scholarly journals Sign surveys can be more efficient and cost effective than driven transects and camera trapping: a comparison of detection methods for a small elusive mammal, the numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anke Seidlitz ◽  
Kate A. Bryant ◽  
Nicola J. Armstrong ◽  
Michael C. Calver ◽  
Adrian F. Wayne
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effective ◽  
Camera Trapping ◽  
Detection Methods ◽  
Sign Surveys

scholarly journals Food Allergen Detection Methods: A Coordinated Approach

2004 ◽  
Vol 87 (6) ◽  
pp. 1383-1390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip R Goodwin
Keyword(s):  
Hazard Analysis ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Control Point ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Test Methods ◽  
Detection Methods ◽  
Critical Control Point ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Monitoring And Surveillance ◽  
Analytical Approaches

Abstract The levels (1–2%) and increasing severity of allergic responses to food in the adult population are well documented, as is the phenomenon of even higher (3–8%) and apparently increasing incidence in children, albeit that susceptibility decreases with age. Problematic foods include peanut, milk, eggs, tree nuts, and sesame, but the list is growing as awareness continues to rise. The amounts of such foods that can cause allergic reactions is difficult to gauge; however, the general consensus is that ingestion of low parts per million is sufficient to cause severe reactions in badly affected individuals. Symptoms can rapidly—within minutes—progress from minor discomfort to severe, even life-threatening anaphylactic shock in those worst affected. Given the combination of high incidence of atopy, potential severity of response, and apparently widespread instances of “hidden” allergens in the food supply, it is not surprising that this issue is increasingly subject to legislative and regulatory scrutiny. In order to assist in the control of allergen levels in foods to acceptable levels, analysts require a combination of test methods, each designed to produce accurate, timely, and cost-effective analytical information. Such information contributes significantly to Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point programs to determine food manufacturers’ risk and improves the accuracy of monitoring and surveillance by food industry, commercial, and enforcement laboratories. Analysis thereby facilitates improvements in compliance with labeling laws with concomitant reductions in risks to atopic consumers. This article describes a combination of analytical approaches to fulfill the various needs of these 3 analytical communities.

Systematic review of surveillance systems and methods for early detection of exotic, new and re-emerging diseases in animal populations

2014 ◽  
Vol 143 (10) ◽  
pp. 2018-2042 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. RODRÍGUEZ-PRIETO ◽  
M. VICENTE-RUBIANO ◽  
A. SÁNCHEZ-MATAMOROS ◽  
C. RUBIO-GUERRI ◽  
M. MELERO ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Early Detection ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Emerging Diseases ◽  
Detection Methods ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
Globalized World

SUMMARYIn this globalized world, the spread of new, exotic and re-emerging diseases has become one of the most important threats to animal production and public health. This systematic review analyses conventional and novel early detection methods applied to surveillance. In all, 125 scientific documents were considered for this study. Exotic (n = 49) and re-emerging (n = 27) diseases constituted the most frequently represented health threats. In addition, the majority of studies were related to zoonoses (n = 66). The approaches found in the review could be divided in surveillance modalities, both active (n = 23) and passive (n = 5); and tools and methodologies that support surveillance activities (n = 57). Combinations of surveillance modalities and tools (n = 40) were also found. Risk-based approaches were very common (n = 60), especially in the papers describing tools and methodologies (n = 50). The main applications, benefits and limitations of each approach were extracted from the papers. This information will be very useful for informing the development of tools to facilitate the design of cost-effective surveillance strategies. Thus, the current literature review provides key information about the advantages, disadvantages, limitations and potential application of methodologies for the early detection of new, exotic and re-emerging diseases.

