Knowledge of the dynamic modulus of bituminous mixtures is practical and theoretically meaningful in pavement design,construction,and monitoring.The tests in the laboratory for the determination of asphalt concrete(AC...Knowledge of the dynamic modulus of bituminous mixtures is practical and theoretically meaningful in pavement design,construction,and monitoring.The tests in the laboratory for the determination of asphalt concrete(AC)moduli include the resilient modulus through the indirect tensile test(EN 12697-26),the complex modulus through the four point bending beam(EN 12697-26),the asphalt mixture performance tester(AMPT)and the simple performance tester(SPT)(AASHTO T342).Unfortunately,the tests above are time-consuming and quite expensive.On the other hand,the standard ASTM E1876 for resonant tests applies only to very thin(stocky)cylindrical samples(with a thickness-to-radius ratio,t/r,lower than 0.5)while the typical AC samples produced in the laboratory do not satisfy the ASTM E1876 requirements.Consequently,the main objective of this study is to set up and implement a tentative method to extend the range of applicability of the standard ASTM E1876 to common AC samples.The methodology was to carry out resonant tests on slender samples and to cut each of them into stocky samples(these latter complying with ASTM E1876 requirements in terms of t/r),deriving the master curve per material.These master curves allowed for deriving the value of the dynamic modulus for the given selected sample under its particular test conditions during the resonant test(i.e.,temperature and frequency).Consequently,simplified formulae were provided for AC samples.Results were compared to Witczak's estimates.These formulae provide an approximate tool to carry out low-cost and high-speed inferences at the laboratory stage on common AC samples,whatever their thickness is.Additional studies are needed to investigate the reliability of the method further and reduce uncertainties.展开更多
Test case prioritization and ranking play a crucial role in software testing by improving fault detection efficiency and ensuring software reliability.While prioritization selects the most relevant test cases for opti...Test case prioritization and ranking play a crucial role in software testing by improving fault detection efficiency and ensuring software reliability.While prioritization selects the most relevant test cases for optimal coverage,ranking further refines their execution order to detect critical faults earlier.This study investigates machine learning techniques to enhance both prioritization and ranking,contributing to more effective and efficient testing processes.We first employ advanced feature engineering alongside ensemble models,including Gradient Boosted,Support Vector Machines,Random Forests,and Naive Bayes classifiers to optimize test case prioritization,achieving an accuracy score of 0.98847 and significantly improving the Average Percentage of Fault Detection(APFD).Subsequently,we introduce a deep Q-learning framework combined with a Genetic Algorithm(GA)to refine test case ranking within priority levels.This approach achieves a rank accuracy of 0.9172,demonstrating robust performance despite the increasing computational demands of specialized variation operators.Our findings highlight the effectiveness of stacked ensemble learning and reinforcement learning in optimizing test case prioritization and ranking.This integrated approach improves testing efficiency,reduces late-stage defects,and improves overall software stability.The study provides valuable information for AI-driven testing frameworks,paving the way for more intelligent and adaptive software quality assurance methodologies.展开更多
With the rapid development of artificial intelligence,the intelligence level of software is increasingly improving.Intelligent software,which is widely applied in crucial fields such as autonomous driving,intelligent ...With the rapid development of artificial intelligence,the intelligence level of software is increasingly improving.Intelligent software,which is widely applied in crucial fields such as autonomous driving,intelligent customer service,and medical diagnosis,is constructed based on complex technologies like machine learning and deep learning.Its uncertain behavior and data dependence pose unprecedented challenges to software testing.However,existing software testing courses mainly focus on conventional contents and are unable to meet the requirements of intelligent software testing.Therefore,this work deeply analyzed the relevant technologies of intelligent software testing,including reliability evaluation indicator system,neuron coverage,and test case generation.It also systematically designed an intelligent software testing course,covering teaching objectives,teaching content,teaching methods,and a teaching case.Verified by the practical teaching in four classes,this course has achieved remarkable results,providing practical experience for the reform of software testing courses.展开更多
Members of the British Textile Machinery Association(BTMA)can look back on 2025 as a year marked by notable technological advances and continued progress in global trade,despite an uncertain and volatile market.“Our ...Members of the British Textile Machinery Association(BTMA)can look back on 2025 as a year marked by notable technological advances and continued progress in global trade,despite an uncertain and volatile market.“Our members have been very active over the past 12 months and this has resulted in new technologies for the production of technical fibres and fabrics,the introduction of AI and machine learning into process control systems and significant advances in materials testing,”says BTMA CEO Jason Kent.“There’s real excitement about what can be achieved in 2026 as we look ahead to upcoming exhibitions such as JEC Composites in Paris in March and Techtextil in Frankfurt in April.”展开更多
With the rapid development of Internet technology,REST APIs(Representational State Transfer Application Programming Interfaces)have become the primary communication standard in modern microservice architectures,raisin...With the rapid development of Internet technology,REST APIs(Representational State Transfer Application Programming Interfaces)have become the primary communication standard in modern microservice architectures,raising increasing concerns about their security.Existing fuzz testing methods include random or dictionary-based input generation,which often fail to ensure both syntactic and semantic correctness,and OpenAPIbased approaches,which offer better accuracy but typically lack detailed descriptions of endpoints,parameters,or data formats.To address these issues,this paper proposes the APIDocX fuzz testing framework.It introduces a crawler tailored for dynamic web pages that automatically simulates user interactions to trigger APIs,capturing and extracting parameter information from communication packets.A multi-endpoint parameter adaptation method based on improved Jaccard similarity is then used to generalize these parameters to other potential API endpoints,filling in gaps in OpenAPI specifications.Experimental results demonstrate that the extracted parameters can be generalized with 79.61%accuracy.Fuzz testing using the enriched OpenAPI documents leads to improvements in test coverage,the number of valid test cases generated,and fault detection capabilities.This approach offers an effective enhancement to automated REST API security testing.展开更多
Lateral flow immunoassays(LFIAs)are low-cost,rapid,and easy to use for pointof-care testing(POCT),but the majority of the available LFIA tests are indicative,rather than quantitative,and their sensitivity in antigen t...Lateral flow immunoassays(LFIAs)are low-cost,rapid,and easy to use for pointof-care testing(POCT),but the majority of the available LFIA tests are indicative,rather than quantitative,and their sensitivity in antigen tests are usually limited at the nanogram range,which is primarily due to the passive capillary fluidics through nitrocellulose membranes,often associated with non-specific bindings and high background noise.To overcome this challenge,we report a Beads-on-a-Tip design by replacing nitrocellulose membranes with a pipette tip loaded with magnetic beads.The beads are pre-conjugated with capture antibodies that support a typical sandwich immunoassay.This design enriches the low-abundant antigen proteins and allows an active washing process to significantly reduce non-specific bindings.To further improve the detection sensitivity,we employed upconversion nanoparticles(UCNPs)as luminescent reporters and SARS-CoV-2 spike(S)antigen as a model analyte to benchmark the performance of this design against our previously reported methods.We found that the key to enhance the immunocomplex formation and signal-to-noise ratio lay in optimizing incubation time and the UCNP-to-bead ratio.We therefore successfully demonstrated that the new method can achieve a very large dynamic range from 500 fg/mL to 10μg/mL,across over 7 digits,and a limit of detection of 706 fg/mL,nearly another order of magnitude lower than the best reported LFIA using UCNPs in COVID-19 spike antigen detection.Our system offers a promising solution for ultra-sensitive and quantitative POCT diagnostics.展开更多
