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Highways, the lifeline of the Brazilian economy, transport approximately 75% of the country's economic activity, highlighting its importance. However, professional drivers, accustomed to long daily journeys, make use of tablets widely available in Gas Station, which are known as “Rebites,” which could contain a mixture of legal and illegal compounds. Thus, this study aims at the chemical characterization of these through different analytical methods. Initially, we performed a comprehensive screening of compounds present in seven samples collected across the country using high‐resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). The findings revealed caffeine as the main compound, alongside theophylline, lidocaine, and clobenzorex, among others. In the next step, we employ quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance (qNMR) to quantify the caffeine content in the tablets. The results indicated a caffeine concentration ranging between 14% and 31% (m/m), which may imply a daily overdose of this compound from around four tablets. In summary, this investigation provides a chemical characterization of real samples of “Rebites” freely obtained along Brazilian highways. Caffeine emerged as the predominant active compound, with its concentration determined by qNMR analysis. The notable presence of caffeine, combined with other stimulants, depressants, and hallucinogens, underscores the need for strict quality control measures regarding “Rebites” to safeguard public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim Methods Results Conclusions The study aims to introduce a novel indicator, effective withdrawal time (WTS), which measures the time spent actively searching for suspicious lesions during colonoscopy and to compare WTS and the conventional withdrawal time (WT).Colonoscopy video data from 472 patients across two hospitals were retrospectively analyzed. WTS was computed through a combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and manual verification. The results obtained through WTS were compared with those generated by the AI system. Patients were categorized into four groups based on the presence of polyps and whether resections or biopsies were performed. Bland Altman plots were utilized to compare AI‐computed WTS with manually verified WTS. Scatterplots were used to illustrate WTS within the four groups, among different hospitals, and across various physicians. A parallel box plot was employed to depict the proportions of WTS relative to WT within each of the four groups.The study included 472 patients, with a median age of 55 years, and 57.8% were male. A significant correlation with manually verified WTS (r = 0.918) was observed in AI‐computed WTS. Significant differences in WTS/WT among the four groups were revealed by the parallel box plot (P < 0.001). The group with no detected polyps had the highest WTS/WT, with a median of 0.69 (interquartile range: 0.40, 0.97). WTS patterns were found to be varied between the two hospitals and among senior and junior physicians.A promising alternative to traditional WT for quality control and training assessment in colonoscopy is offered by AI‐assisted computation of WTS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research discusses the effects of large round‐off errors on the performance of control charts for means when a process is normally distributed with a known variance and a fixed sample size. Quality control in practice uses control charts for means as a process monitoring tool, even when the data is significantly rounded. The objective of this research is to demonstrate how ignoring the round‐off errors and using a standard Shewhart chart affects the quality control of a measured process. The first part of the research includes theoretical calculations for estimating the values of alpha and beta, relating to the unrounded data and the large‐rounded data. For the rounded data, normality can no longer be assumed because the data is discrete; therefore, the multinomial distribution is used. The results show that given an in‐control process, alpha indicates that false alarms are more frequent, whereas given an out‐of‐control process, the influence on beta is minor and inconsistent. For some rounding levels, there is a decline in the control chart performances, and in others, there is an improvement. In the second part, a simulation study is used to evaluate the performances of the control chart based on a single sample, checking whether the conclusion (reject or fail to reject) for a sample is consistent for rounded and unrounded data. The results of the simulation match the theoretical calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple‐choice questions (MCQs) are the most popular type of items used in knowledge‐based assessments in undergraduate and postgraduate healthcare education. MCQs allow assessment of candidates' knowledge on a broad range of knowledge‐based learning outcomes in a single assessment. Single‐best‐answer (SBA) MCQs are the most versatile and commonly used format. Although writing MCQs may seem straight‐forward, producing decent‐quality MCQs is challenging and warrants a range of quality checks before an item is deemed suitable for inclusion in an assessment. Like all assessments, MCQ‐based examinations must be aligned with the learning outcomes and learning opportunities provided to the students. This paper provides evidence‐based guidance on the effective use of MCQs in student assessments, not only to make decisions regarding student progression but also to build an academic environment that promotes assessment as a driver for learning. Practical tips are provided to the readers to produce authentic MCQ items, along with appropriate pre‐ and post‐assessment reviews, the use of standard setting and psychometric evaluation of assessments based on MCQs. Institutions need to develop an academic culture that fosters transparency, openness, equality and inclusivity. In line with contemporary educational principles, teamwork amongst teaching faculty, administrators and students is essential to establish effective learning and assessment practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spiny coriander (Eryngium foetidum L.) is a traditional food flavouring herb of tropics with coriander‐like odour. This study evaluated six different drying conditions (sun, shade, oven at 40°C and 60°C, microwave, freeze‐drying) for spiny coriander leaves, emphasizing on the drying time, essential oil yield and composition. Fatty aldehydes, especially trans‐2‐dodecenal, majorly abundant key aromatic flavour of spiny coriander underwent probable enzymatic reduction to alcohols upon long‐term oven‐drying, affecting the oil quality. Non‐conventional techniques like microwave and freeze‐drying, despite their certain advantages significantly reduced the oil yield (0.030%–0.031%) in comparison to fresh leaves (0.045%). Sun drying was found to be superior among the tested conditions, considering a reasonable drying time (4 h) and ability to retain the oil yield (0.043%), composition (quality) and chlorophyll content. It can be a sustainable drying technique for spiny coriander in the tropical region with abundant sunlight, especially for its value addition and commercialization in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of mass spectrometry (MS) has become more important in most application domains in recent years. Pharmaceutical analysis is specific due to its stringent regulation procedures, the need for good laboratory/manufacturing practices, and a large number of routine quality control analyses to be carried out. The role of MS is, therefore, very different throughout the whole drug development cycle. While it dominates within the drug discovery and development phase, in routine quality control, the role of MS is minor and indispensable only for selected applications. Moreover, its role is very different in the case of analysis of small molecule pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals. Our review explains the role of current MS in the analysis of both small‐molecule chemical drugs and biopharmaceuticals. Important features of MS‐based technologies being implemented, method requirements, and related challenges are discussed. The differences in analytical procedures for small molecule pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals are pointed out. While a single method or a small set of methods is usually sufficient for quality control in the case of small molecule pharmaceuticals and MS is often not indispensable, a large panel of methods including extensive use of MS must be used for quality control of biopharmaceuticals. Finally, expected development and future trends are outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microsatellite markers (MS) have been widely used for parentage verification in most of the livestock species over the past decades mainly due to their high polymorphic information content. In the genomic era, the spread of genotype information as single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) has raised the question to effectively use SNPs also for parentage testing. Despite the clear advantages of SNP panels in terms of cost, accuracy, and automation, the transition from MS to SNP markers for parentage verification is still very slow and, so far, only routinely applied in cattle. A major difficulty during this transition period is the need of SNP data for parents and offspring, which in most cases is