PAH RIS® Soil Test—A Rapid, On-Site Screening Test for Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Soil

1994 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 466-472 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia P McDonald ◽  
Richard E Almond ◽  
James P Mapes ◽  
Stephen B Friedman
Keyword(s):  
Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽  
Matrix Effects ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽  
Detection Methods ◽  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
Sample Treatment ◽  
Negative Results ◽  
Cost Effective Method ◽  
Test Kit

Abstract Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are chemicals of concern when they contaminate the environment. Current detection methods (gas chromatography and liquid chromatography) are laborious, time consuming, and expensive. As an alternative, we developed a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit that can be used on site for the detection of PAHs at 1 ppm in soil. The immunoassay kit includes all the components necessary to conduct the analysis in the field. The test consists of 3 major steps: (1) sample treatment; (2) immunoassay, in which the target compound is bound by a specific antibody followed by the development of an indicator color; and (3) interpretation of results. A sample that develops less color than the standard is interpreted as positive (soil sample contaminated with PAHs at ≥1 ppm). Validation studies demonstrated that the assay is sensitive and specific. The assay detects PAH contamination in soil at 1 ppm or greater and specifically detects the 3- and 4-ringed aromatics and most of the 5-and 6-ringed aromatics. PAH-free soil samples gave negative results in the assay at a confidence level of >95%. Matrix effects, interperson, and interlot variations were minimal. The test requires <25 min to complete. The test kit is field compatible and provides a cost effective method for screening soils at risk for PAH contamination.

scholarly journals DNA Methods: Critical Review of Innovative Approaches

2002 ◽  
Vol 85 (3) ◽  
pp. 797-800
Author(s):  
Esther J Kok ◽  
Henk J M Aarts ◽  
A M Angeline van Hoef ◽  
Harry A Kuiper
Keyword(s):  
Genetically Modified Organisms ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Detection Methods ◽  
Market Place ◽  
Gmo Detection ◽  
Current State ◽  
Detection And Identification ◽  
European Regulations ◽  
Labeling Requirements

Abstract The presence of ingredients derived from genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food products in the market place is subject to a number of European regulations that stipulate which product consisting of or containing GMO-derived ingredients should be labeled as such. In order to maintain these labeling requirements, a variety of different GMO detection methods have been developed to screen for either the presence of DNA or protein derived from (approved) GM varieties. Recent incidents where unapproved GM varieties entered the European market show that more powerful GMO detection and identification methods will be needed to maintain European labeling requirements in an adequate, efficient, and cost-effective way. This report discusses the current state-of-the-art as well as future developments in GMO detection.

scholarly journals Automatic Fire and Smoke Detection Method for Surveillance Systems Based on Dilated CNNs

Atmosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 1241
Author(s):  
Yakhyokhuja Valikhujaev ◽  
Akmalbek Abdusalomov ◽  
Young Im Cho
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effective ◽  
Classification Performance ◽  
Detection Methods ◽  
False Alarms ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Smoke Detection ◽  
Detection Systems ◽  
Number Of False Alarms ◽  
Unseen Data ◽  
Vision Detection

The technologies underlying fire and smoke detection systems play a crucial role in ensuring and delivering optimal performance in modern surveillance environments. In fact, fire can cause significant damage to lives and properties. Considering that the majority of cities have already installed camera-monitoring systems, this encouraged us to take advantage of the availability of these systems to develop cost-effective vision detection methods. However, this is a complex vision detection task from the perspective of deformations, unusual camera angles and viewpoints, and seasonal changes. To overcome these limitations, we propose a new method based on a deep learning approach, which uses a convolutional neural network that employs dilated convolutions. We evaluated our method by training and testing it on our custom-built dataset, which consists of images of fire and smoke that we collected from the internet and labeled manually. The performance of our method was compared with that of methods based on well-known state-of-the-art architectures. Our experimental results indicate that the classification performance and complexity of our method are superior. In addition, our method is designed to be well generalized for unseen data, which offers effective generalization and reduces the number of false alarms.