The stress-strain behavior of calcareous sand is significantly influencedby particle breakage(B)and initial relative density(Dri),but few constitutive models consider their combined effects.To bridge this gap,we condu...The stress-strain behavior of calcareous sand is significantly influencedby particle breakage(B)and initial relative density(Dri),but few constitutive models consider their combined effects.To bridge this gap,we conducted a series of triaxial tests on calcareous sand with varying Dri and stress paths,examining particle breakage and critical state behavior.Key findingsinclude:(1)At a constant stress ratio(η),B follows a hyperbolic relationship with mean effective stress(p'),and for a given p',B increases proportionally withη;(2)The critical state line(CSL)moves downward with increasing Dri,whereas the critical state friction angle(φcs)decreases with increasing B.Based on these findings,we propose a unifiedbreakage evolution model to quantify particle breakage in calcareous sand under various loading conditions.Integrating this model with the Normal Consolidation Line(NCL)and CSL equations,we successfully simulate the steepening of NCL and CSL slopes as B increases with the onset of particle breakage.Furthermore,we quantitatively evaluate the effect of B onφcs.Finally,within the framework of Critical State Soil Mechanics and Hypoplasticity theory,we develop a hypoplastic model incorporating B and Dri.The model is validated through strong agreement with experimental results across various initial relative densities,stress paths and drainage conditions.展开更多
Small extracellular vesicles(sEVs)membrane protein profile(sEVpp)is a novel biomarker for cancer,and it can reveal the in-depth phenotype information.The point-of-care testing(POCT)of sEVpp holds great significance fo...Small extracellular vesicles(sEVs)membrane protein profile(sEVpp)is a novel biomarker for cancer,and it can reveal the in-depth phenotype information.The point-of-care testing(POCT)of sEVpp holds great significance for mass screening of cancer,so the cost-effective and simple detection methods of sEVpp are urgently demanded.Herein,we constructed a paper-based multichannel sEVpp POCT device(sEVpp-PAD)enabled by functional DNA probes and metal-organic framework(MOF).The core components are aptamer/MOF-modified paper chips.The modified aptamers can immunocapture the sEV expressing corresponding proteins,while the modified MOF can provide abundant sites for aptamer-modification,reduce the nonspecific protein absorption,and act as reference for ratiometric detection.Simply powered by two syringes,the sEVpp-PAD can efficiently capture sEVs expressing corresponding protein from cell culture media and sera.Furthermore,a detection probe(DP)consisted of CD63 aptamer and G-quadruplex was developed for the colorimetric detection of captured sEVs.Utilizing this device,the sEVpp in various hepatocellular carcinoma cell culture medium and,more importantly,in human sera can be accurately determined,only with$2 device,$0.2 detection reagents and 1.8 h procedure.This simple strategy for sEVpp detection can innovatively promote the POCT and subtyping of cancer based on sEV-related liquid biopsy.展开更多
X-rays are widely used in the non-destructive testing(NDT)of electrical equipment.Radio frequency(RF)electron linear accelerators can generate MeV high-energy X-rays with strong penetrating ability;however,the system ...X-rays are widely used in the non-destructive testing(NDT)of electrical equipment.Radio frequency(RF)electron linear accelerators can generate MeV high-energy X-rays with strong penetrating ability;however,the system generally has a large scale,which is not suitable for on-site testing.Compared with the S-band(S-linac)at the same stage of beam energy,the accelerator working in the X-band(X-linac)can compress the facility scale by over 2/3 in the longitudinal direction,which is convenient for the on-site NDT of electrical equipment.To address the beam quality and design complexity simultaneously,the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithmⅡ(NSGA-Ⅱ),which is a multi-objective genetic algorithm(MOGA),was developed to optimize the cavity chain design of the X-linac.Additionally,the designs of the focusing coils,electron gun,and RF couplers,which are other key components of the X-linac,were introduced in this context.In particular,the focusing coil distributions were optimized using a genetic algorithm.Furthermore,after designing such key components,PARMELA software was adopted to perform beam dynamics calculations with the optimized accelerating fields and magnetic fields.The results show that the beam performance was obtained with a capture ratio of more than 90%,an energy spread of less than 10%,and an average energy of approximately 3 MeV.The design and simulation results indicate that the proposed NSGAⅡ-based approach is feasible for X-linac accelerator design.Furthermore,it can be generalized as a universal technique for industrial electron linear accelerators provided that specific optimization objectives and constraints are set according to different application scenarios and requirements.展开更多
Joining dissimilar materials encounters significant engineering challenges due to the contrast in material properties that makes conventional welding not feasible.Magnetic Pulse Welding(MPW)offers a solidstate joining...Joining dissimilar materials encounters significant engineering challenges due to the contrast in material properties that makes conventional welding not feasible.Magnetic Pulse Welding(MPW)offers a solidstate joining technique that overcomes these issues by using impact to create strong bonds without melting the substrate materials.This study investigates the weldability of aluminum alloy Al-5754 with Al-7075 and MARS 380 steel,used in armouring solutions of defense systems,by the use of MPW.In this work,weldability windows are investigated by varying standoff distances between the coating material and its substrate(0.25-4.5 mm)and discharge energies(5-13 kJ)with both O-shape and U-shape inductors.Mechanical strength of the welded joints were assessed through single lap shear tests,identifying optimal welding parameters.Then,the velocity profiles of the flyer plates were measured using heterodyne velocimetry to understand the dynamics of the impact.Then,substructures assembled with the optimal welding conditions were subjected to ballistic testing using 7.62 mm×51 mm NATO and 9 mm×19 mm Parabellum munitions to evaluate the resilience of the welds under ballistic impact.The outcomes demonstrate that MPW effectively joins Al-5754 with both Al-7075 and MARS 380,producing robust welds capable of withstanding ballistic impacts under certain conditions.This research advances the application of MPW in lightweight ballistic protection of defense systems,contributing to the development of more resilient and lighter protective structures.展开更多
Objective:To analyze factors affecting the utilization of human immunodeficiency virus counseling and testing(HCT)service among human immunodeficiency virus risk groups at Hessa Air Genting Health Center,Asahan Regenc...Objective:To analyze factors affecting the utilization of human immunodeficiency virus counseling and testing(HCT)service among human immunodeficiency virus risk groups at Hessa Air Genting Health Center,Asahan Regency,North Sumatera,Indonesia.Methods:This quantitative unmatched case-control study was conducted from April 2024 to April 2025 at Hessa Air Genting Health Center,Asahan Regency,North Sumatra Province,Indonesia.Female sex workers and men who have sex with men were selected using purposive sampling based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria.Data were collected via questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS version 18.0,with univariate analysis,bivariate analysis(Chi-square test),and multivariate analysis(logistic regression analysis).Results:Comprehensive analysis of 75 cases and 75 controls was conducted to identify factors affecting the utilization of HCT services.Specifically,this study identified significant effects of knowledge(OR 3.2,95%CI 1.5-7.0,P=0.003),perception(OR 5.6,95%CI 2.5-12.5,P<0.001),information media(OR 3.1,95%CI 1.4-6.8,P=0.005),and health workers encouragement(OR 4.0,95%CI 1.5-10.4,P=0.005).In contrast,access to health services did not have a significant effect.Conclusions:Knowledge,perception,information media,and health worker encouragement had significant effects on HCT service utilization,with perception identified as the dominant factor.To improve utilization,strengthening positive perceptions,targeted training for healthcare workers,strengthened partnerships with local non-governmental organizations,and the use of social media for health promotion are recommended.展开更多