not yet feasible due to the genotyping cost. To overcome the unavailability of same genotyping platform during the transition period, in this study we aimed to assess the feasibility of a MS imputation pipeline from SNPs in four native sheep dairy breeds: Comisana (N = 331), Massese (N = 210), Delle Langhe (N = 59) and Sarda (N = 1003). Those sheep were genotyped for 11 MS and with the Ovine SNP50 Bead Chip. Prior to imputation, a quality control (QC) was performed, and SNPs located within a window of 2 Mb from each MS were selected. The core of the developed pipeline was made up of three steps: (a) storing of both MS and SNP data in a Variant Call Format file, (b) masking MS information in a random sample of individuals (10%), (c) imputing masked MS based on non‐missing individuals (90%) using an imputation program. The feasability of the proposed methodology was assessed also among different training − testing split ratio, population size, number of flanking SNPs as well as within and among breeds. The accuracy of the MS imputation was assessed based on the genotype concordance as well as at parentage verification level in a subset of animals in which assigned parents' MS were available. A total of 8 MS passed the QC, and 505 SNPs were located within the ±2 Mb window from each MS, with an average of 63 SNPs per MS. The results were encouraging since when excluding the worst imputed MS (OARAE129), and regardless on the analyses performed (within and across breeds) for all breeds, we achieved an overall concordance rate over 94%. In addition, on average, the imputed offspring MS resulted in equivalent parentage outcome in 94% of the cases when compared to verification using original MS, highlighting both the feasibility and the eventual practical advantage of using this imputation pipeline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RNA extraction from formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded tissues (FFPE) presents a notable challenge. Extracting RNA from FFPE tissues has been challenging due to RNA degradation and chemical bonding between RNA and proteins during the fixation process. This results in reduced concentration and quality of the extracted RNA from FFPE tissues, impacting subsequent downstream analyses. In this study, we present an optimized approach involves replacing the tissue temperature‐digestion step with tissue crushing and homogenization. RNA extraction was performed on 100 FFPE tissue blocks obtained from the archive of Pathology Department of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. After deparafinization of the tissues, RNA was extracted using this modified method, and the results compared to those of a standard extraction procedure and commercial kits used for FFPE tissue. Then gel electrophoresis and Real time PCR were done to check the quality and integrity of the extracted RNA. The results show that the concentration of RNA obtained from this method was significantly (P value <0.0001) higher than the other methods. In conclusion, we have successfully introduced a modified method that enables the extraction of high‐quality and intact RNA from FFPE tissue. This method stands as a reliable option for molecular biology studies necessitating precise RNA extraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives Materials and Methods Results Conclusion The phenomenon of aggregates in apheresis‐derived platelet concentrates (APCs) has not yet been fully elucidated. Initially, visible aggregates (IVA) usually dissolve within 24 h after collection, but some persist till the end of the shelf life (persistent aggregates, PA). A study conducted at the Croatian Institute of Transfusion Medicine aimed to identify factors that influence the aggregate occurrence in APCs.We conducted a cross‐sectional study for the 2018–2022 period and collected data on APCs with IVA. We analysed APCs discarded due to PA separately for two apheresis technologies and compared them to the control group.Significantly more donations were discarded in the IVA group compared with the control group and total number of discarded APCs. A total of 205 APCs were discarded due to PA (14.7% of IVA APCs and 1.27% of all APCs collected). Amicus APCs with PA had a significantly lower platelet count and mean platelet volume. They were obtained by procedures with less anticoagulant used. In contrast to Amicus APCs, Haemonetics APCs with PA had a significantly higher platelet count. None of the donor‐related factors examined was predictive of PA.APCs with IVA are more often discarded, not only due to aggregates, but also for impairment of other quality control parameters. Type of apheresis technology, being one of the most common risk factors for IVA, was not confirmed as the main risk factor for PA. There seem to be some donor‐related causal factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The type 2 diabetes drug pioglitazone is encapsulated in polymeric (Chitosan/PEG blended PLGA) nanoparticles utilizing solvent evaporation methods. The current research aimed to develop and validate an accessible, accurate, fast, and commercial UV spectrophotometric approach for assessing Pioglitazone in bulk and polymeric nanoparticles. In the estimation method that involves a pH 7.4 phosphate buffer, the maximum absorbance of Pioglitazone is reported to be 269 nm. With a correlation coefficient of 0.999, the drug exhibits linearity in the concentration series of 5–60 µg mL‐1. The proposed technique is validated as per ICH guidelines for linearity, accuracy, precision, and ruggedness. When the proposed technology is used in nano‐formulation, the percent amount of drug estimated to be 99.35% agreed well with the label claim. Recovery experiments at three distinct levels, 50%, 75%, and 100% are used to test the method's accuracy. The recovery rate is estimated to be between 98.91% and 99.11%. The low percent relative standard deviation (RSD) value indicates the method's accuracy and reproducibility. The method's repeatability, intraday, and interday precision are all examined. The approach is precise if the percent RSD value is less than 2. With the assistance of two analysts, the ruggedness of the suggested method is investigated. For the scheduled examination of Pioglitazone in bulk and polymeric nanoparticles, the above process has been developed and validated and proved to be a quick and cost‐effective quality‐control tool in pharmaceuticals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advancing cold‐chain medicine logistics and emergency supplies management necessitates a robust blockchain‐based traceability system. This specialized information system is essential for enhancing quality control and operational efficiency. Despite challenges like insufficient supplies, ineffective distribution, and delays, blockchain's transparency and traceability offer significant potential to revolutionize national emergency management. This paper presents a blockchain‐based traceability system tailored for cold‐chain medicine logistics. This system achieves traceability and automatic medicine quality assessment by integrating blockchain principles and leveraging hazard analysis theory combined with IoT technology. This system also enhances data reliability with a multi‐sensor data fusion algorithm, improving temperature accuracy beyond conventional methods. Additionally, the feasibility and necessity of integrating blockchain into cold‐chain pharmaceutical traceability processes is thoroughly examined. The proposed system fulfills traceability needs for emergency cold‐chain medicine while addressing industry challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aircraft coating process has been an important part in manufacturing process of modern aviation products. For coating defect detection, the manual observation with naked eyes is usually utilized, which leads to low production efficiency. In this paper, the authors propose the improved YOLOv5‐OBB with the channel‐spatial attention block (CSAB), feature pyramid non‐local module (FPNM) and structured sparsity slimming criterion (SSSC). The CSAB can pay more attention to effective channel information features from the channel dimension and the target information area from the spatial dimension. The effective non‐local module called FPNM is proposed to further improve the detection accuracy. The authors utilize the oriented bounding boxes (OBB) to reduce redundant background information for coating defect detection. In addition, the SSSC is proposed to achieve network slimming and trade‐off between the efficiency and accuracy. The experimental results on several datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of the authors' scheme, which achieves superior performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study illustrates at‐line application of hyperspectral imaging in the visible range for quality control of large‐scale offset printing. In particular, the measurement stability of a competitive device is assessed and compared to traditional handheld and desktop spectrophotometers. The performance of the commercially available instruments was assessed based on collected spectra and their corresponding L*, a*, and b* values. The printing process was described by hyperspectral images (in visible range) of selected regions from template color fields acquired at 17 sampling occasions. Spectra constituting hyperspectral images were visualized and evaluated in the space of significant principal components obtained from the principal component analysis. Furthermore, confidence ellipses were constructed for each set of spectra characterizing a specific moment of the printing process. Comparing their mutual locations, shapes, orientations, and sizes enabled effective visualization of process variability and was more comprehensive regarding the classic approach based on information provided by desktop and handheld spectrometers. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of hyperspectral imaging for real‐time quality control in large‐scale offset printing, in particular by studying sampling distributions. By assessing measurement stability and comparing competitive devices with traditional spectrophotometers, it reveals the advantages of hyperspectral imaging in measurement speed, spatial dimension inclusion, and process variability visualization. Chemometric analysis aids in effective color assessment, while local segmentation can offer insights into color perception, crucial for process monitoring and detection of various sources of variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'Human neural stem cells' jointly drafted and agreed upon by experts from the Chinese Society for Stem Cell Research, is the first guideline for human neural stem cells (hNSCs) in China. This standard specifies the technical requirements, test methods, test regulations, instructions for use, labelling requirements, packaging requirements, storage requirements, transportation requirements and waste disposal requirements for hNSCs, which is applicable to the quality control for hNSCs. It was originally released by the China Society for Cell Biology on 30 August 2022. We hope that publication of the guideline will facilitate institutional establishment, acceptance and execution of proper protocols, and accelerate the international standardization of hNSCs for clinical development and therapeutic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human midbrain dopaminergic progenitors (mDAPs) are one of the most representative cell types in both basic research and clinical applications. However, there are still many challenges for the preparation and quality control of mDAPs, such as the lack of standards. Therefore, the establishment of critical quality attributes and technical specifications for mDAPs is largely needed. "Human midbrain dopaminergic progenitor" jointly drafted and agreed upon by experts from the Chinese Society for Stem Cell Research, is the first guideline for human mDAPs in China. This standard specifies the technical requirements, test methods, inspection rules, instructions for usage, labelling requirements, packaging requirements, storage requirements, transportation requirements and waste disposal requirements for human mDAPs, which is applicable to the quality control for human mDAPs. It was originally released by the China Society for Cell Biology on 30 August 2022. We hope that the publication of this guideline will facilitate the institutional establishment, acceptance and execution of proper protocols, and accelerate the international standardization of human mDAPs for clinical development and therapeutic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inclusion of quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance (qNMR) spectroscopy in industry has historically been stifled by a lack of accessibility, caused in‐part by the large costs of traditional high‐field spectrometers, the maintenance required for these, and the expertise necessary to manage and use them. In recent years, the emergence of benchtop NMR technology, an accessible, affordable, and automatable alternative, has led to a more feasible incorporation of NMR into quality control spaces, an area traditionally reserved for other techniques such as gas chromatography and liquid chromatography, which are routinely combined with detection techniques such as mass spectrometry. While these techniques are commonly used in analyzer‐type applications using gold standard methods of analysis, wherein an instrument is dedicated to performing specific assays, this remains uncommon for NMR. Herein, we perform a full method verification using benchtop qNMR on a population of benchtop NMR instruments according to the ASTM designation E691–22, a standard used to determine the precision of a test method. To our knowledge, this is the first published example of this type of study for benchtop NMR spectroscopy. For this work, a total of five analysts performed assays on 23 different benchtop NMR instruments for the analysis of hydroxypropyl betadex according to the USP–NF method, and the results are compared using a variety of statistical methods. The results of this work demonstrate that benchtop NMR technology is effective and robust under repeatability and reproducibility conditions and is a powerful tool for these types of routine quality control analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NMR methods were applied for lubricant analysis. Different factors influence the real aging of lubricants on diverse length scales and are captured by NMR. Chemical conversion of additives is addressed by NMR spectroscopy. High‐field NMR experiments allow the identification and quantification of chemical components and are transferred to benchtop devices. Molecular dynamics and contaminations like fuel or abrasion are addressed via NMR relaxation and diffusion. Quality parameters were extracted via suitable data analysis of NMR raw data, which allow the detection of aging and indicate changes in the oil composition. At the same time, the methodology is optimized to the conditions in quality control. The feasibility is shown the example of a series of lubricants from applications in regenerative energy production, namely, wind turbine oils and biogas motor oils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This paper is a report of an ICSH review of policies and practices for internal quality control (IQC) policy for haematology cell counters among regulatory bodies, cell counter manufacturers and diagnostic laboratories. It includes a discussion of the study findings and links to separate ICSH guidance for such policies and practices. The application of internal quality control (IQC) methods is an essential pre‐requisite for all clinical laboratory testing including the blood count (Full Blood Count, FBC, or Complete Blood Count, CBC). Methods: The ICSH has gathered information regarding the current state of practice through review of published guidance from regulatory bodies, a questionnaire to six major cell counter manufacturers (Abbott Diagnostics, Beckman Coulter, Horiba Medical Diagnostic Instruments & Systems, Mindray Medical International, Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics and Sysmex Corporation) and a survey issued to 191 diagnostic laboratories in four countries (China, Republic of Ireland, Spain and the United Kingdom) on their IQC practice and approach to use of commercial IQC materials. Results: This has revealed diversity both in guidance and in practice around the world. There is diversity in guidance from regulatory organizations in regard to IQC methods each recommends, clinical levels to use and frequency to run commercial controls, and finally recommended sources of commercial controls. The diversity in practice among clinical laboratories spans the areas of IQC methods used, derivation of target values and action limits used with control materials, and frequency of running commercial controls materials. Conclusions: These findings and their implications for IQC Practice are discussed in this paper. They are used to inform a separate guidance document, which proposes a harmonized approach to address the issues faced by diagnostic laboratories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a description of the ICSH guidance for internal quality control (IQC) policy for blood cell counters. It follows from and links to a separate ICSH review for such policies and practices. The ICSH has gathered information regarding the current state of practice through review of published guidance from regulatory bodies, a questionnaire to six major cell counter manufacturers and a survey issued to 191 diagnostic laboratories in four countries (China, the Republic of Ireland, Spain, and the United Kingdom) on their IQC practice and approach to the use of commercial IQC materials. This has revealed diversity both in guidance and in practice around the world. There is diversity in guidance from regulatory organizations in regard to IQC methods each recommends, clinical levels to use and frequency to run commercial controls, and finally recommended sources of commercial control materials. The diversity in practice among clinical laboratories spans the areas of IQC methods used, derivation of target values, and action limits used with commercial control materials, and frequency of running commercial controls materials. These findings and their implications for IQC Practice are addressed in this guidance document, which proposes a harmonized approach to address the issues faced by diagnostic laboratories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This study investigates the potential of marination in extending the shelf life of vacuum‐packed croaker fish (Otolithes cuvieri, Trewavas, 1974) steaks by evaluating their organoleptic, biochemical and microbiological characteristics under chilled storage conditions (4 ± 1 °C) for 21 days. The marination process involves the use of natural preservatives such as salt, vinegar and spices, aiming to enhance flavour and texture. Results demonstrated