The integration of Global Navigation Satellite System(GNSS)technology into railway train control systems is a crucial step toward achieving the vision of a digital railway.Traditional train control systems undergo ext...The integration of Global Navigation Satellite System(GNSS)technology into railway train control systems is a crucial step toward achieving the vision of a digital railway.Traditional train control systems undergo extensive in-house tests and prolonged field tests for certification and approval before operational deployment,leading to high costs,delays,and operational disruptions.This paper introduces a GNSS-based train control localization framework which eliminates the need for on-site testing by leveraging train movement dynamics and 3D environment modeling to create a zero on-site testing platform.The proposed framework simulates train movement and the surrounding 3D environment using collected railway line location data and environmental attributes to generate realistic multipath signals and obscuration effects.This approach enables comprehensive laboratory-based case studies for train localization,reducing the huge amount test of needed for physical field trials.The framework is established in house,using the data collected at the Test Base of China Academy of Railway Sciences(Circular Railway).Results from the open area and cutting environment tests demonstrate high localization accuracy repeatability within the simulated environment,validating the feasibility and effectiveness of zero on-site testing for GNSS-based train control systems.This research highlights the potential of GNSS simulation platforms in enhancing cost efficiency,operational safety,and accuracy for future digital railways.展开更多
According to different testing purposes, methods and available environmental conditions, the seismograph testing can be divided into laboratory and on-site testing, respectively. The testing of the seismograph's k...According to different testing purposes, methods and available environmental conditions, the seismograph testing can be divided into laboratory and on-site testing, respectively. The testing of the seismograph's key parameters and other concerning technical specifications are well described in guide documents(China Earthquake Administration, 2017). This includes seismometer sensitivity, linearity and clip levels based on the shake table test, as well as the seismometer natural period, damping constant based on electrical calibration(Wang Guangfu,1986; Ple?inger A.,1993) and instrumental self-noise collocation estimation(Holcomb L.G., 1989; Sleeman R. et al., 2006). However, with the development of seismic observation technology, many new requirements for the performance evaluation of seismographs have been put forward, and new testing items and methods have emerged.展开更多
A cable circuit of a substation in the United Kingdom showed high level of PD activities during a survey using hand hold PD testing equipment. The authors were invited to carry out on-site PD testing experiment to fur...A cable circuit of a substation in the United Kingdom showed high level of PD activities during a survey using hand hold PD testing equipment. The authors were invited to carry out on-site PD testing experiment to further diagnose and locate the potential problem of the cable system. This paper presents the experience of the present authors carrying out the cable test. Following a brief introduction to the experiment equipments and physical connections, the paper analyses the data collected from the testing, including PD pulse shape analysis, frequency spectrum analysis and phase resolved PD pattern analysis. Associated with PD propagation direction identification, PD source diagnosis and localisation was made. Four different types of sensors, which were adapted during the testing, are shown to have different frequency bandwidths and performed differently. Aider comparing the parameters of the sensor and the PD signals detected by individual sensor, optimal PD monitoring bandwidth for cable system is suggested.展开更多
Approximately 94 to 220 million people worldwide are at risk of drinking well water containing arsenic > 10 μg/L, the WHO guideline value. To identify non-compliant domestic wells, assess health risks and reduce e...Approximately 94 to 220 million people worldwide are at risk of drinking well water containing arsenic > 10 μg/L, the WHO guideline value. To identify non-compliant domestic wells, assess health risks and reduce exposure, accurate and rapid on-site inorganic arsenic screening methods are desirable because all domestic wells worldwide need to be tested.Here, the principles, advantages and limitations of commonly used colorimetry, electrochemistry, and biosensing methods are critically reviewed, with the performance compared with laboratory-based benchmark methods. Most commercial kits are based on the classic Gutzeit reaction. Despite being semi-quantitative, the more recent and more expensive products display improved and acceptable accuracy and shorter testing time (~10 min). Carried out by trained professionals, electrochemical methods are also feasible for on-site analysis, although miniaturization is desirable yet challenging. Biosensing using whole bacterial cells or bio-engineered materials such as aptamers is promising, if incorporated with function specific nanomaterials and biomaterials. Since arsenic is frequently found as arsenite in reducing groundwater and subject to oxidation during sampling, transportation and storage, on-site separation and sample preservation are feasible but the specific methods should be chosen based on sample matrix and tested before use. To eliminate arsenic exposure among hundreds of millions of mostly rural residents worldwide, we call for concerted efforts in research community and regulatory authority to develop accurate, rapid, and affordable tests for on-site screening and monitoring of arsenic in drinking water. Access to affordable testing will benefit people who are socioeconomically disadvantaged.展开更多