Abstract High altitude test facilities are required to test the high area ratio nozzles operating at the upper stages of rocket in the nozzle full flow conditions. It is typically achieved by creating the ambient pres...Abstract High altitude test facilities are required to test the high area ratio nozzles operating at the upper stages of rocket in the nozzle full flow conditions. It is typically achieved by creating the ambient pressure equal or less than the nozzle exit pressure. On average, air/GN2 is used as active gas for ejector system that is stored in the high pressure cylinders. The wind tunnel facilities are used for conducting aerodynamic simulation experiments at/under various flow velocities and operating conditions. However, constructing both of these facilities require more laboratory space and expensive instruments. Because of this demerit, a novel scheme is implemented for conducting wind tunnel experiments by using the existing infrastructure available in the high altitude testing （HAT） facility. This article presents the details about the methods implemented for suitably modifying the sub-scale HAT facility to conduct wind tunnel experiments. Hence, the design of nozzle for required area ratio A/A＊, realization of test section and the optimized configuration are focused in the present analysis. Specific insights into various rocket models including high thrust cryogenic engines and their holding mechanisms to conduct wind tunnel experiments in the HAT facility are analyzed. A detailed CFD analysis is done to propose this conversion without affecting the existing functional requirements of the HAT facility.展开更多
Background: Syncope is a relevant health problem in military environments. Reliable diagnosis is challenging. Tilt table testing is an important tool for syncope diagnosis. The aim of this study was to determine wheth...Background: Syncope is a relevant health problem in military environments. Reliable diagnosis is challenging. Tilt table testing is an important tool for syncope diagnosis. The aim of this study was to determine whether signs such as prodromal symptoms, co-morbidity, frequency of syncopal events, body length, body mass index, and electrocardiography(ECG) abnormalities can be used to predict the success of tilt table testing at diagnosing syncope.Methods: Data from 100 patients with histories of syncope or pre-syncope, who were diagnosed using head-up tilt table testing, were retrospectively analyzed in a cross-sectional analysis. The diagnostic procedure was based upon a modified version of the Westminster protocol without any pharmacological provocation. Results: Patients showing pathological reaction patterns during tilt table testing suffered from prodromal symptoms, such as dizziness and sweating, significantly more often. The patients reported more injuries resulting from syncopal events and more previous syncopal events, and the prevalence of co-morbidity was greater among patients presenting negative findings during tilt testing. An asthenic-leptosomal physique was not confirmed as a risk factor for syncopal events as is the case for idiopathic arterial hypotension. However, patients with pathological reaction patterns during tilt table testing were significantly taller. This finding was detected for both females and males. No significant predictors were found in the ECG patterns of patients showing syncope during tilt table testing.Conclusions: Frequency of prior syncope and prodromal symptoms, and increased body length with an otherwise good state of health influence the predictive value of tilt table testing for syncope diagnosis. In particular, if these factors are present, tilt table testing should be considered part of the diagnostic algorithm for soldiers with recurrent syncope.展开更多
To identify a cost-efficient altemative antibody testing strategy for screening and confirmation of HIV infection by rapid simple tests （RSTs） and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays （ELISAs）. Methods Four RSTs （R...To identify a cost-efficient altemative antibody testing strategy for screening and confirmation of HIV infection by rapid simple tests （RSTs） and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays （ELISAs）. Methods Four RSTs （RST1, RST2, RST3, and RST4 ） and five ELISAs （ELISA1, ELISA2, ELISA3, ELISA4, and ELISA5） were evaluated in two phases by using banked and serum specimens prospectively collected at regional hospitals and voluntary counseling and testing （VCT） centers in Beijing. A total of 200 banked serum specimens were included in the first phase, including 62 HIV-positive, 127 HIV-negative and 11 indeterminate specimens. All specimens were tested by four RSTs and five ELISAs respectively. The second phase involved prospective testing of 389 routine specimens, including 92 HIV-positive, 287 HIV-negative, and 10 indeterminate specimens. All the specimens were tested by two RSTs （RST2 and RST4） and three ELISAs （ELISA1, ELISA3, and ELISA4）, which were selected for their respective excellent sensitivity and/or specificity. Westem blot （WB） was used as a gold standard for confirming the reactivity of all the specimens. Results Sensitivity, specificity, and efficacy were calculated for each assay in two phases. In the first phase, four assays （ELISA4, RST2, RST3, and RST4） had a specificity of 100%. For the determination of efficacy, ELISA4, RST2, and RST4 were selected in the second phase. ELISA1 and ELISA3 which have a sensitivity of 95.9% and 93.2% respectively also entered this phase. In the second phase, all the five assays （ELISA1, ELISA3, ELISA4, RST2, and RST4） had a sensitivity and specifity of over 90%. ELISA1 had a sensitivity of 99% and ELISA4 a specificity of 99%. Conclusion The sensitivity ELISA1 and the specificit of ELISA4 are comparable to ELISA/WB standard strategy. Application of this alternative testing strategy provides a cost-effective method for determining HIV prevalence in Beijing.展开更多
AIM:To identify key variables associated with colon cancer testing using the 2009 California Health Inventory Survey(CHIS).METHODS:The CHIS has been conducted biennially since 2001 using a two-stage,geographically str...AIM:To identify key variables associated with colon cancer testing using the 2009 California Health Inventory Survey(CHIS).METHODS:The CHIS has been conducted biennially since 2001 using a two-stage,geographically stratified random-digit-dial sample design to produce a representative sample of the entire State.For this study we used survey data from 2001-2009 inclusive.We restricted our analysis to White,Black,and Hispanic/Latinos aged 50-80 years.Weighted data was used to calculate the proportion of participants who underwent some form of colon cancer testing(colonoscopy,flexible sigmoidoscopy or fecal occult blood testing) within the previous 5 years stratified by race/ethnicity.For inferential analysis,boot-strapping with replacement was performed on the weighted sample to attain variance estimates at the 95%CI.For mean differences among categories we used t-tests and for comparisons of categorical data we used Pearson's χ 2.Binary logistic regression was used to identify independent variables associated with undergoing some form of testing.Trend analysis was performed to determine rates of testing over the study period stratified by race.RESULTS:The CHIS database for 2009 had 30 857 unique respondents corresponding to a weighted sample size of 10.6 million Californians.Overall,63.0%(63.0-63.1) underwent a colon cancer test within the previous 5 years;with 70.5%(70.5%-70.6%) of this subset having undergone colonoscopy.That is 44.5%(44.4%-44.5%) of all individuals 50-80 underwent colonoscopy.By multivariable regression,those tested were more likely to be male(OR = 1.06;95%CI:1.06-1.06),Black(OR = 1.30;95%CI:1.30-1.31),have a family member with colon cancer(OR = 1.71;95%CI:1.70-1.72),and have health insurance(OR = 2.71;95%CI:2.70-2.72).Progressive levels above the poverty line were also associated with receiving a test(100%-199%:1.21;1.20-1.21),(200%-299%:1.41;1.40-1.42),(> 300:1.69;1.68-1.70).The strongest variable was physician recommendation(OR = 3.90;95%CI:3.88-3.91).For the Hispanic/Latino group,additional variables associated with testing were success of physician-patient communication(OR = 2.44;95%CI:2.40-2.48) and naturalized citizenship status(OR = 1.91;95%CI:1.89-1.93).Trend analysis demonstrated increased colon cancer testing for all racial/ethnic subgroups from 2001-2009 although the rate remained considerably lower for the Hispanic/Latino subgroup.CONCLUSION:Using CHIS we identified California citizens most likely to undergo colon cancer testing.The strongest variable associated with testing for all groups was physician recommendation.展开更多