that marination effectively reduces the rate of increase in total plate count (TPC), trimethylamine nitrogen (TMA‐N), total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB‐N), pH, peroxide value (PV) and free fatty acids (FFA) during storage, thereby extending the shelf life of the tested samples. Control (C) and marinated (M) samples of vacuum‐packed fish steaks remained organoleptically acceptable until the 9th and 15th days of chilled storage respectively. Due to the addition of marinating ingredients, significant changes were observed in taste, texture and proximate content. The maximum extension in shelf life for marinated samples is attributed to the combined antimicrobial and antioxidative effects of the different ingredients used in the marination process. These findings suggest that marination holds promise as a method for preserving fish products and satisfying consumer preferences for flavourful, ready‐to‐cook and economically viable seafood options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Staphylococcus aureus is a prominent foodborne pathogen causing Staphylococcal food poisoning (SFP) in dairy products. This study estimated S. aureus growth and thermal inactivation kinetic parameters and variability in various dairy products by conducting a meta‐analysis. Cheese exhibited a lower theoretical minimum temperature (Tmin), indicating favourable conditions for S. aureus growth even at lower temperatures. Tmin values for other matrices ranged from 5.0 to 7.2 °C, providing insights for production parameter formulation. Meanwhile, significant variations in the maximum population density (Ymax) are among dairy products at the same temperature. Keeping temperatures below 0 °C in pasteurised milk, raw milk and cheese limited Ymax to approximately 102–4 CFU mL−1, below the international toxicity threshold. Factors influencing D values were smaller than strain variability, and NaCl concentration emerged as a significant factor affecting S. aureus growth. These parameters can serve as references for quality control, safety and production optimisation in dairy product processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate and efficient microsatellite loci genotyping is an essential process in population genetics that is also used in various demographic analyses. Protocols for next‐generation sequencing of microsatellite loci enable high‐throughput and cross‐compatible allele scoring, common issues that are not addressed by conventional capillary‐based approaches. To improve this process, we have developed an all‐in‐one software, called Seq2Sat (sequence to microsatellite), in C++ to support automated microsatellite genotyping. It directly takes raw reads of microsatellite amplicons and conducts read quality control before inferring genotypes based on depth‐of‐read, read ratio, sequence composition and length. We have also developed a module for sex identification based on sex chromosome–specific locus amplicons. To allow for greater user access and complement autoscoring, we developed SatAnalyzer (microsatellite analyzer), a user‐friendly web‐based platform that conducts reads‐to‐report analyses by calling Seq2Sat for genotype autoscoring and produces interactive genotype graphs for manual editing. SatAnalyzer also allows users to troubleshoot multiplex optimization by analysing read quality and distribution across loci and samples in support of high‐quality library preparation. To evaluate its performance, we benchmarked our toolkit Seq2Sat/SatAnalyzer against a conventional capillary gel method and existing microsatellite genotyping software, MEGASAT, using two datasets. Results showed that SatAnalyzer can achieve >99.70% genotyping accuracy and Seq2Sat is ~5 times faster than MEGASAT despite many more informative tables and figures being generated. Seq2Sat and SatAnalyzer are freely available on github (https://github.com/ecogenomicscanada/Seq2Sat) and dockerhub (https://hub.docker.com/r/rocpengliu/satanalyzer). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, it was proposed to create three new robust multivariate charts corresponding to the |S|‐ chart, which are robust to outliers, using three methods, an algorithm, namely the Rousseuw and Leroy algorithm, Maronna and Zamar, and the family of 'concentration algorithms' by Olive and Hawkins. Then the comparison between the proposed and classical method of the researcher Shewhart depends on the total variance (trace variance matrix), the general variance (determinant of the variance matrix), and the difference between the upper and lower control limits to obtain the most efficient charts against outliers through simulation and real data and using a program in the MATLAB language designed for this purpose. The study concluded that the proposed charts dealt with the problem of the influence of outliers and were more efficient than the classical method, in addition, the proposed robust chart (Orthogonalized Gnanadesikan‐Kettenring) was more efficient than the rest of the proposed charts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the forecast accuracy of numerical weather prediction, it is essential to obtain better initial conditions by combining simulations and available observations via data assimilation. It has been known that a part of observations degrade the forecast accuracy. Detecting and discarding such detrimental observations via proactive quality control (PQC) could improve the forecast accuracy. However, conventional methods for diagnosing observation impacts require future observations as a reference state and PQC cannot be real‐time in general. This study proposes using machine learning (ML) trained by a time series of analyses to obtain a reference state without future observations and enable real‐time ML‐based PQC. This study presents proof‐of‐concept using a low‐dimensional dynamical system. The results indicate that ML‐based and model‐based estimates of observation impacts are generally consistent. Furthermore, ML‐based real‐time PQC successfully improves the forecast accuracy compared to a baseline experiment without PQC. Plain Language Summary: Simulation‐based weather prediction needs observations to obtain accurate initial conditions and to improve the forecast accuracy. However, it has been reported that a part of observations degrade the forecast accuracy. Detecting such detrimental observations using future observations and proactively denying them could result in skillful predictions. This approach is referred to as proactive quality control (PQC) and cannot be real‐time in general because PQC uses future information. To enable real‐time PQC, this study proposes using machine learning (ML) predictions instead of future observations in PQC. This study demonstrates for the first time that ML‐based real‐time PQC successfully improves the forecast accuracy in a low‐dimensional dynamical system. Future research could apply ML‐based PQC for more complicated weather prediction systems. Key Points: Proactive quality control (PQC) uses future information for detecting detrimental observations and cannot be real‐time in generalWe propose using machine learning (ML) predictions instead of future information and enabling real‐time PQCML‐based real‐time PQC successfully improves the forecast accuracy in a low‐dimensional dynamical system [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A statistical process control (SPC) model is introduced that incorporates sample data on the number of defectives and allows the probability that an assignable cause of variation in each time interval of a finite production process to be nonconstant. A Limited Memory Influence Diagram (LIMID) model is implemented to facilitate the decision in each time interval on whether or not to investigate the potential presence of the assignable cause of variation and restore the process to working condition. The method determines control limits that minimize the costs of inspection, repair, sampling, and operating under the assignable cause of variation. Sample size and sampling intervals can also be adjusted to further reduce the costs of maintaining quality control. This method expands on the capabilities of models that assume that the conditional probability of an assignable cause occurring remains constant throughout the production horizon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cannabidiol (CBD) vape pen usage has been on the rise given the changing political and scientific climate as well as the promotion of these delivery systems as a more accessible and lower‐risk option for consumers. Despite being marketed as a safer way to use cannabis, CBD vape liquids are sold without restrictions or meticulous quality control procedures such as toxicological and clinical assessment, standards for product preservation, or investigative degradation analyses. Nine CBD‐labeled vape liquid samples purchased and manufactured in the United States were evaluated and assessed for cannabinoid content. Quantification and validation of cannabinoids and matrix components was accomplished using gas and liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry analysis (GC–MS and LC–MS/MS) following liquid–liquid extraction with methanol. Samples degraded by temperature (analyzed by GC–MS) showed a greater disparity from the labeled CBD content compared with samples analyzed as purchased (by LC–MS/MS). Thermal degradation of the vape liquids showed increased levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Also, extended time and temperature degradation were evaluated in vape liquids by storing them for 15 months and then varying temperature conditions before analysis, which indicated CBD transformed into other cannabinoids leading to different cannabinoid content within the vape samples. Evaluation conducted on these vape liquids indicated the route of exposure, storage conditions, and length of storage could expose consumers to unintended cannabinoids and showed a concerning level of disagreement between the products' labeled cannabinoid content and the results generated by these analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International wildlife trade data are frequently used by government agencies, conservation organizations, and scientific researchers to study and protect species from overexploitation and prevent the spread of invasive species and introduction of zoonotic pathogens. Inaccurate data can lead to mistaken conclusions by researchers, the development of unsuccessful remedial conservation actions, and provide government officials with incorrect views of detrimental trade. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) maintains the world's most comprehensive national dataset of legal and illegal international wildlife trade recorded by individual shipments and species in its Law Enforcement Management Information System (LEMIS). Although the importance of LEMIS data is not to be understated, the errors and inconsistencies contained therein have not previously been adequately recognized or studied. Based on firsthand experiences with the creation and application of LEMIS data, this manuscript describes a variety of errors, biases, omissions, and an overall lack of data quality assurance. An independent audit of the LEMIS wildlife trade database and the service's policies, procedures, and protocols for managing this system is needed. Additional recommendations are also offered to develop better management standards and bring greater resources for managing LEMIS, asking the nongovernmental organization and intergovernmental organization user communities to play a role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The early life environment programmes cortical architecture and cognition across the life course. A measure of cortical organisation that integrates information from multimodal MRI and is unbound by arbitrary parcellations has proven elusive, which hampers efforts to uncover the perinatal origins of cortical health. Here, we use the Vogt‐Bailey index to provide a fine‐grained description of regional homogeneities and sharp variations in cortical microstructure based on feature gradients, and we investigate the impact of being born preterm on cortical development at term‐equivalent age. Compared with term‐born controls, preterm infants have a homogeneous microstructure in temporal and occipital lobes, and the medial parietal, cingulate, and frontal cortices, compared with term infants. These observations replicated across two independent datasets and were robust to differences that remain in the data after matching samples and alignment of processing and quality control strategies. We conclude that cortical microstructural architecture is altered in preterm infants in a spatially distributed rather than localised fashion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Objective and quantitative evaluation for low‐contrast detectability that correlates with human observer performance is lacking for routine CT quality control testing. Channelized Hotelling observer (CHO) is considered a strong candidate to fill the need but has long been deemed impractical to implement due to its requirement of a large number of repeated scans in order to provide accurate and precise estimates of index of detectability (d'). In our previous work, we optimized a CHO model observer on the American College of Radiology (ACR) CT accreditation phantom and achieved accurate measurement of d' with only 1–3 repeat scans. Purpose: In this work, we aim to validate the repeatability of the proposed CHO‐based low‐contrast evaluation on four scanner models using the ACR CT accreditation phantom. Methods: The repeatability test was performed on four different scanners from two major CT manufacturers: Siemens Force and Alpha; Canon Prism and Prime SP. An ACR CT phantom was scanned 10 times, each time after repositioning of the phantom. For each repositioning, 3 repeated scans were acquired at 24, 12, and 6 mGy on all four scanner models. CHO was applied at the measured dose levels for different low‐contrast object sizes (4–6 mm). The CHO was also applied to images created using deep learning‐based reconstructions on Canon Prism and to four different scan/reconstruction modes on the Siemens Alpha, a photon‐counting‐detector (PCD)‐CT. The repeatability was evaluated by the probability that a measurement would fall within the ±15% tolerance (P<15%). Results: With the CHO setting optimized for the ACR phantom and the use of 3 repeated scans and 9 non‐overlapping slices per scan, the CHO measurement could provide high repeatability with P<15% of 98.8%–99.9% at 12 mGy with IR reconstruction on all four scanners. On scanner A, P<15% were 91.5%–99.9% at the three dose levels and for all three object sizes while the numbers were 93.6%–99.998% on scanner B. P<15% were 96.5%–97.2% for the two deep learning reconstructions and 97.0%–99.97% for the four scan/reconstruction modes on the PCD‐CT. Conclusion: The CHO provided highly repeatable measurements with over 95% probability that a CHO measurement would lie within the ±15% tolerance for most of the dose levels and object sizes on the ACR phantom. The repeatability was maintained when the CHO was applied to images created with a commercial deep learning‐based reconstruction and various scan/reconstruction modes on a PCD‐CT. This study demonstrates that practical implementation of CHO for routine quality control and performance evaluation is feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: A standardised testing protocol for evaluation of a wide range of dental cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) performance and image quality (IQ) parameters is still limited and commercially available testing tool is unaffordable by some centres. This study aims to assess the performance of a low‐cost fabricated phantom for image quality assessment (IQA) of digital CBCT unit. Methods: A customised polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) cylindrical phantom was developed for performance evaluation of Planmeca ProMax 3D Mid digital dental CBCT unit. The fabricated phantom consists of four different layers for testing specific IQ parameters such as CT number accuracy and uniformity, noise and CT number linearity. The phantom was scanned using common scanning protocols in clinical routine (90.0 kV, 8.0 mA and 13.6 s). In region‐of‐interest (ROI) analysis, the mean CT numbers (in Hounsfield unit, HU) and noise for water and air were determined and compared with the reference values (0 HU for water and −1000 HU for air). For linearity test, the correlation between the measured HU of different inserts with their density was studied. Results: The average CT number were −994.1 HU and −2.4 HU, for air and water, respectively and the differences were within the recommended acceptable limit. The linearity test showed a strong positive correlation (R2 = 0.9693) between the measured HU and their densities. Conclusion: The fabricated IQ phantom serves as a simple and affordable testing tool for digital dental CBCT imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transient receptor potential melastatin 2 (TRPM2) assembles into tetramers to function as an oxidative stress‐sensitive Ca2+ channel at the surface membrane. Limited information is currently available on the 10 protein isoforms of mouse TRPM2 (mTRPM2) identified. This study investigated whether these isoforms function as Ca2+ channels and examined their effects on full‐length mTRPM2 activity using the HEK 293 cell exogenous expression system. Only full‐length mTRPM2, isoform 1 localized to the surface membrane and was activated by oxidative stress. Isoform 7 was clearly recognized by protein quality control systems and degraded by endoplasmic reticulum‐associated degradation after transmembrane proteolysis. In the co‐expression system, the activation and expression of full‐length mTRPM2 were attenuated by its co‐expression with isoform 7, but not with the other isoforms. This decrease in the expression of full‐length mTRPM2 was recovered by the proteasomal inhibitor. The present results suggest that isoforms other than isoform 1 did not function as oxidative stress‐sensitive channels and also that only isoform 7 attenuated the activation of full‐length mTRPM2 by targeting it to endoplasmic reticulum‐associated degradation. The present study will provide important information on the functional nature of mTRPM2 isoforms for the elucidation of their roles in physiological and patho‐physiological responses in vivo using mouse models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While automated modules for F‐18 and C‐11 radiosyntheses are standardized with features such as multiple reactors, vacuum connection and semi‐preparative HPLC, labeling and processing of compounds with radiometals such as Zr‐89, Lu‐177 and Ac‐225 often do not require complex manipulations and are frequently performed manually by a radiochemist. These procedures typically involve transferring solutions to and from vials using pipettes followed by heating of the reaction mixture, and do