Traditional transgenic detection methods require high test conditions and struggle to be both sensitive and efficient.In this study,a one-tube dual recombinase polymerase amplification(RPA)reaction system for CP4-EPSP...Traditional transgenic detection methods require high test conditions and struggle to be both sensitive and efficient.In this study,a one-tube dual recombinase polymerase amplification(RPA)reaction system for CP4-EPSPS and Cry1Ab/Ac was proposed and combined with a lateral flow immunochromatographic assay,named“Dual-RPA-LFD”,to visualize the dual detection of genetically modified(GM)crops.In which,the herbicide tolerance gene CP4-EPSPS and the insect resistance gene Cry1Ab/Ac were selected as targets taking into account the current status of the most widespread application of insect resistance and herbicide tolerance traits and their stacked traits.Gradient diluted plasmids,transgenic standards,and actual samples were used as templates to conduct sensitivity,specificity,and practicality assays,respectively.The constructed method achieved the visual detection of plasmid at levels as low as 100 copies,demonstrating its high sensitivity.In addition,good applicability to transgenic samples was observed,with no cross-interference between two test lines and no influence from other genes.In conclusion,this strategy achieved the expected purpose of simultaneous detection of the two popular targets in GM crops within 20 min at 37°C in a rapid,equipmentfree field manner,providing a new alternative for rapid screening for transgenic assays in the field.展开更多
The iron element in electric arc furnace(EAF)slag is extremely difficult to recycle due to the low specific magnetic susceptibility of the RO phase(a solid solution of FeO,MgO,CaO,and MnO).Landfilling EAF slag is stri...The iron element in electric arc furnace(EAF)slag is extremely difficult to recycle due to the low specific magnetic susceptibility of the RO phase(a solid solution of FeO,MgO,CaO,and MnO).Landfilling EAF slag is strictly forbidden for environmental consideration because of poisonous Cr^(6+)leaching.The original RO phase could be transformed to a spinel structure,whose specific magnetic susceptibility is much higher than that of other minerals,through hot modification,resulting in significantly increased iron recovery by magnetic separation.Precipitation of spinel crystals encloses chromium,such that iron and chromium could be recovered simultaneously.The chromium in obtained iron concentrates is considerably useful for stainless steel making rather than polluting the environment.As a result,recovering iron and chromium is truly beneficial for cleaner production.Hot modification of EAF slag should be conducted at 1500-1600ºC for at least 60 min to guarantee homogeneous liquid slag.The liquid slag was poured onto an iron mold to obtain modified slag(MS)through air quenching.MS was characterized by thermodynamic analysis,X-ray diffraction,and scanning electron microscopy combined with energy-dispersive spectroscopy to correlate the relationship between mineral structures and iron recovery.The iron recovery rate of MS first increased and then decreased with increasing modifier.It was less than 10%when the modifier addition amount was below 12 wt.%,but it increased rapidly as the modifier addition amount increased from 16 to 24 wt.%,mainly due to spinel formation.The highest iron recovery rate was 81.9%when the modifier amount reached 20 wt.%.Meanwhile,Cr^(6+)was enriched in the spinel phase but was not observed in other minerals.Industrial tests were performed on-site with the modifier ranging from 12 to 18 wt.%because additional heat was not provided during the tests.Results showed that MS with 18 wt.%modifier addition exhibited an iron recovery rate of 61.0%,much higher than that(34.6%)of the original slag.展开更多
Mass mortality of mandarin fish(Siniperca chuatsi)due to infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus(ISKNV)infection occurs frequently.Since there are no effective drug treatments available,prevention relies heavily o...Mass mortality of mandarin fish(Siniperca chuatsi)due to infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus(ISKNV)infection occurs frequently.Since there are no effective drug treatments available,prevention relies heavily on detection.Effective and rapid on-site detection methods are needed for early diagnosis of ISKNV.In this study,a rapid and simple colloidal gold test strip method,specific for the antibody against major capsid protein(MCP),was developed and systematically evaluated for the detection of ISKNV.The limit of detection of the test strip is a 1꞉100 dilution of a positive standard serum and the antibody level in the fish could be estimated from the depth of color of the test line.The strips were tested against serum samples of cyprinid herpesvirus-2(CyHV-2),grass carp reovirus(GCRV),largemouth bass ranavirus(LMBV),large yellow croaker iridovirus(LYCIV),and spring viremia of carp virus(SVCV),yielding no cross-reactivity.In addition,10 mandarin fish artificially infected with ISKNV were tested using the current industry standard PCR method(SC/T 7211-2011)on their splenorenal tissues.The results from the test strips showed a high degree of concordance with PCR testing,achieving a Kappa value of 0.737.All the results indicated that the colloidal gold test strips prepared in this study could be used as a simple,rapid,and highly sensitive and specific method for ISKNV diagnosis.展开更多
Part One:Quick Responses please make a quick response to the sentence you will hear.1.please remember me to your classmates.2.That sweater looks great on you.