Background:Syncope is a relevant health problem in military environments.Reliable diagnosis is challenging.Tilt table testing is an important tool for syncope diagnosis.The aim of this study was to determine whether s...Background:Syncope is a relevant health problem in military environments.Reliable diagnosis is challenging.Tilt table testing is an important tool for syncope diagnosis.The aim of this study was to determine whether signs such as prodromal symptoms,co-morbidity,frequency of syncopal events,body length,body mass index,and electrocardiography abnormalities can be used to predict the success of tilt table testing at diagnosing syncope.Methods:Data from 100 patients with histories of syncope or pre-syncope,who were diagnosed using head-up tilt table testing,were retrospectively analyzed in a cross-sectional analysis.The diagnostic procedure was based upon a modified version of the Westminster protocol without any pharmacological provocation.Results:Patients showing pathological reaction patterns during tilt table testing suffered from prodromal symptoms,such as dizziness and sweating,significantly more often.The patients reported more injuries resulting from syncopal events and more previous syncopal events,and the prevalence of co-morbidity was greater among patients presenting negative findings during tilt testing.An asthenic-leptosomal physique was not confirmed as a risk factor for syncopal events as is the case for idiopathic arterial hypotension.However,patients with pathological reaction patterns during tilt table testing were significantly taller.This finding was detected for both females and males.No significant predictors were found in the electrocardiogram patterns of patients showing syncope during tilt table testing.Conclusions:Frequency of prior syncope and prodromal symptoms,and increased body length with an otherwise good state of health influence the predictive value of tilt table testing for syncope diagnosis.In particular,if these factors are present,tilt table testing should be considered part of the diagnostic algorithm for soldiers with recurrent syncope.展开更多
<strong>Introduction:</strong> Viral hepatitis is a major public health challenge that requires an urgent response. Reducing mortality requires major scale-up in prevention, testing and treatment access;co...<strong>Introduction:</strong> Viral hepatitis is a major public health challenge that requires an urgent response. Reducing mortality requires major scale-up in prevention, testing and treatment access;coverage in HBV vaccination, testing and treatment is low and must accelerate massively to achieve the 2030 targets. Less than 1% of HBV-infected individuals are diagnosed in Sub-Sahara Africa, despite the availability of rapid tests with good diagnostic accuracy. <strong>Materials and Methods:</strong> This was retrospective cross sectional study conducted in Federal Teaching Hospital Gombe, in North East Nigeria. All children and adults who presented to the out-patient departments, and those that were admitted irrespective of their HIV and or Hepatitis C virus status and had Hepatitis B and/or Hepatitis B envelope antigen test were conducted between 2000 to 2015. All children and adults were tested using the Hospital standard for Hepatitis B surface antigen test strip. <strong>Results:</strong> Between 2000 and 2014, 739,456 children and adults were admitted and reviewed in the outpatient units of the Federal Teaching Hospital Gombe;there were 685,552 adults and 53,904 children. Children constituted 7.3% (53,904/739,456) of admissions and outpatient consultations. 2.8% (210/7570), 3.3% (773/23,783), 3.6% (1145/32,142), 5.2% (1694/33,043), 3.3% (986/29,216), 1.9% (661/3321), 0.1% (53/41,626), 0.2% (113/46,634), 2.6% (1418/54,423), 5.4% (3717/69,696), 3.7% (2332/62,086), 3.5% (3241/90,623), 3.2% (2881/89,398), 3.8% (2428/62,687), 2.8% (1835/63,208) of children and adults were tested for HBsAg in 2000, 2001, 20002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 respectively. 23,487 children and adults were tested for HBsAg with a cumulative testing rate of 3%. Overall 4465/23,487 children and adults were seropositive for HBsAg giving a cumulative prevalence of 19%. <strong>Conclusion:</strong> HBV screening in our health facility is very low. Massive scale up in awareness and HBV vaccination are required. Provider initiated testing and counseling for HBV in health facilities needs support for implementation in Health Facilities in Sub Saharan Africa.展开更多
The aim of this study was to find a simple and effective way to screen patients for Covid 19, prior to them being submitted to neurophysiological or neuro-psycholoigical testing in order to protect employees from bein...The aim of this study was to find a simple and effective way to screen patients for Covid 19, prior to them being submitted to neurophysiological or neuro-psycholoigical testing in order to protect employees from being infected during the pandemic from patient contact. On May 18, 2020 when Michigan, a critically affected pandemic area, reopened for medical business after lockdown declared by the Governor on March 23, 2020, medical personnel in our office-which is an academic neurology practice-EEG and sleep technicians, medical Assistants, physician assistants and myself fretted about potential Covid 19 transmission during neuro-diagnostic procedures-EEG, video-EEG, ambulatory EEG, PSG, MSLT, CPAP titration, neuropsychological testing, EMG/NCV, VNG/Balance test and autonomic testing including the tilt table test, which require an intimate patient contact and risk of exposure. We screened all unselected and consecutive patients who were scheduled for neuro-diagnostic testing in our facility by infrared thermometer, a standard Covid 19 questionnaire and a single Covid 19 PCR nasal/throat swab prior to these tests. 542 consecutive unselected neurological or sleep/wake disorder patients aged 18 - 90, 65% males, 35% females were tested over six months as a part of this project. A total of 1109 diagnostic tests were performed. No test was limited in scope or duration. Standard PPE precautions were still taken despite the negative screening, room door left open and relatives’ presence limited during the test procedure. All were afebrile and negative on questionnaire and only 3 were found to be positive for Covid 19 PCR, indicating that a negative infrared temperature reading and a standard Covid 19 questionnaire is over 99 percent effective in prescreening for intimate neurological diagnostic testing. The technician, administering most of these tests, never contracted the virus. The technician collecting the nasal/throat swab never contracted the virus. One PA, two sleep technicians and one medical assistant came down with Covid 19 but were all felt to have contracted that from domestic exposure from family members or friends and not when at the job. All had mild disease and rapidly recovered. Infrared temperature testing and standard Covid 19 questionnaire are sufficient prior to intimate neuro-diagnostic testing when combined with standard PPE precautions to limit exposure to Covid 19 in medical personnel in a neurology office with on-site diagnostic testing.展开更多
Objectives: The study compared cardiac scintigraphy stress scanning practices applied in a National Maltese Nuclear Medicine centre and in international centres. This was achieved through the design of an online surve...Objectives: The study compared cardiac scintigraphy stress scanning practices applied in a National Maltese Nuclear Medicine centre and in international centres. This was achieved through the design of an online survey which investigated participant knowledge of stress testing, and current procedural practice. Methods: An online survey comprising 12 questions was prepared using Survey Monkey. Professional Nuclear Medicine groups such as the Medical-Physics-Engineering community and Virtual Radiopharmacy were targeted. Access to the survey remained open for eight months during which a periodic reminder was sent to optimise the response rate. Forty-three members responded from across Europe and Australasia. Chi-square tests and comparisons between multiple responses using IBM SPSS 20 were used to evaluate the results. Information related to Maltese practice was collated separately for review and comparative purposes. Results: The online survey participants comprised United Kingdom [72%], other European countries [18%] and Australasia [9%]. The majority of respondents [n = 39] reported pharmacological stress testing as being performed either alone or in conjunction with exercise stress testing as the preferred option. Most participants [60%] were aware of local stress test protocols but had limited knowledge in relation to guidelines designed for cases where patients were not suitable for pharmacological stress testing. Conclusion: The survey provided information about procedures within participating centres for scintigraphic cardiac stress scanning. Differences were identified with regards to the preferred radiopharmaceutical tracers and procedural protocols. Further investigation of examination techniques is warranted, with the aim of increasing standardisation of protocol compliance and the application of more suitable practice.展开更多
基金the European Commission for its financial contribution to the LIFE20 ENV/IT/000181"SNEAK"(optimised Sur-faces against NoisE And ibrations produced by tramway tracK and road traffic).