not require all the features found in most commercial automated synthesis units marketed as F‐18 or C‐11 modules. Here we present an efficient automated method for performing radiosyntheses involving radiometals by adapting a commercially available robotic pipettor originally developed for high‐throughput processing of biological samples. While a robotic pipettor is less costly than a radiosynthesis module, it holds many similar advantages over manual radiosynthesis such as minimization of operator error, lower operator exposure rates, and abbreviated synthesis times, among others. To demonstrate the feasibility of using the OpenTrons OT‐2 robotic pipettor to perform automated radiosyntheses, we radiolabeled and formulated 177Lu‐PSMA‐617 and 225Ac‐PSMA‐617 on the system. The OT‐2 was then used to help streamline the quality control process for both products, further minimizing manual handling by and exposure to the radiochemist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the effects of caffeine on pathways associated with mitochondrial quality control and mitochondrial capacity during skeletal muscle regeneration, focusing on the role of Parkin, a key protein involved in mitophagy. Methods: We used in vitro C2C12 myoblast during differentiation with and without caffeine in the medium, and we evaluated several markers of mitochondrial quality control pathways and myotube growth. In vivo experiments, we used C57BL/6J (WT) and Parkintm1Shn lineage (Parkin−/−) mice and injured tibial anterior muscle. The mice regenerated TA muscle for 3, 10, and 21 days with or without caffeine ingestion. TA muscle was used to analyze the protein content of several markers of mitochondrial quality pathways, muscle satellite cell differentiation, and protein synthesis. Furthermore, it analyzed mtDNA, mitochondrial respiration, and myofiber growth. Results: C2C12 differentiation experiments showed that caffeine decreased Parkin content, potentially leading to increased DRP1 and PGC‐1α content and altered mitochondrial population, thereby enhancing growth capacity. Using Parkin−/− mice, we found that caffeine intake during the regenerative process induces an increase in AMPKα phosphorylation and PGC‐1α and TFAM content, changes that were partly Parkin‐dependent. In addition, the absence of Parkin potentiates the ergogenic effect of caffeine by increasing mitochondrial capacity and myotube growth. Those effects are related to increased ATF4 content and activation of protein synthesis pathways, such as increased 4E‐BP1 phosphorylation. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that caffeine ingestion changes mitochondrial quality control during skeletal muscle regeneration, and Parkin is a central player in those mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Determine visual 50:50% color difference acceptability thresholds (AT) for regions of the dental color space with varying chromaticity. Methods: A 40‐observer panel belonging to two different groups (dentists and laypersons) evaluated 144 dental resin composites pairs (divided in three different sets of 48 pairs according to chroma value: Low Chroma (LC), Medium Chroma (MC) and High Chroma (HC) placed 40 cm away and inside of a viewing cabinet (D65 Standard light source; diffuse/0° geometry). A Takagi–Sugeno–Kang (TSK) fuzzy approximation was used for fitting the data points and calculate the 50:50% acceptability thresholds in CIEDE2000. A paired t‐test was used to evaluate the statistical significance between thresholds differences and Bonferroni correction was applied. Results: The CIEDE2000 50:50% AT were ∆E00 = 2.84, ∆E00 = 2.31 and ∆E00 = 1.80 for LC, MC and HC sets of sample pairs, respectively. The 50:50% AT values were statistically significant between the different sets of sample pairs, as well as the 50:50% AT values obtained for different observer groups. Conclusions: 50:50% CIEDE2000 acceptability thresholds for dentistry are significantly different depending on the chromaticity of the samples. Observers show higher acceptability for more achromatic samples (low chroma value) than for more chromatic samples. Clinical Significance: The difference in the AT for distinct regions of the dental color space can assist professionals as a quality control tool to assess clinical performance and interpret visual and instrumental findings in clinical dentistry, dental research, and subsequent standardization processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Aquatic products are delicious and rich in high‐quality proteins, and thus have high‐food value and are popular among consumers; however, deterioration of their quality can easily occur when being stored and processed. Proteins, the main components of the muscle tissue of aquatic products, are closely related to the quality of aquatic products, and protein oxidation has become a research hotspot for studying the regulatory mechanisms of aquatic product quality changes. Protein oxidation is one of the main causes of quality deterioration of aquatic products, mainly because of protein cross‐linking and protein degradation caused by oxidation. Related studies have also shown that the changes in the electrostatic charge of proteins owing to oxidation are associated with the muscle water‐holding capacity (WHC). This article introduces the induction mechanism of protein oxidation in aquatic products, focusing on its effects on the quality, such as colour, texture, WHC and summarises the current research progress of aquatic products quality control on this basis to provide theoretical reference for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Testing for AZoospermia Factor (AZF) deletions of the Y chromosome is a key component of the diagnostic workup of azoospermic and severely oligozoospermic men. This revision of the 2013 European Academy of Andrology (EAA) and EMQN CIC (previously known as the European Molecular Genetics Quality Network) laboratory guidelines summarizes recent clinically relevant advances and provides an update on the results of the external quality assessment program jointly offered by both organizations. A basic multiplex PCR reaction followed by a deletion extension analysis remains the gold‐standard methodology to detect and correctly interpret AZF deletions. Recent data have led to an update of the sY84 reverse primer sequence, as well as to a refinement of what were previously considered as interchangeable border markers for AZFa and AZFb deletion breakpoints. More specifically, sY83 and sY143 are no longer recommended for the deletion extension analysis, leaving sY1064 and sY1192, respectively, as first‐choice markers. Despite the transition, currently underway in several countries, toward a diagnosis based on certified kits, it should be noted that many of these commercial products are not recommended due to an unnecessarily high number of tested markers, and none of those currently available are, to the best of our knowledge, in accordance with the new first‐choice markers for the deletion extension analysis. The gr/gr partial AZFc deletion remains a population‐specific risk factor for impaired sperm production and a predisposing factor for testicular germ cell tumors. Testing for this deletion type is, as before, left at the discretion of the diagnostic labs and referring clinicians. Annual participation in an external quality control program is strongly encouraged, as the 22‐year experience of the EMQN/EAA scheme clearly demonstrates a steep decline in diagnostic errors and an improvement in reporting practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, researchers and practitioners have been exploring new methods for quality control, including image processing. The effective use of high‐volume image data can significantly improve the monitoring of production and service systems in terms of speed, accuracy, and cost. Adopting an image‐based approach is better than relying on operator‐based solutions, and it offers new perspectives for process monitoring. Image processing can involve extracting features to identify, classify, detect, and cluster. Although there are several transformations to extract features from images, the Fourier method cannot consider the concurrency of frequency and time data, and the wavelet method only considers two specific directions. In multidimensional transforms, the optimal method can provide more information using fewer coefficients. The contourlet transform has advantages such as multiresolution, localization, critical sampling, directionality, and anisotropy. This research investigates the advantages of applying the contourlet transform to images and using data in a generalized likelihood ratio control chart. The results show that this method is more accurate than others because it can examine various directions in images. The proposed methodology algorithm is also presented in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) has numerous applications in pathology, supporting diagnosis and prognostication in cancer. However, most AI models are trained on highly selected data, typically one tissue slide per patient. In reality, especially for large surgical resection specimens, dozens of slides can be available for each patient. Manually sorting and labelling whole‐slide images (WSIs) is a very time‐consuming process, hindering the direct application of AI on the collected tissue samples from large cohorts. In this study we addressed this issue by developing a deep‐learning (DL)‐based method for automatic curation of large pathology datasets with