Limits In Assessing Microbiological Food Safety

1993 ◽  
Vol 56 (8) ◽  
pp. 725-729 ◽  
Author(s):  
ROBERT L. BUCHANAN ◽  
CATHERINE M. DEROEVER
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Detection Methods ◽  
Detailed Knowledge ◽  
Foodborne Disease ◽  
True Incidence

Scientific information pertaining to the incidence of foodborne disease and the sources of pathogenic microorganisms is often limited in relation to the knowledge needed to make informed microbiological food safety decisions. Inherent limitations in the current epidemiological reporting system constrain its usefulness for ascertaining the true incidence of foodborne disease. Additionally, current detection methods are insufficient to make real-time decisions on the microbiological safety of products. An integrated approach that combines enhanced epidemiological data, improved detection methods, detailed knowledge of the behavior of pathogens in food systems, and development of techniques for making quantitative risk assessments is essential for the development of a comprehensive, cost-effective strategy for assuring microbiologically safe foods.

scholarly journals Current Methods for Fluorescence-Based Universal Sequence-Dependent Detection of Nucleic Acids in Homogenous Assays and Clinical Applications

2013 ◽  
Vol 59 (11) ◽  
pp. 1567-1582 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernd Faltin ◽  
Roland Zengerle ◽  
Felix von Stetten
Keyword(s):  
Critical Evaluation ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Clinical Applications ◽  
Clinical Diagnostics ◽  
Detection Methods ◽  
Target Sequence ◽  
Strand Displacement ◽  
Strand Displacement Amplification ◽  
Sequence Dependent ◽  
Universal Detection

BACKGROUND Specific and sensitive nucleic acid (NA) testing in research and clinical diagnostics is usually performed by use of labeled oligonucleotide probes. However, the use of target-specific fluorogenic probes increases the cost of analysis. Therefore, universal sequence-dependent (USD) NA detection methods have been developed to facilitate cost-effective target detection using standardized reagents. CONTENT We provide a comprehensive review of the current methods for fluorescence-based USD NA detection. Initially, we focus on the emergence of these methods as a means to overcome the shortcomings of common NA detection methods, such as hydrolysis probes and molecular beacons. Thereafter, we provide a critical evaluation of the individual detection methods. These methods include (a) target amplification with bipartite primers introducing a universal detection tag to the amplicon (UniPrimer PCR, universal fluorescence energy transfer probe PCR, attached universal duplex probe PCR, and universal strand displacement amplification) or combined with bipartite probes comprising a universal detection region (mediator probe PCR, universal strand displacement amplification, universal quenching probe PCR) and (b) amplification-independent assays employing either a universal variant of the invader assay or universal NA hybridization sensors. We discuss differences between the methods and review clinical applications. SUMMARY The current methods for USD NA testing are cost-effective and flexible and have concordant analytical performance in comparison with common probe-based techniques. They can detect any target sequence by the simple use of a label-free, low-cost primer or probe combined with a universal fluorogenic reporter. The methods differ in the number of target specificities, capability of multiplexing, and incubation requirements (isothermal/thermocycling). Extensive clinical applications comprise detection of single-nucleotide polymorphisms, study of gene expression, in situ PCR, and quantification of pathogen load.

Qualitative and Quantitative PCR-Based Detection Methods for Authorized Genetically Modified Cotton Events in India

2014 ◽  
Vol 97 (5) ◽  
pp. 1299-1309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rashmi Chhabra ◽  
Gurinder Jit Randhawa ◽  
Rajesh K Bhoge ◽  
Monika Singh
Keyword(s):  
Genetically Modified ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Detection Methods ◽  
Quantitative Detection ◽  
Bt Cotton ◽  
Pcr Assay ◽  
Genetically Modified Cotton ◽  
Detection Assay ◽  
Endogenous Reference ◽  
The Cost

Abstract Qualitative diagnostics for all five commercialized genetically modified (GM) cotton events for insect resistance in India is being reported for the first time in this paper. The cost-effective and robust multiplex PCR (MPCR)-based detection assay, distinguishing the insect resistant transgenic Bt cotton events, viz., MON531, MON15985, Event 1, GFM-cry1A, and MLS-9124, has been developed. This decaplex PCR assay targets nine transgenic elements, viz., sequences of four transgenes, three transgene constructs, and two event-specific sequences along with one endogenous reference gene. The LOD of the qualitative MPCR assay was up to 0.1%. A quantitative detection method for four widely commercially cultivated GM cotton events, namely, MON531, MON15985, Event 1, and GFM-cry1A, covering 99.5% of the total area under GM cultivation in the country, is also reported. A construct-specific real-time PCR assay has been developed for quantification of these GM cotton events with LOQ <0.05% and LOD <0.025%. The developed assays will be of great use to screen for the presence/absence of authorized GM cotton events in unknown samples and to check the authenticity of GM cotton seed samples.