文摘Knowledge of the dynamic modulus of bituminous mixtures is practical and theoretically meaningful in pavement design,construction,and monitoring.The tests in the laboratory for the determination of asphalt concrete(AC)moduli include the resilient modulus through the indirect tensile test(EN 12697-26),the complex modulus through the four point bending beam(EN 12697-26),the asphalt mixture performance tester(AMPT)and the simple performance tester(SPT)(AASHTO T342).Unfortunately,the tests above are time-consuming and quite expensive.On the other hand,the standard ASTM E1876 for resonant tests applies only to very thin(stocky)cylindrical samples(with a thickness-to-radius ratio,t/r,lower than 0.5)while the typical AC samples produced in the laboratory do not satisfy the ASTM E1876 requirements.Consequently,the main objective of this study is to set up and implement a tentative method to extend the range of applicability of the standard ASTM E1876 to common AC samples.The methodology was to carry out resonant tests on slender samples and to cut each of them into stocky samples(these latter complying with ASTM E1876 requirements in terms of t/r),deriving the master curve per material.These master curves allowed for deriving the value of the dynamic modulus for the given selected sample under its particular test conditions during the resonant test(i.e.,temperature and frequency).Consequently,simplified formulae were provided for AC samples.Results were compared to Witczak's estimates.These formulae provide an approximate tool to carry out low-cost and high-speed inferences at the laboratory stage on common AC samples,whatever their thickness is.Additional studies are needed to investigate the reliability of the method further and reduce uncertainties.
文摘Test case prioritization and ranking play a crucial role in software testing by improving fault detection efficiency and ensuring software reliability.While prioritization selects the most relevant test cases for optimal coverage,ranking further refines their execution order to detect critical faults earlier.This study investigates machine learning techniques to enhance both prioritization and ranking,contributing to more effective and efficient testing processes.We first employ advanced feature engineering alongside ensemble models,including Gradient Boosted,Support Vector Machines,Random Forests,and Naive Bayes classifiers to optimize test case prioritization,achieving an accuracy score of 0.98847 and significantly improving the Average Percentage of Fault Detection(APFD).Subsequently,we introduce a deep Q-learning framework combined with a Genetic Algorithm(GA)to refine test case ranking within priority levels.This approach achieves a rank accuracy of 0.9172,demonstrating robust performance despite the increasing computational demands of specialized variation operators.Our findings highlight the effectiveness of stacked ensemble learning and reinforcement learning in optimizing test case prioritization and ranking.This integrated approach improves testing efficiency,reduces late-stage defects,and improves overall software stability.The study provides valuable information for AI-driven testing frameworks,paving the way for more intelligent and adaptive software quality assurance methodologies.
基金Computer Basic Education Teaching Research Project of Association of Fundamental Computing Education in Chinese Universities(Nos.2025-AFCEC-527 and 2024-AFCEC-088)Research on the Reform of Public Course Teaching at Nantong College of Science and Technology(No.2024JGG015).
文摘With the rapid development of artificial intelligence,the intelligence level of software is increasingly improving.Intelligent software,which is widely applied in crucial fields such as autonomous driving,intelligent customer service,and medical diagnosis,is constructed based on complex technologies like machine learning and deep learning.Its uncertain behavior and data dependence pose unprecedented challenges to software testing.However,existing software testing courses mainly focus on conventional contents and are unable to meet the requirements of intelligent software testing.Therefore,this work deeply analyzed the relevant technologies of intelligent software testing,including reliability evaluation indicator system,neuron coverage,and test case generation.It also systematically designed an intelligent software testing course,covering teaching objectives,teaching content,teaching methods,and a teaching case.Verified by the practical teaching in four classes,this course has achieved remarkable results,providing practical experience for the reform of software testing courses.
文摘Members of the British Textile Machinery Association(BTMA)can look back on 2025 as a year marked by notable technological advances and continued progress in global trade,despite an uncertain and volatile market.“Our members have been very active over the past 12 months and this has resulted in new technologies for the production of technical fibres and fabrics,the introduction of AI and machine learning into process control systems and significant advances in materials testing,”says BTMA CEO Jason Kent.“There’s real excitement about what can be achieved in 2026 as we look ahead to upcoming exhibitions such as JEC Composites in Paris in March and Techtextil in Frankfurt in April.”
基金supported by the Open Foundation of Key Laboratory of Cyberspace Security,Ministry of Education of China(KLCS20240211)。
文摘With the rapid development of Internet technology,REST APIs(Representational State Transfer Application Programming Interfaces)have become the primary communication standard in modern microservice architectures,raising increasing concerns about their security.Existing fuzz testing methods include random or dictionary-based input generation,which often fail to ensure both syntactic and semantic correctness,and OpenAPIbased approaches,which offer better accuracy but typically lack detailed descriptions of endpoints,parameters,or data formats.To address these issues,this paper proposes the APIDocX fuzz testing framework.It introduces a crawler tailored for dynamic web pages that automatically simulates user interactions to trigger APIs,capturing and extracting parameter information from communication packets.A multi-endpoint parameter adaptation method based on improved Jaccard similarity is then used to generalize these parameters to other potential API endpoints,filling in gaps in OpenAPI specifications.Experimental results demonstrate that the extracted parameters can be generalized with 79.61%accuracy.Fuzz testing using the enriched OpenAPI documents leads to improvements in test coverage,the number of valid test cases generated,and fault detection capabilities.This approach offers an effective enhancement to automated REST API security testing.
基金financially supported by ARC Linkage project(LP210200642)ARC Center of Excellence for Quantum Biotechnology(grant no.CE230100021)+1 种基金National Health and Medical Research Council Investigator Fellowship—(grant no.APP2017499)Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Deep Tissue Imaging Phase 2(grant no.DT12-0000000182).
文摘Lateral flow immunoassays(LFIAs)are low-cost,rapid,and easy to use for pointof-care testing(POCT),but the majority of the available LFIA tests are indicative,rather than quantitative,and their sensitivity in antigen tests are usually limited at the nanogram range,which is primarily due to the passive capillary fluidics through nitrocellulose membranes,often associated with non-specific bindings and high background noise.To overcome this challenge,we report a Beads-on-a-Tip design by replacing nitrocellulose membranes with a pipette tip loaded with magnetic beads.The beads are pre-conjugated with capture antibodies that support a typical sandwich immunoassay.This design enriches the low-abundant antigen proteins and allows an active washing process to significantly reduce non-specific bindings.To further improve the detection sensitivity,we employed upconversion nanoparticles(UCNPs)as luminescent reporters and SARS-CoV-2 spike(S)antigen as a model analyte to benchmark the performance of this design against our previously reported methods.We found that the key to enhance the immunocomplex formation and signal-to-noise ratio lay in optimizing incubation time and the UCNP-to-bead ratio.We therefore successfully demonstrated that the new method can achieve a very large dynamic range from 500 fg/mL to 10μg/mL,across over 7 digits,and a limit of detection of 706 fg/mL,nearly another order of magnitude lower than the best reported LFIA using UCNPs in COVID-19 spike antigen detection.Our system offers a promising solution for ultra-sensitive and quantitative POCT diagnostics.