The determination of gas pressure before uncovering coal in cross-cuts and in shafts is one of the important steps in pre- dicting coal and gas outbursts. However, the time spent for testing gas pressure is, at presen...The determination of gas pressure before uncovering coal in cross-cuts and in shafts is one of the important steps in pre- dicting coal and gas outbursts. However, the time spent for testing gas pressure is, at present, very long, seriously affecting the ap- plication of outburst prediction techniques in opening coal seams in cross-cuts and shafts. In order to reduce the time needed in gas pressure tests and to improve the accuracy of tests, we analyzed the process of gas pressure tests and examined the effect of the length of boreholes in coal seams in tests. The result shows that 1) the shorter the borehole, the easier the real pressure value of gas can be obtained and 2) the main factors affecting the time spent in gas pressure tests are the length of the borehole in coal seams, the gas emission time after the borehole has been formed and the quality of the borehole-sealing. The longer the length of the bore- hole, the longer the gas emission time and the larger the pressure-relief circle formed around the borehole, the longer the time needed for pressure tests. By controlling the length of the borehole in a test case in the Huainan mining area, and adopting a quick sealing technique using a sticky liquid method, the sealing quality was clearly improved and the gas emission time as well as the amount of gas discharged greatly decreased. Before the method described, the time required for the gas pressure to increase during the pressure test process, was more than 10 days. With our new method the required time is only 5 hours. In addition, the accuracy of the gas pressure test is greatly improved.展开更多
AIM: To investigate whether differences in the rapidity of a positive result for Helicobacter pylori can save res ources, by comparing two commercially available urease kits. METHODS: One hundred and eighty-five adult...AIM: To investigate whether differences in the rapidity of a positive result for Helicobacter pylori can save res ources, by comparing two commercially available urease kits. METHODS: One hundred and eighty-five adults (130 outpatients, 55 inpatients) undergoing gastroscopy were entered prospectively. Patients were divided into two groups: Group 1 (if they were not on PPIs, antibiotics, H2A, bismuth or sucralfate for up to 14 d prior to the endoscopy) and Group 2 (if they were on, or had been on, any of the above medication in the previous 14 d). At endoscopy two sets of biopsies, taken in random order, were placed in the wells of the Campylobacter-like organism (CLO) test (Kimberly-Clark, Utah, USA) and the Quick test (Biohit Plc, Helsinki, Finland). Five additional gastric biopsies were taken for histology/Giemsa and immunohistochemical study. The two urease test slides were read at 2 min, 30 min, 2 h and 24 h. Sensitivity and specif icity at 24 h were determined. RESULTS: At 24 h, for all patients, there was no difference in sensitivity (100% vs 97.5%), specificity (99.3%), positive (97.5%) and negative predictive values (100% vs 99.3%) between the CLO and Quick tests, respectively. There was a positive result at 30 min in 17/41 (41.5%) CLO tests, and in 28/40 (70%) Quick tests, P = 0.05. Quick test enabled the prescription of eradication therapy before discharge in all 28/40 patients. Only 12 (30%) follow-up appointments were needed. If the CLO test had been used alone, only 17 (41.5%) prescriptions would have been possible prior to discharge and 24 (58%) follow-up appointments would be needed (P = 0.001). Of 2000 gastroscopies performed annually at our unit, a saving of 123 follow-up appointments (total: 8856 Euros or 11 808 USD) would be achieved if we switched to the Quick test. CONCLUSION: Direct comparison of locally available urease test kits is worthwhile, since the appropriate choice results in a significant saving of resources. Local costs and follow-up protocols will determine the magnitude of these savings.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(62027809,U2268206,T2222015,U2468202).