scholarly journals A distributed computational search strategy for the identification of diagnostics targets: Application to finding aptamer targets for methicillin-resistant staphylococci

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 80-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith Flanagan ◽  
Simon Cockell ◽  
Colin Harwood ◽  
Jennifer Hallinan ◽  
Sirintra Nakjang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Direct Detection ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Distributed Databases ◽  
Bacterial Genome ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Pcr Primers ◽  
Detection Methods ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Peptide Aptamers ◽  
Automated Processing

Summary The rapid and cost-effective identification of bacterial species is crucial, especially for clinical diagnosis and treatment. Peptide aptamers have been shown to be valuable for use as a component of novel, direct detection methods. These small peptides have a number of advantages over antibodies, including greater specificity and longer shelf life. These properties facilitate their use as the detector components of biosensor devices. However, the identification of suitable aptamer targets for particular groups of organisms is challenging. We present a semi-automated processing pipeline for the identification of candidate aptamer targets from whole bacterial genome sequences. The pipeline can be configured to search for protein sequence fragments that uniquely identify a set of strains of interest. The system is also capable of identifying additional organisms that may be of interest due to their possession of protein fragments in common with the initial set. Through the use of Cloud computing technology and distributed databases, our system is capable of scaling with the rapidly growing genome repositories, and consequently of keeping the resulting data sets up-to-date. The system described is also more generically applicable to the discovery of specific targets for other diagnostic approaches such as DNA probes, PCR primers and antibodies.

Diagnosis of sexually transmitted infections (STI) using self-collected non-invasive specimens

Sexual Health ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne M. Garland ◽  
Sepehr N. Tabrizi
Keyword(s):  
Sexually Transmitted Infections ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Diagnostic Techniques ◽  
Detection Methods ◽  
Molecular Diagnostic ◽  
Molecular Diagnostic Techniques ◽  
Sexually Transmitted ◽  
Diagnostic Assays ◽  
Remote Areas

Paramount in control of transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is their prompt recognition and appropriate treatment. In countries where definitive diagnoses are difficult, a ‘syndromic approach’ to management of STIs is recommended and practiced, yet many STIs have common symptoms or are asymptomatic and therefore go undetected and untreated. This is of particular concern with the recognition that HIV transmission is increased with co-existent STIs: the attributable risk for each STI varying with the prevalence within a particular population. Hence, HIV public health prevention approaches must include STI preventative strategies to be effective. Even then, microbiological screening is incorporated into STI control strategies; lack of access to appropriate services (especially in rural and remote areas), reluctance of at-risk populations to attend for treatment, fear of invasive genital examinations, and lower sensitivities of conventional diagnostic assays reduces the effectiveness of such programmes. Therefore, accurate, cost-effective, reliable diagnostic assays (preferably those which can be used in the field) are needed to impact on the incidence of the various STIs, as well as HIV. With the advent of molecular technologies, including target and signal amplification methods, diagnoses of STIs have been revolutionised and allow the use of non or minimally invasive sampling techniques, some of which are self-collected by the patient, e.g. first-void urine, cervico-vaginal lavage, low vaginal swabs, and tampons. Most studies evaluating such self-sampling with molecular diagnostic techniques have demonstrated an equivalent or superior detection of STIs as compared to conventional sampling and detection methods. These sampling methods can also be used to determine prevalence of STIs in various populations, but particularly those with difficult access to medical care. In this article, the utility of self-sampling collection devices for detection of various STIs, particularly in women, is reviewed as one step towards formulating appropriate strategies in control of STIs, and which are especially suited for remote areas.

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