基金support to this study from the National Natural Science Foundation of China,NSFC(Grant No.52278367)The Belt and Road Special Foundation of the National Key Laboratory ofWater Disaster Prevention(Grant No.2024nkms08).
文摘The stress-strain behavior of calcareous sand is significantly influencedby particle breakage(B)and initial relative density(Dri),but few constitutive models consider their combined effects.To bridge this gap,we conducted a series of triaxial tests on calcareous sand with varying Dri and stress paths,examining particle breakage and critical state behavior.Key findingsinclude:(1)At a constant stress ratio(η),B follows a hyperbolic relationship with mean effective stress(p'),and for a given p',B increases proportionally withη;(2)The critical state line(CSL)moves downward with increasing Dri,whereas the critical state friction angle(φcs)decreases with increasing B.Based on these findings,we propose a unifiedbreakage evolution model to quantify particle breakage in calcareous sand under various loading conditions.Integrating this model with the Normal Consolidation Line(NCL)and CSL equations,we successfully simulate the steepening of NCL and CSL slopes as B increases with the onset of particle breakage.Furthermore,we quantitatively evaluate the effect of B onφcs.Finally,within the framework of Critical State Soil Mechanics and Hypoplasticity theory,we develop a hypoplastic model incorporating B and Dri.The model is validated through strong agreement with experimental results across various initial relative densities,stress paths and drainage conditions.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2022YFE0201800)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.22274169 and 22474161)+5 种基金Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation(No.2024A1515030160)the Science and Technology Program of Guangzhou City(No.2023B03J1380)Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Commission(No.GJHZ20210705142200001)the Scientific Technology Project of Guangzhou City(No.202103000003)the Guangdong Science and Technology Plan Project(No.2020B1212060077)the Open Research Fund of State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science,School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering,Nanjing University.
文摘Small extracellular vesicles(sEVs)membrane protein profile(sEVpp)is a novel biomarker for cancer,and it can reveal the in-depth phenotype information.The point-of-care testing(POCT)of sEVpp holds great significance for mass screening of cancer,so the cost-effective and simple detection methods of sEVpp are urgently demanded.Herein,we constructed a paper-based multichannel sEVpp POCT device(sEVpp-PAD)enabled by functional DNA probes and metal-organic framework(MOF).The core components are aptamer/MOF-modified paper chips.The modified aptamers can immunocapture the sEV expressing corresponding proteins,while the modified MOF can provide abundant sites for aptamer-modification,reduce the nonspecific protein absorption,and act as reference for ratiometric detection.Simply powered by two syringes,the sEVpp-PAD can efficiently capture sEVs expressing corresponding protein from cell culture media and sera.Furthermore,a detection probe(DP)consisted of CD63 aptamer and G-quadruplex was developed for the colorimetric detection of captured sEVs.Utilizing this device,the sEVpp in various hepatocellular carcinoma cell culture medium and,more importantly,in human sera can be accurately determined,only with$2 device,$0.2 detection reagents and 1.8 h procedure.This simple strategy for sEVpp detection can innovatively promote the POCT and subtyping of cancer based on sEV-related liquid biopsy.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.12341501 and 12575164)。
文摘X-rays are widely used in the non-destructive testing(NDT)of electrical equipment.Radio frequency(RF)electron linear accelerators can generate MeV high-energy X-rays with strong penetrating ability;however,the system generally has a large scale,which is not suitable for on-site testing.Compared with the S-band(S-linac)at the same stage of beam energy,the accelerator working in the X-band(X-linac)can compress the facility scale by over 2/3 in the longitudinal direction,which is convenient for the on-site NDT of electrical equipment.To address the beam quality and design complexity simultaneously,the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithmⅡ(NSGA-Ⅱ),which is a multi-objective genetic algorithm(MOGA),was developed to optimize the cavity chain design of the X-linac.Additionally,the designs of the focusing coils,electron gun,and RF couplers,which are other key components of the X-linac,were introduced in this context.In particular,the focusing coil distributions were optimized using a genetic algorithm.Furthermore,after designing such key components,PARMELA software was adopted to perform beam dynamics calculations with the optimized accelerating fields and magnetic fields.The results show that the beam performance was obtained with a capture ratio of more than 90%,an energy spread of less than 10%,and an average energy of approximately 3 MeV.The design and simulation results indicate that the proposed NSGAⅡ-based approach is feasible for X-linac accelerator design.Furthermore,it can be generalized as a universal technique for industrial electron linear accelerators provided that specific optimization objectives and constraints are set according to different application scenarios and requirements.
基金funded on the one hand by Agence de l'Innovation de Défense(AID)grant reference number 2021650044on the other hand by Ecole Centrale de Nantes。
文摘Joining dissimilar materials encounters significant engineering challenges due to the contrast in material properties that makes conventional welding not feasible.Magnetic Pulse Welding(MPW)offers a solidstate joining technique that overcomes these issues by using impact to create strong bonds without melting the substrate materials.This study investigates the weldability of aluminum alloy Al-5754 with Al-7075 and MARS 380 steel,used in armouring solutions of defense systems,by the use of MPW.In this work,weldability windows are investigated by varying standoff distances between the coating material and its substrate(0.25-4.5 mm)and discharge energies(5-13 kJ)with both O-shape and U-shape inductors.Mechanical strength of the welded joints were assessed through single lap shear tests,identifying optimal welding parameters.Then,the velocity profiles of the flyer plates were measured using heterodyne velocimetry to understand the dynamics of the impact.Then,substructures assembled with the optimal welding conditions were subjected to ballistic testing using 7.62 mm×51 mm NATO and 9 mm×19 mm Parabellum munitions to evaluate the resilience of the welds under ballistic impact.The outcomes demonstrate that MPW effectively joins Al-5754 with both Al-7075 and MARS 380,producing robust welds capable of withstanding ballistic impacts under certain conditions.This research advances the application of MPW in lightweight ballistic protection of defense systems,contributing to the development of more resilient and lighter protective structures.
文摘Objective:To analyze factors affecting the utilization of human immunodeficiency virus counseling and testing(HCT)service among human immunodeficiency virus risk groups at Hessa Air Genting Health Center,Asahan Regency,North Sumatera,Indonesia.Methods:This quantitative unmatched case-control study was conducted from April 2024 to April 2025 at Hessa Air Genting Health Center,Asahan Regency,North Sumatra Province,Indonesia.Female sex workers and men who have sex with men were selected using purposive sampling based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria.Data were collected via questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS version 18.0,with univariate analysis,bivariate analysis(Chi-square test),and multivariate analysis(logistic regression analysis).Results:Comprehensive analysis of 75 cases and 75 controls was conducted to identify factors affecting the utilization of HCT services.Specifically,this study identified significant effects of knowledge(OR 3.2,95%CI 1.5-7.0,P=0.003),perception(OR 5.6,95%CI 2.5-12.5,P<0.001),information media(OR 3.1,95%CI 1.4-6.8,P=0.005),and health workers encouragement(OR 4.0,95%CI 1.5-10.4,P=0.005).In contrast,access to health services did not have a significant effect.Conclusions:Knowledge,perception,information media,and health worker encouragement had significant effects on HCT service utilization,with perception identified as the dominant factor.To improve utilization,strengthening positive perceptions,targeted training for healthcare workers,strengthened partnerships with local non-governmental organizations,and the use of social media for health promotion are recommended.
