross, Tyler R; Tosteson, Aanna N A; Elmore, Joann G

2013-02-05

Diagnostic test sets are a valuable research tool that contributes importantly to the validity and reliability of studies that assess agreement in breast pathology. In order to fully understand the strengths and weaknesses of any agreement and reliability study, however, the methods should be fully reported. In this paper we provide a step-by-step description of the methods used to create four complex test sets for a study of diagnostic agreement among pathologists interpreting breast biopsy specimens. We use the newly developed Guidelines for Reporting Reliability and Agreement Studies (GRRAS) as a basis to report these methods. Breast tissue biopsies were selected from the National Cancer Institute-funded Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium sites. We used a random sampling stratified according to woman's age (40-49 vs. ≥50), parenchymal breast density (low vs. high) and interpretation of the original pathologist. A 3-member panel of expert breast pathologists first independently interpreted each case using five primary diagnostic categories (non-proliferative changes, proliferative changes without atypia, atypical ductal hyperplasia, ductal carcinoma in situ, and invasive carcinoma). When the experts did not unanimously agree on a case diagnosis a modified Delphi method was used to determine the reference standard consensus diagnosis. The final test cases were stratified and randomly assigned into one of four unique test sets. We found GRRAS recommendations to be very useful in reporting diagnostic test set development and recommend inclusion of two additional criteria: 1) characterizing the study population and 2) describing the methods for reference diagnosis, when applicable.

Nonvolatile, semivolatile, or volatile: redefining volatile for volatile organic compounds.

PubMed

Võ, Uyên-Uyén T; Morris, Michael P

2014-06-01

Although widely used in air quality regulatory frameworks, the term "volatile organic compound" (VOC) is poorly defined. Numerous standardized tests are currently used in regulations to determine VOC content (and thus volatility), but in many cases the tests do not agree with each other, nor do they always accurately represent actual evaporation rates under ambient conditions. The parameters (time, temperature, reference material, column polarity, etc.) used in the definitions and the associated test methods were created without a significant evaluation of volatilization characteristics in real world settings. Not only do these differences lead to varying VOC content results, but occasionally they conflict with one another. An ambient evaporation study of selected compounds and a few formulated products was conducted and the results were compared to several current VOC test methodologies: SCAQMD Method 313 (M313), ASTM Standard Test Method E 1868-10 (E1868), and US. EPA Reference Method 24 (M24). The ambient evaporation study showed a definite distinction between nonvolatile, semivolatile, and volatile compounds. Some low vapor pressure (LVP) solvents, currently considered exempt as VOCs by some methods, volatilize at ambient conditions nearly as rapidly as the traditional high-volatility solvents they are meant to replace. Conversely, bio-based and heavy hydrocarbons did not readily volatilize, though they often are calculated as VOCs in some traditional test methods. The study suggests that regulatory standards should be reevaluated to more accurately reflect real-world emission from the use of VOC containing products. The definition of VOC in current test methods may lead to regulations that exclude otherwise viable alternatives or allow substitutions of chemicals that may limit the environmental benefits sought in the regulation. A study was conducted to examine volatility of several compounds and a few formulated products under several current VOC test methodologies and ambient evaporation. This paper provides ample evidence to warrant a reevaluation of regulatory standards and provides a framework for progressive developments based on reasonable and scientifically justifiable definitions of VOCs.

European Proficiency testing of national reference laboratories for the confirmation of sulfonamide residues in muscle and milk.

PubMed

Juhel-Gaugain, Murielle; Fourmond, Marie-Pierre; Delepine, Bernard; Laurentie, Michel; Brigitte, Roudaut; Sanders, Pascal

2005-03-01

Two interlaboratory studies were organized in 2002-2003 in order to check the proficiency of laboratories in confirming the presence of sulfonamide residues in muscle and milk. These studies involved 25 EU National Reference Laboratories (NRLs) from 21 different European Countries in charge of statutory monitoring of antimicrobial residues in food of animal origin at a national level. The study was conducted according to international and national guidelines by the Community Reference Laboratory (CRL) in charge of antimicrobial substances. Four different test matrices of sheep muscle and four different test matrices of bovine milk containing different sulfonamide substances were prepared and sent to the participants. Each participant was asked to use his own routine confirmatory method and to analyse each sample in triplicate within a period of about six weeks during which the stability of the materials was checked by the organizer. The sulfonamide content of each material was determined by calculating the robust means of all the results and the deviation of the results from the assigned values was assessed by calculating Z-scores. Overall, results were satisfactory, particularly considering that it was the first proficiency test dealing with sulfonamides organised by the Community Reference Laboratory.