several slides per patient. Methods: We collected multiple large multicentric datasets of colorectal cancer histopathological slides from the United Kingdom (FOXTROT, N = 21,384 slides; CR07, N = 7985 slides) and Germany (DACHS, N = 3606 slides). These datasets contained multiple types of tissue slides, including bowel resection specimens, endoscopic biopsies, lymph node resections, immunohistochemistry‐stained slides, and tissue microarrays. We developed, trained, and tested a deep convolutional neural network model to predict the type of slide from the slide overview (thumbnail) image. The primary statistical endpoint was the macro‐averaged area under the receiver operating curve (AUROCs) for detection of the type of slide. Results: In the primary dataset (FOXTROT), with an AUROC of 0.995 [95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.994–0.996] the algorithm achieved a high classification performance and was able to accurately predict the type of slide from the thumbnail image alone. In the two external test cohorts (CR07, DACHS) AUROCs of 0.982 [95% CI: 0.979–0.985] and 0.875 [95% CI: 0.864–0.887] were observed, which indicates the generalizability of the trained model on unseen datasets. With a confidence threshold of 0.95, the model reached an accuracy of 94.6% (7331 classified cases) in CR07 and 85.1% (2752 classified cases) for the DACHS cohort. Conclusion: Our findings show that using the low‐resolution thumbnail image is sufficient to accurately classify the type of slide in digital pathology. This can support researchers to make the vast resource of existing pathology archives accessible to modern AI models with only minimal manual annotations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stalled ribosomes are rescued by pathways that recycle the ribosome and target the nascent polypeptide for degradation. In E. coli, these pathways are triggered by ribosome collisions through the recruitment of SmrB, a nuclease that cleaves the mRNA. In B. subtilis, the related protein MutS2 was recently implicated in ribosome rescue. Here we show that MutS2 is recruited to collisions by its SMR and KOW domains, and we reveal the interaction of these domains with collided ribosomes by cryo-EM. Using a combination of in vivo and in vitro approaches, we show that MutS2 uses its ABC ATPase activity to split ribosomes, targeting the nascent peptide for degradation through the ribosome quality control pathway. However, unlike SmrB, which cleaves mRNA in E. coli, we see no evidence that MutS2 mediates mRNA cleavage or promotes ribosome rescue by tmRNA. These findings clarify the biochemical and cellular roles of MutS2 in ribosome rescue in B. subtilis and raise questions about how these pathways function differently in diverse bacteria. Synopsis: Ribosome stalling in the middle of a translated mRNA leads to collisions and triggers quality control pathways. Using structural and biochemical approaches, this study reveals how MutS2 detects and resolves ribosome collisions in Bacillus subtilis. MutS2 selectively binds collided ribosomes through interactions with its KOW and SMR domains. Unlike its E. coli homolog SmrB, B. subtlis MutS2 does not cleave mRNA on collided ribosomes. MutS2 splits stalled ribosomes into subunits using its ATPase activity. After splitting, the nascent peptide trapped on the 50 S subunit is targeted for degradation by RqcH. Structural and biochemical studies show how the B. subtilis MutS2 protein separates collided ribosomes, revealing striking differences to the actions of its E. coli homolog SmrB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combination of ionophoric coccidiostats and amino acids (AAs) is important in poultry feeding to enhance immunity and improve the growth and feed efficiency of birds suffering from coccidiosis. A simple, rapid, and economical high‐performance liquid chromatography‐ultraviolet detection (HPLC‐UV) method for the simultaneous determination of three ionophoric coccidiostats, namely salinomycin (SAL), maduramicin (MAD), and monensin (MON) in addition to three AAs; L‐tryptophan (L‐TRP), alpha‐ketoleucin (KLEU), and L‐valine (L‐VAL) in feed premixes was developed and validated. Chromatographic separation was achieved in less than 12 min using a phenyl hexyl column with a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile/methanol/water (25:20:55, v/v/v) adjusted to pH 3 using phosphoric acid. Isocratic elution was performed at a flow rate of 1 mL/min with UV detection at 210 nm. The method showed good linearity in the ranges 0.50–5.0 mg/mL for MON, 0.20–2.0 mg/mL for MAD and SAL, 10.0–100.0 μg/mL for L‐TRP and KLEU, and 50.0–500.0 μg/mL for VAL. The developed method was successfully applied to determine the studied analytes in feed premixes with good recoveries and precision. The good validation criteria of the proposed method allow its utilization in quality control laboratories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's competitive landscape, fulfilling customer expectations and achieving a competitive edge are crucial for business success. These objectives can be attained by effective monitoring in both manufacturing and service sectors to enhance quality, reduce variation, and augment productivity. The control chart, a widely used tool for this purpose, has attracted significant attention from researchers for its ability to detect anomalies and manage out‐of‐control situations. The optimization of control charts, a central focus of this review, not only enhances the detection effectiveness but also maintains the desired false alarm rate, thus ensuring efficient process control without additional cost, complexity, or operational challenges for shop floor personnel. The optimization process involves adjusting charting parameters like the sample size, sampling interval, and control limits within a hypothesis testing framework, thereby achieving optimal system performance. Numerous optimization models have been developed to enhance control chart performance. This paper introduces a classification scheme to analyze and categorize the existing research on control chart optimization. By conducting a thorough review of more than 240 articles, the study pinpoints research gaps and offers valuable insights, thereby advancing the future research in this domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citrus essential oils (EOs) contain a variety of secondary metabolites, including coumarins (Cs), furocoumarins (FCs) and polymethoxyflavones (PMFs), all with different biological activities. While Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008 strictly regulates the use of coumarins, undesirable side effects of consuming furocoumarins remain without established maximum toxicity limits for human dietary intake. This study is based on an in‐silico approach aimed at determining these toxicity limits for the oxygenated heterocyclic compounds of citrus EOs approved for use in food. In addition, an innovative quantitative structure‐property relationship (QSPR) using the linear retention index system was explored to characterize the oxygenated heterocyclic compounds (COHs) present in these essential oils. Molecular docking of the studied compounds provided crucial insights into the structure‐odor relationships, offering insights into their mechanisms of action. In addition, an analysis of the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties through ADME‐Tox deconstruction provides insight into the potential side effects of their consumption. The results are consolidated by dynamic simulations, providing crucial data for the development of regulations on the maximum toxicity limits of citrus EOs, given the health implications of the various compounds such as coumarins, furocoumarins and polymethoxyflavones present in these essential oils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Our objective was to compare the measurement of residual white blood cell (rWBC) and residual red blood cell (rRBC) counts in blood products using the XN Blood Bank mode and the laboratory standard operating procedures for manual counts. In addition, to compare the whole blood complete blood count (CBC) values of blood donors and the quality of blood products using the Sysmex XN analyser versus the XS‐1000i analyser. Materials and Methods: For blood donors, 190 samples from blood or apheresis donors were analysed on both the Sysmex XS‐1000i and XN‐1000 analysers and the mean values of six CBC parameters were compared: the white blood cell count (WBC), the red blood cell count (RBC), haemoglobin (HGB), haematocrit (HCT), the mean corpuscular volume (MCV), the platelet count (PLT). For blood products, 164 samples were collected: 13 Plasma products – whole blood, 9 Plasma products – apheresis, 36 RBC concentrates – whole blood, 30 PLT concentrates – buffy coats, 36 PLT concentrates – buffy coats – pooled and 55 PLT concentrates – apheresis. Results: All CBC parameters of the blood donors tested showed similar performance, with excellent correlation coefficients (r) ranging from 0.821 to 0.995. The majority of the blood products did not have a quantifiable number of residual cells, meaning the number of rWBC and rRBC, if present, was below the limit of quantitation (LoQ) of the different methods. rWBC were detected by Blood Bank mode in Plasma products – whole blood with a mean rWBC of 0.012 × 109/L and in PLT concentrates – buffy coats with a mean rWBC of 0.19 × 109/L. The correlation coefficient in both analysers for all three parameters (HGB, HCT, RBC) in RBC concentrates – whole blood was excellent, ranging from 0.95 to 0.99. For platelet count, r ranged from 0.98 to 0.99. Conclusion: The XN‐Series analyser, equipped with a Blood Bank mode, demonstrated reliable performance when used for blood donor evaluation, rWBC enumeration and measurement of end blood products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Depression is the most disabling neuropsychiatric disorder, causing difficulties in daily life activities and social interactions. The exact mechanisms of depression remain largely unclear. However, some studies have shown that mitochondrial dysfunction would play a crucial role in the occurrence and development of depression. Aims: To summarize the known knowledge about the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in the pathogenesis of depression. Methods: We review the recent literature， including 105 articles, to summarize the mitochondrial energy metabolism and quality control systems in the occurrence and development of depression. Some antidepressants which may exert their effects by improving mitochondrial function are also discussed. Results: Impaired brain energy metabolism and (or) damaged mitochondrial quality control systems have been reported not only in depression patients but in animal models of depression. Although the classical antidepressants have not been specially designed to target mitochondria, the evidence suggests that many antidepressants may exert their effects by improving mitochondrial function. Conclusions: This brief review focuses on the findings that implicate mitochondrial dysfunction and the quality control systems as important etiological factors in the context of depressive disorders. It will help us to understand the various concepts of mitochondrial dysfunction in the pathogenesis of depression, and to explore novel and more targeted therapeutic approaches for depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A desirable quality of plant‐based meat analogues is to resemble the fibrous structure of cooked muscle meat. While texture analysis can characterize fibrous structures mechanically, assessment of visual fibrous structures remains subjective. Quantitative assessment of visual fibrous structures of meat analogues relies on expert knowledge, is resource‐intensive, and time‐consuming. In this study, a novel image‐based method (Fiberlyzer) is developed to provide automated, quantitative, and standardized assessment of visual fibrousness of meat analogues. The Fiberlyzer method segments fibrous regions from 2D images and extracts fiber shape features to characterize the fibrous structure of meat analogues made from mung bean, soy, and pea protein. The computed fiber scores (the ratio between fiber length and width) demonstrate a strong correlation with expert panel evaluations, particularly on a per‐formulation basis (r2 = 0.93). Additionally, the Fiberlyzer method generates fiber shape features including fiber score, fiber area, and the number of fiber branches, facilitating comparisons of structural similarity between meat analogue samples and cooked chicken meat as a benchmark. With a simple measurement setup and user‐friendly interface, the Fiberlyzer method can become a standard tool integrated into formulation development, quality control, and production routines of plant‐based meat analogue. This method offers rapid, cheap, and standardized quantification of visual fibrousness, minimizing the need for expert knowledge in the process of quality control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potential genotoxic substances in medicines are of rising concern to pharmaceutical and regulatory authorities at detectable levels due to their potential to induce human carcinogenesis. Molecule functional groups may contribute to the genotoxicity of small molecules by converting starting materials and synthetic intermediates into reactive components. It is challenging for the pharmaceutical research and development analytical community to identify these genotoxic chemicals at trace levels without using susceptible and selective analytical methods. The literature currently needs more experimental advice for analyzing some significant contaminants. Analytical methods play a vital role in the pharmaceutical industry for monitoring and controlling impurities in drug products. These methods provide critical information on the final product's quality, purity, and efficacy by identifying unwanted substances such as degradation products, residual solvents, and process contaminants. The significance of analytical methods in pharmaceutical process impurities includes ensuring quality control, regulatory compliance, process optimization, troubleshooting, and batch release. These methods help to ensure that the final product meets the required specifications, complies with regulatory requirements, and provides the safe and effective patient treatment. The study analyses the structural alarms of commonly encountered likely genotoxic contaminants and draught regulations of various regulatory authorities to restrict the number of impurities in medicinal substances and to identify their toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Autologous patient‐derived adoptive T‐cell therapies have revolutionized the management of relapsed multiple myeloma (MM). However, the current manufacturing and quality control processes result in lengthy vein‐to‐vein time, making bridging therapy necessary for most patients. Yet the decision and choice of optimal bridging therapy are complex in the heavily pretreated relapsed MM patient. In this perspective piece, the authors provide their approach and considerations while selecting an optimal bridging regimen before autologous chimeric antigen receptor T‐cell therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Non‐invasive prenatal tests (NIPT) to predict fetal red cell or platelet antigen status for alloimmunised women are provided for select antigens. This study reports on massively parallel sequencing (MPS) using a red cell and platelet probe panel targeting multiple nucleotide variants, plus individual identification single nucleotide polymorphisms (IISNPs). Maternal blood samples were provided from 33 alloimmunised cases, including seven with two red cell antibodies. Cell‐free and genomic DNA was sequenced using targeted MPS and bioinformatically analysed using low‐frequency variant detection. The resulting maternal genomic DNA allele frequency was subtracted from the cell‐free DNA counterpart. Outcomes were matched against validated phenotyping/genotyping methods, where available. A 2.5% subtractive allele frequency threshold was set after comparing MPS predictions for K, RhC/c, RhE/e and Fya/Fyb against expected outcomes. This threshold was used for subsequent predictions, including HPA‐15a, Jka/Jkb, Kpa/Kpb and Lua. MPS outcomes were 97.2% concordant with validated methods; one RhC case was discordantly negative and lacked IISNPs. IISNPs were informative for 30/33 cases as controls. NIPT MPS is feasible for fetal blood group genotyping and covers multiple blood groups and control targets in a single test. Noting caution for the Rh system, this has the potential to provide a personalised service for alloimmunised women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diroximel fumarate (DRF) is a novel oral fumarate used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis. Comprehending DRF's stability behavior in different degradation conditions is crucial and has been studied under photolysis, oxidative, hydrolysis, and thermal conditions. Nucleosil C18 column (250 × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) was employed to achieve drug separation, with a mobile phase comprising of water and acetonitrile (65:35, v/v). The flow rate was 1 mL/min and detection was performed at 210 nm using a photodiode array detector. The fully validated reversed phase‐high‐performance liquid chromatography stability method as per the International Council for Harmonization Q2 R1 demonstrated excellent selectivity, accuracy, and precision with good sensitivity. During the analysis, two prominent degradant product peaks of DRF were identified across all stress conditions. The usage of liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry compatible solvents in the mobile phase permits further characterization of DRF and its degradants peak. Significant levels of degradation were found in alkaline and acidic hydroxide, peroxide, photolytic, and thermal conditions with hydrolysis being postulated as a possible mechanism of degradation. The fully validated stability‐indicating analytical method can be used for routine quality control and stability testing of DRF, requiring storage in a protected primary container, as it is sensitive to light and moisture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondria are essential for normal cellular function and have emerged as key aging determinants. Indeed, defects in mitochondrial function have been linked to cardiovascular, skeletal muscle and neurodegenerative diseases, premature aging, and age‐linked diseases. Here, we describe mechanisms for mitochondrial protein and organelle quality control. These surveillance mechanisms mediate repair or degradation of damaged or mistargeted mitochondrial proteins, segregate mitochondria based on their functional state during asymmetric cell division, and modulate cellular fitness, the response to stress, and lifespan control in yeast and other eukaryotes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]