文摘Abstract High altitude test facilities are required to test the high area ratio nozzles operating at the upper stages of rocket in the nozzle full flow conditions. It is typically achieved by creating the ambient pressure equal or less than the nozzle exit pressure. On average, air/GN2 is used as active gas for ejector system that is stored in the high pressure cylinders. The wind tunnel facilities are used for conducting aerodynamic simulation experiments at/under various flow velocities and operating conditions. However, constructing both of these facilities require more laboratory space and expensive instruments. Because of this demerit, a novel scheme is implemented for conducting wind tunnel experiments by using the existing infrastructure available in the high altitude testing （HAT） facility. This article presents the details about the methods implemented for suitably modifying the sub-scale HAT facility to conduct wind tunnel experiments. Hence, the design of nozzle for required area ratio A/A＊, realization of test section and the optimized configuration are focused in the present analysis. Specific insights into various rocket models including high thrust cryogenic engines and their holding mechanisms to conduct wind tunnel experiments in the HAT facility are analyzed. A detailed CFD analysis is done to propose this conversion without affecting the existing functional requirements of the HAT facility.
文摘Background: Syncope is a relevant health problem in military environments. Reliable diagnosis is challenging. Tilt table testing is an important tool for syncope diagnosis. The aim of this study was to determine whether signs such as prodromal symptoms, co-morbidity, frequency of syncopal events, body length, body mass index, and electrocardiography(ECG) abnormalities can be used to predict the success of tilt table testing at diagnosing syncope.Methods: Data from 100 patients with histories of syncope or pre-syncope, who were diagnosed using head-up tilt table testing, were retrospectively analyzed in a cross-sectional analysis. The diagnostic procedure was based upon a modified version of the Westminster protocol without any pharmacological provocation. Results: Patients showing pathological reaction patterns during tilt table testing suffered from prodromal symptoms, such as dizziness and sweating, significantly more often. The patients reported more injuries resulting from syncopal events and more previous syncopal events, and the prevalence of co-morbidity was greater among patients presenting negative findings during tilt testing. An asthenic-leptosomal physique was not confirmed as a risk factor for syncopal events as is the case for idiopathic arterial hypotension. However, patients with pathological reaction patterns during tilt table testing were significantly taller. This finding was detected for both females and males. No significant predictors were found in the ECG patterns of patients showing syncope during tilt table testing.Conclusions: Frequency of prior syncope and prodromal symptoms, and increased body length with an otherwise good state of health influence the predictive value of tilt table testing for syncope diagnosis. In particular, if these factors are present, tilt table testing should be considered part of the diagnostic algorithm for soldiers with recurrent syncope.
基金As part of the AIDS Prevention Applied Research and Program of the Ministry of Health (WA2003-17)the present study is supportedby the Department of Reference,National Center for AIDS Control and Prevention,Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
文摘To identify a cost-efficient altemative antibody testing strategy for screening and confirmation of HIV infection by rapid simple tests （RSTs） and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays （ELISAs）. Methods Four RSTs （RST1, RST2, RST3, and RST4 ） and five ELISAs （ELISA1, ELISA2, ELISA3, ELISA4, and ELISA5） were evaluated in two phases by using banked and serum specimens prospectively collected at regional hospitals and voluntary counseling and testing （VCT） centers in Beijing. A total of 200 banked serum specimens were included in the first phase, including 62 HIV-positive, 127 HIV-negative and 11 indeterminate specimens. All specimens were tested by four RSTs and five ELISAs respectively. The second phase involved prospective testing of 389 routine specimens, including 92 HIV-positive, 287 HIV-negative, and 10 indeterminate specimens. All the specimens were tested by two RSTs （RST2 and RST4） and three ELISAs （ELISA1, ELISA3, and ELISA4）, which were selected for their respective excellent sensitivity and/or specificity. Westem blot （WB） was used as a gold standard for confirming the reactivity of all the specimens. Results Sensitivity, specificity, and efficacy were calculated for each assay in two phases. In the first phase, four assays （ELISA4, RST2, RST3, and RST4） had a specificity of 100%. For the determination of efficacy, ELISA4, RST2, and RST4 were selected in the second phase. ELISA1 and ELISA3 which have a sensitivity of 95.9% and 93.2% respectively also entered this phase. In the second phase, all the five assays （ELISA1, ELISA3, ELISA4, RST2, and RST4） had a sensitivity and specifity of over 90%. ELISA1 had a sensitivity of 99% and ELISA4 a specificity of 99%. Conclusion The sensitivity ELISA1 and the specificit of ELISA4 are comparable to ELISA/WB standard strategy. Application of this alternative testing strategy provides a cost-effective method for determining HIV prevalence in Beijing.
基金Supported by Grant K24 DK83268 awarded to Friedenberg F
文摘AIM:To identify key variables associated with colon cancer testing using the 2009 California Health Inventory Survey(CHIS).METHODS:The CHIS has been conducted biennially since 2001 using a two-stage,geographically stratified random-digit-dial sample design to produce a representative sample of the entire State.For this study we used survey data from 2001-2009 inclusive.We restricted our analysis to White,Black,and Hispanic/Latinos aged 50-80 years.Weighted data was used to calculate the proportion of participants who underwent some form of colon cancer testing(colonoscopy,flexible sigmoidoscopy or fecal occult blood testing) within the previous 5 years stratified by race/ethnicity.For inferential analysis,boot-strapping with replacement was performed on the weighted sample to attain variance estimates at the 95%CI.For mean differences among categories we used t-tests and for comparisons of categorical data we used Pearson's χ 2.Binary logistic regression was used to identify independent variables associated with undergoing some form of testing.Trend analysis was performed to determine rates of testing over the study period stratified by race.RESULTS:The CHIS database for 2009 had 30 857 unique respondents corresponding to a weighted sample size of 10.6 million Californians.Overall,63.0%(63.0-63.1) underwent a colon cancer test within the previous 5 years;with 70.5%(70.5%-70.6%) of this subset having undergone colonoscopy.That is 44.5%(44.4%-44.5%) of all individuals 50-80 underwent colonoscopy.By multivariable regression,those tested were more likely to be male(OR = 1.06;95%CI:1.06-1.06),Black(OR = 1.30;95%CI:1.30-1.31),have a family member with colon cancer(OR = 1.71;95%CI:1.70-1.72),and have health insurance(OR = 2.71;95%CI:2.70-2.72).Progressive levels above the poverty line were also associated with receiving a test(100%-199%:1.21;1.20-1.21),(200%-299%:1.41;1.40-1.42),(> 300:1.69;1.68-1.70).The strongest variable was physician recommendation(OR = 3.90;95%CI:3.88-3.91).For the Hispanic/Latino group,additional variables associated with testing were success of physician-patient communication(OR = 2.44;95%CI:2.40-2.48) and naturalized citizenship status(OR = 1.91;95%CI:1.89-1.93).Trend analysis demonstrated increased colon cancer testing for all racial/ethnic subgroups from 2001-2009 although the rate remained considerably lower for the Hispanic/Latino subgroup.CONCLUSION:Using CHIS we identified California citizens most likely to undergo colon cancer testing.The strongest variable associated with testing for all groups was physician recommendation.