文摘The integration of Global Navigation Satellite System(GNSS)technology into railway train control systems is a crucial step toward achieving the vision of a digital railway.Traditional train control systems undergo extensive in-house tests and prolonged field tests for certification and approval before operational deployment,leading to high costs,delays,and operational disruptions.This paper introduces a GNSS-based train control localization framework which eliminates the need for on-site testing by leveraging train movement dynamics and 3D environment modeling to create a zero on-site testing platform.The proposed framework simulates train movement and the surrounding 3D environment using collected railway line location data and environmental attributes to generate realistic multipath signals and obscuration effects.This approach enables comprehensive laboratory-based case studies for train localization,reducing the huge amount test of needed for physical field trials.The framework is established in house,using the data collected at the Test Base of China Academy of Railway Sciences(Circular Railway).Results from the open area and cutting environment tests demonstrate high localization accuracy repeatability within the simulated environment,validating the feasibility and effectiveness of zero on-site testing for GNSS-based train control systems.This research highlights the potential of GNSS simulation platforms in enhancing cost efficiency,operational safety,and accuracy for future digital railways.
基金sponsored by the Department of Earthquake Monitoring and Prediction,China Earthquake Administration
文摘According to different testing purposes, methods and available environmental conditions, the seismograph testing can be divided into laboratory and on-site testing, respectively. The testing of the seismograph's key parameters and other concerning technical specifications are well described in guide documents(China Earthquake Administration, 2017). This includes seismometer sensitivity, linearity and clip levels based on the shake table test, as well as the seismometer natural period, damping constant based on electrical calibration(Wang Guangfu,1986; Ple?inger A.,1993) and instrumental self-noise collocation estimation(Holcomb L.G., 1989; Sleeman R. et al., 2006). However, with the development of seismic observation technology, many new requirements for the performance evaluation of seismographs have been put forward, and new testing items and methods have emerged.
文摘A cable circuit of a substation in the United Kingdom showed high level of PD activities during a survey using hand hold PD testing equipment. The authors were invited to carry out on-site PD testing experiment to further diagnose and locate the potential problem of the cable system. This paper presents the experience of the present authors carrying out the cable test. Following a brief introduction to the experiment equipments and physical connections, the paper analyses the data collected from the testing, including PD pulse shape analysis, frequency spectrum analysis and phase resolved PD pattern analysis. Associated with PD propagation direction identification, PD source diagnosis and localisation was made. Four different types of sensors, which were adapted during the testing, are shown to have different frequency bandwidths and performed differently. Aider comparing the parameters of the sensor and the PD signals detected by individual sensor, optimal PD monitoring bandwidth for cable system is suggested.
基金Support was provided by NSFC grants 41831279 and 41772265 to Yan Zhenggrant 2021YFA0715900 from the National Key Research and Development Program of China。
文摘Approximately 94 to 220 million people worldwide are at risk of drinking well water containing arsenic > 10 μg/L, the WHO guideline value. To identify non-compliant domestic wells, assess health risks and reduce exposure, accurate and rapid on-site inorganic arsenic screening methods are desirable because all domestic wells worldwide need to be tested.Here, the principles, advantages and limitations of commonly used colorimetry, electrochemistry, and biosensing methods are critically reviewed, with the performance compared with laboratory-based benchmark methods. Most commercial kits are based on the classic Gutzeit reaction. Despite being semi-quantitative, the more recent and more expensive products display improved and acceptable accuracy and shorter testing time (~10 min). Carried out by trained professionals, electrochemical methods are also feasible for on-site analysis, although miniaturization is desirable yet challenging. Biosensing using whole bacterial cells or bio-engineered materials such as aptamers is promising, if incorporated with function specific nanomaterials and biomaterials. Since arsenic is frequently found as arsenite in reducing groundwater and subject to oxidation during sampling, transportation and storage, on-site separation and sample preservation are feasible but the specific methods should be chosen based on sample matrix and tested before use. To eliminate arsenic exposure among hundreds of millions of mostly rural residents worldwide, we call for concerted efforts in research community and regulatory authority to develop accurate, rapid, and affordable tests for on-site screening and monitoring of arsenic in drinking water. Access to affordable testing will benefit people who are socioeconomically disadvantaged.