Evaluation of Enterococcus faecalis clinical isolates with 'penicillin-resistant, ampicillin-susceptible' phenotype as reported by Vitek-2 Compact system.

PubMed

Tan, Yen Ee; Ng, Lily S Y; Tan, Thean Yen

2014-10-01

It has been recently reported that ampicillin susceptibility cannot accurately predict piperacillin and imipenem susceptibilities in penicillin-resistant, ampicillin-susceptible (Pen-R, Amp-S) Enterococcus faecalis isolates, contrary to the current Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) recommendations. This has important therapeutic implications. Such isolates were noted after the use of Vitek-2 Compact system AST-GP67 susceptibility cards in a Singapore general hospital and they were increasing in numbers. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate these clinical isolates against microbroth dilution (MBD) technique and other commonly used antimicrobial susceptibility test (AST) methods for penicillin and ampicillin. The secondary aim was to evaluate whether ampicillin susceptibility could indeed be a reliable surrogate marker for piperacillin and imipenem susceptibilities in E. faecalis isolates that were confirmed Pen-R, Amp-S.From 2009 to 2013, a total of 49 isolates (5%) of 983 non-duplicate E. faecalis tested by Vitek-2 displayed the 'Pen-R, Amp-S' phenotype in a general hospital in Singapore. These were tested against MBD which was the reference method, Etest and disc diffusion for penicillin and ampicillin. Susceptibilities to piperacillin and imipenem were also tested using MBD. In addition, β-lactamase production test was performed. Forty E. faecalis isolates with penicillin-susceptible, ampicillin-susceptible (Pen-S, Amp-S) phenotype were included for comparative purposes.The categorical agreement rate was 100% for all AST methods in ampicillin reporting for the 'Pen-R, Amp-S' group of E. faecalis isolates. However, a large number of isolates (46 isolates, 93.9%) fell into the major error category for penicillin testing by the Vitek-2 system. Penicillin minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) generated by the Vitek-2 system for the majority of these isolates were two doubling dilutions higher compared to those obtained by the reference test. The Etest method correlated well with the MBD method. Thirty-two isolates (65.3%) were in categorical agreement with the MBD method when tested by the disc diffusion method for penicillin. Only three E. faecalis isolates (6.1%) were confirmed to have the uncommon penicillin resistance phenotype, with two of them showing resistance to piperacillin and intermediate to imipenem. β-lactamase production test was negative for all isolates. Among the Pen-S, Amp-S E. faecalis isolates, the categorical agreement was 100% for penicillin and ampicillin in all the tested methods.Enterococcus faecalis with 'Pen-R, Amp-S' phenotype reported by the Vitek-2 system using AST-GP67 susceptibility cards must be confirmed with a reference test, the Etest method being a good alternative. The Vitek-2 system generated higher penicillin MIC readings compared to MBD in this study. The actual prevalence of this uncommon penicillin resistance phenotype in E. faecalis was found to be low in this institution. More studies are required to confirm the reliability of ampicillin as a surrogate marker for piperacillin and imipenem susceptibilities in these isolates.

Validation of the Thermo Scientific SureTect Escherichia coli O157:H7 Real-Time PCR Assay for Raw Beef and Produce Matrixes.

PubMed

Cloke, Jonathan; Crowley, Erin; Bird, Patrick; Bastin, Ben; Flannery, Jonathan; Agin, James; Goins, David; Clark, Dorn; Radcliff, Roy; Wickstrand, Nina; Kauppinen, Mikko