文摘Background:Syncope is a relevant health problem in military environments.Reliable diagnosis is challenging.Tilt table testing is an important tool for syncope diagnosis.The aim of this study was to determine whether signs such as prodromal symptoms,co-morbidity,frequency of syncopal events,body length,body mass index,and electrocardiography abnormalities can be used to predict the success of tilt table testing at diagnosing syncope.Methods:Data from 100 patients with histories of syncope or pre-syncope,who were diagnosed using head-up tilt table testing,were retrospectively analyzed in a cross-sectional analysis.The diagnostic procedure was based upon a modified version of the Westminster protocol without any pharmacological provocation.Results:Patients showing pathological reaction patterns during tilt table testing suffered from prodromal symptoms,such as dizziness and sweating,significantly more often.The patients reported more injuries resulting from syncopal events and more previous syncopal events,and the prevalence of co-morbidity was greater among patients presenting negative findings during tilt testing.An asthenic-leptosomal physique was not confirmed as a risk factor for syncopal events as is the case for idiopathic arterial hypotension.However,patients with pathological reaction patterns during tilt table testing were significantly taller.This finding was detected for both females and males.No significant predictors were found in the electrocardiogram patterns of patients showing syncope during tilt table testing.Conclusions:Frequency of prior syncope and prodromal symptoms,and increased body length with an otherwise good state of health influence the predictive value of tilt table testing for syncope diagnosis.In particular,if these factors are present,tilt table testing should be considered part of the diagnostic algorithm for soldiers with recurrent syncope.
文摘<strong>Introduction:</strong> Viral hepatitis is a major public health challenge that requires an urgent response. Reducing mortality requires major scale-up in prevention, testing and treatment access;coverage in HBV vaccination, testing and treatment is low and must accelerate massively to achieve the 2030 targets. Less than 1% of HBV-infected individuals are diagnosed in Sub-Sahara Africa, despite the availability of rapid tests with good diagnostic accuracy. <strong>Materials and Methods:</strong> This was retrospective cross sectional study conducted in Federal Teaching Hospital Gombe, in North East Nigeria. All children and adults who presented to the out-patient departments, and those that were admitted irrespective of their HIV and or Hepatitis C virus status and had Hepatitis B and/or Hepatitis B envelope antigen test were conducted between 2000 to 2015. All children and adults were tested using the Hospital standard for Hepatitis B surface antigen test strip. <strong>Results:</strong> Between 2000 and 2014, 739,456 children and adults were admitted and reviewed in the outpatient units of the Federal Teaching Hospital Gombe;there were 685,552 adults and 53,904 children. Children constituted 7.3% (53,904/739,456) of admissions and outpatient consultations. 2.8% (210/7570), 3.3% (773/23,783), 3.6% (1145/32,142), 5.2% (1694/33,043), 3.3% (986/29,216), 1.9% (661/3321), 0.1% (53/41,626), 0.2% (113/46,634), 2.6% (1418/54,423), 5.4% (3717/69,696), 3.7% (2332/62,086), 3.5% (3241/90,623), 3.2% (2881/89,398), 3.8% (2428/62,687), 2.8% (1835/63,208) of children and adults were tested for HBsAg in 2000, 2001, 20002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 respectively. 23,487 children and adults were tested for HBsAg with a cumulative testing rate of 3%. Overall 4465/23,487 children and adults were seropositive for HBsAg giving a cumulative prevalence of 19%. <strong>Conclusion:</strong> HBV screening in our health facility is very low. Massive scale up in awareness and HBV vaccination are required. Provider initiated testing and counseling for HBV in health facilities needs support for implementation in Health Facilities in Sub Saharan Africa.
文摘The aim of this study was to find a simple and effective way to screen patients for Covid 19, prior to them being submitted to neurophysiological or neuro-psycholoigical testing in order to protect employees from being infected during the pandemic from patient contact. On May 18, 2020 when Michigan, a critically affected pandemic area, reopened for medical business after lockdown declared by the Governor on March 23, 2020, medical personnel in our office-which is an academic neurology practice-EEG and sleep technicians, medical Assistants, physician assistants and myself fretted about potential Covid 19 transmission during neuro-diagnostic procedures-EEG, video-EEG, ambulatory EEG, PSG, MSLT, CPAP titration, neuropsychological testing, EMG/NCV, VNG/Balance test and autonomic testing including the tilt table test, which require an intimate patient contact and risk of exposure. We screened all unselected and consecutive patients who were scheduled for neuro-diagnostic testing in our facility by infrared thermometer, a standard Covid 19 questionnaire and a single Covid 19 PCR nasal/throat swab prior to these tests. 542 consecutive unselected neurological or sleep/wake disorder patients aged 18 - 90, 65% males, 35% females were tested over six months as a part of this project. A total of 1109 diagnostic tests were performed. No test was limited in scope or duration. Standard PPE precautions were still taken despite the negative screening, room door left open and relatives’ presence limited during the test procedure. All were afebrile and negative on questionnaire and only 3 were found to be positive for Covid 19 PCR, indicating that a negative infrared temperature reading and a standard Covid 19 questionnaire is over 99 percent effective in prescreening for intimate neurological diagnostic testing. The technician, administering most of these tests, never contracted the virus. The technician collecting the nasal/throat swab never contracted the virus. One PA, two sleep technicians and one medical assistant came down with Covid 19 but were all felt to have contracted that from domestic exposure from family members or friends and not when at the job. All had mild disease and rapidly recovered. Infrared temperature testing and standard Covid 19 questionnaire are sufficient prior to intimate neuro-diagnostic testing when combined with standard PPE precautions to limit exposure to Covid 19 in medical personnel in a neurology office with on-site diagnostic testing.
文摘Objectives: The study compared cardiac scintigraphy stress scanning practices applied in a National Maltese Nuclear Medicine centre and in international centres. This was achieved through the design of an online survey which investigated participant knowledge of stress testing, and current procedural practice. Methods: An online survey comprising 12 questions was prepared using Survey Monkey. Professional Nuclear Medicine groups such as the Medical-Physics-Engineering community and Virtual Radiopharmacy were targeted. Access to the survey remained open for eight months during which a periodic reminder was sent to optimise the response rate. Forty-three members responded from across Europe and Australasia. Chi-square tests and comparisons between multiple responses using IBM SPSS 20 were used to evaluate the results. Information related to Maltese practice was collated separately for review and comparative purposes. Results: The online survey participants comprised United Kingdom [72%], other European countries [18%] and Australasia [9%]. The majority of respondents [n = 39] reported pharmacological stress testing as being performed either alone or in conjunction with exercise stress testing as the preferred option. Most participants [60%] were aware of local stress test protocols but had limited knowledge in relation to guidelines designed for cases where patients were not suitable for pharmacological stress testing. Conclusion: The survey provided information about procedures within participating centres for scintigraphic cardiac stress scanning. Differences were identified with regards to the preferred radiopharmaceutical tracers and procedural protocols. Further investigation of examination techniques is warranted, with the aim of increasing standardisation of protocol compliance and the application of more suitable practice.