基金supported by the Scientific and Innovative Action Plan of Shanghai(21N31900800)Shanghai Rising-Star Program(23QB1403500)+4 种基金the Shanghai Sailing Program(20YF1443000)Shanghai Science and Technology Commission,the Belt and Road Project(20310750500)Talent Project of SAAS(2023-2025)Runup Plan of SAAS(ZP22211)the SAAS Program for Excellent Research Team(2022(B-16))。
文摘Traditional transgenic detection methods require high test conditions and struggle to be both sensitive and efficient.In this study,a one-tube dual recombinase polymerase amplification(RPA)reaction system for CP4-EPSPS and Cry1Ab/Ac was proposed and combined with a lateral flow immunochromatographic assay,named“Dual-RPA-LFD”,to visualize the dual detection of genetically modified(GM)crops.In which,the herbicide tolerance gene CP4-EPSPS and the insect resistance gene Cry1Ab/Ac were selected as targets taking into account the current status of the most widespread application of insect resistance and herbicide tolerance traits and their stacked traits.Gradient diluted plasmids,transgenic standards,and actual samples were used as templates to conduct sensitivity,specificity,and practicality assays,respectively.The constructed method achieved the visual detection of plasmid at levels as low as 100 copies,demonstrating its high sensitivity.In addition,good applicability to transgenic samples was observed,with no cross-interference between two test lines and no influence from other genes.In conclusion,this strategy achieved the expected purpose of simultaneous detection of the two popular targets in GM crops within 20 min at 37°C in a rapid,equipmentfree field manner,providing a new alternative for rapid screening for transgenic assays in the field.
基金supported by Sichuan Province Science_and Technology Program(201904a05020008)Anhui Province Science and Technology Program(2019YFSY0029)the Open Project Funding from State Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Reuse for Building Materials(No.SWR-2017-005).
文摘The iron element in electric arc furnace(EAF)slag is extremely difficult to recycle due to the low specific magnetic susceptibility of the RO phase(a solid solution of FeO,MgO,CaO,and MnO).Landfilling EAF slag is strictly forbidden for environmental consideration because of poisonous Cr^(6+)leaching.The original RO phase could be transformed to a spinel structure,whose specific magnetic susceptibility is much higher than that of other minerals,through hot modification,resulting in significantly increased iron recovery by magnetic separation.Precipitation of spinel crystals encloses chromium,such that iron and chromium could be recovered simultaneously.The chromium in obtained iron concentrates is considerably useful for stainless steel making rather than polluting the environment.As a result,recovering iron and chromium is truly beneficial for cleaner production.Hot modification of EAF slag should be conducted at 1500-1600ºC for at least 60 min to guarantee homogeneous liquid slag.The liquid slag was poured onto an iron mold to obtain modified slag(MS)through air quenching.MS was characterized by thermodynamic analysis,X-ray diffraction,and scanning electron microscopy combined with energy-dispersive spectroscopy to correlate the relationship between mineral structures and iron recovery.The iron recovery rate of MS first increased and then decreased with increasing modifier.It was less than 10%when the modifier addition amount was below 12 wt.%,but it increased rapidly as the modifier addition amount increased from 16 to 24 wt.%,mainly due to spinel formation.The highest iron recovery rate was 81.9%when the modifier amount reached 20 wt.%.Meanwhile,Cr^(6+)was enriched in the spinel phase but was not observed in other minerals.Industrial tests were performed on-site with the modifier ranging from 12 to 18 wt.%because additional heat was not provided during the tests.Results showed that MS with 18 wt.%modifier addition exhibited an iron recovery rate of 61.0%,much higher than that(34.6%)of the original slag.