2015-01-01

The Thermo Scientific™ SureTect™ Escherichia coli O157:H7 Assay is a new real-time PCR assay which has been validated through the AOAC Research Institute (RI) Performance Tested Methods(SM) program for raw beef and produce matrixes. This validation study specifically validated the assay with 375 g 1:4 and 1:5 ratios of raw ground beef and raw beef trim in comparison to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety Inspection Service, Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook (USDS-FSIS/MLG) reference method and 25 g bagged spinach and fresh apple juice at a ratio of 1:10, in comparison to the reference method detailed in the International Organization for Standardization 16654:2001 reference method. For raw beef matrixes, the validation of both 1:4 and 1:5 allows user flexibility with the enrichment protocol, although which of these two ratios chosen by the laboratory should be based on specific test requirements. All matrixes were analyzed by Thermo Fisher Scientific, Microbiology Division, Vantaa, Finland, and Q Laboratories Inc, Cincinnati, Ohio, in the method developer study. Two of the matrixes (raw ground beef at both 1:4 and 1:5 ratios) and bagged spinach were additionally analyzed in the AOAC-RI controlled independent laboratory study, which was conducted by Marshfield Food Safety, Marshfield, Wisconsin. Using probability of detection statistical analysis, no significant difference was demonstrated by the SureTect kit in comparison to the USDA FSIS reference method for raw beef matrixes, or with the ISO reference method for matrixes of bagged spinach and apple juice. Inclusivity and exclusivity testing was conducted with 58 E. coli O157:H7 and 54 non-E. coli O157:H7 isolates, respectively, which demonstrated that the SureTect assay was able to detect all isolates of E. coli O157:H7 analyzed. In addition, all but one of the nontarget isolates were correctly interpreted as negative by the SureTect Software. The single isolate giving a positive result was an E. coli O157:NM isolate. Nonmotile isolates of E. coli O157 have been demonstrated to still contain the H7 gene; therefore, this result is not unexpected. Robustness testing was conducted to evaluate the performance of the SureTect assay with specific deviations to the assay protocol, which were outside the recommended parameters and which are open to variation. This study demonstrated that the SureTect assay gave reliable performance. A final study to verify the shelf life of the product, under accelerated conditions was also conducted.

Performance of serological tests for syphilis in sexually transmitted diseases clinics in Guangxi Autonomous Region, China: implications for syphilis surveillance and control.

PubMed

Yin, Yue-Ping; Wei, Wan-Hui; Wang, Hong-Chun; Zhu, Bang-Yong; Yu, Yan-Hua; Chen, Xiang-Sheng; Peeling, Rosanna W; Cohen, Myron S

2009-03-01

China is experiencing a growing syphilis epidemic. Individuals are currently screened and cases are confirmed using traditional serological testing methods. A total of 11 558 serum specimens from patients at 14 sexually transmitted diseases (STD) clinics at provincial, prefecture and county levels in Guangxi Autonomous Region were tested at local clinics using the toluidine red unheated serum test (TRUST) and the SD Bioline Syphilis 3.0 Treponema Pallidum (SD-TP) test and then transported to the National STD Reference Laboratory for TRUST and confirmatory Treponema pallidum particle assay (TPPA) testing. In local clinics, 13.2% of specimens were TRUST positive and 12.8% were TRUST and SD-TP positive. At the Reference Laboratory, 15.4% of specimens were TRUST positive and 11.8% were TRUST and TPPA positive. Local clinics showed a significantly higher prevalence of active syphilis compared with results from the Reference Laboratory (12.8 v. 11.8%, chi(2) = 4.59, P = 0.03). The local TRUST tests had consistent results with Reference Laboratory tests qualitatively among 96.2% of the specimens and quantitatively among 95.5% of the specimens. The algorithm of TRUST screening and then SD-TP confirmation among positive TRUST specimens at local STD clinics had 96.6% sensitivity and 99.3% specificity in diagnosing active syphilis compared with the 'gold standard' based on TRUST and TPPA positivity at the Reference Laboratory (positive predictive value 95.1% and negative predictive value 99.5%). The TRUST screening and SD-TP confirmation in combination can be used at local STD clinics for the efficient diagnosis of serologically active syphilis. However, continuing capacity building and quality assurance remain critical in ensuring the quality of syphilis diagnosis at local clinics.

Results of a Saxitoxin Proficiency Test Including Characterization of Reference Material and Stability Studies

PubMed Central

Harju, Kirsi; Rapinoja, Marja-Leena; Avondet, Marc-André; Arnold, Werner; Schär, Martin; Luginbühl, Werner; Kremp, Anke; Suikkanen, Sanna; Kankaanpää, Harri; Burrell, Stephen; Söderström, Martin; Vanninen, Paula

2015-01-01

A saxitoxin (STX) proficiency test (PT) was organized as part of the Establishment of Quality Assurance for the Detection of Biological Toxins of Potential Bioterrorism Risk (EQuATox) project. The aim of this PT was to provide an evaluation of existing methods and the European laboratories’ capabilities for the analysis of STX and some of its analogues in real samples. Homogenized mussel material and algal cell materials containing paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins were produced as reference sample matrices. The reference material was characterized using various analytical methods. Acidified algal extract samples at two concentration levels were prepared from a bulk culture of PSP toxins producing dinoflagellate Alexandrium ostenfeldii. The homogeneity and stability of the prepared PT samples were studied and found to be fit-for-purpose. Thereafter, eight STX PT samples were sent to ten participating laboratories from eight countries. The PT offered the participating laboratories the possibility to assess their performance regarding the qualitative and quantitative detection of PSP toxins. Various techniques such as official Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) methods, immunoassays, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry were used for sample analyses. PMID:26602927

Low agreement between the fitnessgram criterion references for adolescents

PubMed Central

Coledam, Diogo Henrique Constantino; Batista, João Pedro; Glaner, Maria Fátima

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the association and agreement of fitnessgram reference criteria (RC) for cardiorespiratory fitness, body mass index (BMI) and strength in youth. METHODS: The study included 781 youth, 386 females, aged 10 to 18 years of Londrina-PR. It were performed cardiorespiratory fitness and muscular strength tests and was calculated body mass index. The association between the tests was analyzed using Poisson regression to obtain prevalence ratio (PR) and confidence intervals of 95%, while agreement of the reference criteria was tested by Kappa index. RESULTS: Significant associations were found between cardiorespiratory fitness and BMI (PR=1,49, 1,27-1,75), muscle strength and BMI (PR=1,55, 1,17-2,08), cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle strength (PR=1,81, 1,47-2,24). The agreement between reference criteria ranged from weak to fair, 48.8% (k=0.05, p=0.10) for cardiorespiratory fitness and BMI, 52.9% (k=0.09, p=0.001) for muscle strength and BMI and 38.4% (k=0.22, p<0.001) for cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle strength. CONCLUSIONS: Although RC for cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength and BMI are associated, the agreement between them ranged from weak to fair. To evaluate health related physical fitness it is suggest the execution of all tests, since each test has specific characteristics. PMID:25649383

The Accutrend sensor glucose analyzer may not be adequate in bedside testing for neonatal hypoglycemia.

PubMed

Rosenthal, Mark; Ugele, Bernhard; Lipowsky, Gerd; Küster, Helmut

2006-02-01

The aim of this prospective observational study was to compare a bedside test with the reference laboratory method in routine postnatal glucose monitoring. Term newborns with increased risk or clinical signs of hypoglycemia were screened with a bedside test. In case of a glucose value below 2.25 mmol/L, a second blood sample was taken and a duplicate glucose measurement done in the laboratory using a bedside test (Accutrend sensor) and the reference laboratory method (hexokinase method) at the same time and from the same sample. From 110 term newborns, 122 blood samples were obtained for duplicate measurements (median 1.69 mmol/L, SD 0.45 mmol/L). Of these 122, Accutrend correctly identified 97% as being <2.25 mmol/L by the laboratory method. A Bland-Altman plot revealed a mean underestimation of the Accutrend of only -0.09 mmol/L. However, due to high scattering, the maximal over- and underestimation was 0.89 and 1.39 mmol/L, respectively. Only 75% of the results from the Accutrend were within +/-20% of the result of the laboratory method. If the cut-off for low glucose concentrations was set 0.6 mmol/L higher for the bedside test as compared to the laboratory method, all patients except one would have been correctly identified as hypoglycemic. When using the Accutrend sensor, single infants with even marked hypoglycemia might be missed. Some delay in receiving accurate measurements might be more helpful for clinical decisions and long-term outcome than immediate but potentially misleading results.

Measurement of Moisture Content in Seeds of Some North American Hardwoods

Treesearch

F. T. Bonner

1972-01-01

Current International rules (International Seed Testing Association, 1966) for determination of moisture content specify the air-oven method at 105 °C for all tree seeds except those of Ables, Cedrus. Fagus, Picea, and Tsuga, for which the toluene distillation method must be used. Calibration of air-oven methods against a good reference method, such as toluene...