基金Supported by the Earmarked Fund for China Agricultural Research System(No.CARS-45-16)the Key Research and Development Plan of Jiangsu Province(No.BE2021369)。
文摘Mass mortality of mandarin fish(Siniperca chuatsi)due to infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus(ISKNV)infection occurs frequently.Since there are no effective drug treatments available,prevention relies heavily on detection.Effective and rapid on-site detection methods are needed for early diagnosis of ISKNV.In this study,a rapid and simple colloidal gold test strip method,specific for the antibody against major capsid protein(MCP),was developed and systematically evaluated for the detection of ISKNV.The limit of detection of the test strip is a 1꞉100 dilution of a positive standard serum and the antibody level in the fish could be estimated from the depth of color of the test line.The strips were tested against serum samples of cyprinid herpesvirus-2(CyHV-2),grass carp reovirus(GCRV),largemouth bass ranavirus(LMBV),large yellow croaker iridovirus(LYCIV),and spring viremia of carp virus(SVCV),yielding no cross-reactivity.In addition,10 mandarin fish artificially infected with ISKNV were tested using the current industry standard PCR method(SC/T 7211-2011)on their splenorenal tissues.The results from the test strips showed a high degree of concordance with PCR testing,achieving a Kappa value of 0.737.All the results indicated that the colloidal gold test strips prepared in this study could be used as a simple,rapid,and highly sensitive and specific method for ISKNV diagnosis.
文摘Part One:Quick Responses please make a quick response to the sentence you will hear.1.please remember me to your classmates.2.That sweater looks great on you.
基金supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (No.2006CB202204-3).
文摘The determination of gas pressure before uncovering coal in cross-cuts and in shafts is one of the important steps in pre- dicting coal and gas outbursts. However, the time spent for testing gas pressure is, at present, very long, seriously affecting the ap- plication of outburst prediction techniques in opening coal seams in cross-cuts and shafts. In order to reduce the time needed in gas pressure tests and to improve the accuracy of tests, we analyzed the process of gas pressure tests and examined the effect of the length of boreholes in coal seams in tests. The result shows that 1) the shorter the borehole, the easier the real pressure value of gas can be obtained and 2) the main factors affecting the time spent in gas pressure tests are the length of the borehole in coal seams, the gas emission time after the borehole has been formed and the quality of the borehole-sealing. The longer the length of the bore- hole, the longer the gas emission time and the larger the pressure-relief circle formed around the borehole, the longer the time needed for pressure tests. By controlling the length of the borehole in a test case in the Huainan mining area, and adopting a quick sealing technique using a sticky liquid method, the sealing quality was clearly improved and the gas emission time as well as the amount of gas discharged greatly decreased. Before the method described, the time required for the gas pressure to increase during the pressure test process, was more than 10 days. With our new method the required time is only 5 hours. In addition, the accuracy of the gas pressure test is greatly improved.
文摘AIM: To investigate whether differences in the rapidity of a positive result for Helicobacter pylori can save res ources, by comparing two commercially available urease kits. METHODS: One hundred and eighty-five adults (130 outpatients, 55 inpatients) undergoing gastroscopy were entered prospectively. Patients were divided into two groups: Group 1 (if they were not on PPIs, antibiotics, H2A, bismuth or sucralfate for up to 14 d prior to the endoscopy) and Group 2 (if they were on, or had been on, any of the above medication in the previous 14 d). At endoscopy two sets of biopsies, taken in random order, were placed in the wells of the Campylobacter-like organism (CLO) test (Kimberly-Clark, Utah, USA) and the Quick test (Biohit Plc, Helsinki, Finland). Five additional gastric biopsies were taken for histology/Giemsa and immunohistochemical study. The two urease test slides were read at 2 min, 30 min, 2 h and 24 h. Sensitivity and specif icity at 24 h were determined. RESULTS: At 24 h, for all patients, there was no difference in sensitivity (100% vs 97.5%), specificity (99.3%), positive (97.5%) and negative predictive values (100% vs 99.3%) between the CLO and Quick tests, respectively. There was a positive result at 30 min in 17/41 (41.5%) CLO tests, and in 28/40 (70%) Quick tests, P = 0.05. Quick test enabled the prescription of eradication therapy before discharge in all 28/40 patients. Only 12 (30%) follow-up appointments were needed. If the CLO test had been used alone, only 17 (41.5%) prescriptions would have been possible prior to discharge and 24 (58%) follow-up appointments would be needed (P = 0.001). Of 2000 gastroscopies performed annually at our unit, a saving of 123 follow-up appointments (total: 8856 Euros or 11 808 USD) would be achieved if we switched to the Quick test. CONCLUSION: Direct comparison of locally available urease test kits is worthwhile, since the appropriate choice results in a significant saving of resources. Local costs and follow-up protocols will determine the magnitude of these savings.
