scholarly journals Photoacoustic Laser System for Food Fraud Detection

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (12) ◽  
pp. 4178
Author(s):  
Luca Fiorani ◽  
Florinda Artuso ◽  
Isabella Giardina ◽  
Antonia Lai ◽  
Simone Mannori ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multivariate Data Analysis ◽  
Laser System ◽  
Fraud Detection ◽  
World Health ◽  
Rapid Screening ◽  
Co2 Lasers ◽  
Food Fraud ◽  
Quantum Cascade ◽  
User Friendly ◽  
Further Development

Economically motivated adulterations of food, in general, and spices, in particular, are an emerging threat to world health. Reliable techniques for the rapid screening of counterfeited ingredients in the supply chain need further development. Building on the experience gained with CO2 lasers, the Diagnostic and Metrology Laboratory of ENEA realized a compact and user-friendly photoacoustic laser system for food fraud detection, based on a quantum cascade laser. The sensor has been challenged with saffron adulteration. Multivariate data analysis tools indicated that the photoacoustic laser system was able to detect adulterants at mass ratios of 2% in less than two minutes.

scholarly journals IoT and Deep Learning Based Approach for Rapid Screening and Face Mask Detection for Infection Spread Control of COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 3495
Author(s):  
Shabir Hussain ◽  
Yang Yu ◽  
Muhammad Ayoub ◽  
Akmal Khan ◽  
Rukhshanda Rehman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Deep Learning ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Face Mask ◽  
World Health ◽  
Rapid Screening ◽  
Screening System ◽  
Source Of Infection ◽  
The Face ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Vaccine Distribution

The spread of COVID-19 has been taken on pandemic magnitudes and has already spread over 200 countries in a few months. In this time of emergency of COVID-19, especially when there is still a need to follow the precautions and developed vaccines are not available to all the developing countries in the first phase of vaccine distribution, the virus is spreading rapidly through direct and indirect contacts. The World Health Organization (WHO) provides the standard recommendations on preventing the spread of COVID-19 and the importance of face masks for protection from the virus. The excessive use of manual disinfection systems has also become a source of infection. That is why this research aims to design and develop a low-cost, rapid, scalable, and effective virus spread control and screening system to minimize the chances and risk of spread of COVID-19. We proposed an IoT-based Smart Screening and Disinfection Walkthrough Gate (SSDWG) for all public places entrance. The SSDWG is designed to do rapid screening, including temperature measuring using a contact-free sensor and storing the record of the suspected individual for further control and monitoring. Our proposed IoT-based screening system also implemented real-time deep learning models for face mask detection and classification. This module classified individuals who wear the face mask properly, improperly, and without a face mask using VGG-16, MobileNetV2, Inception v3, ResNet-50, and CNN using a transfer learning approach. We achieved the highest accuracy of 99.81% while using VGG-16 and the second highest accuracy of 99.6% using MobileNetV2 in the mask detection and classification module. We also implemented classification to classify the types of face masks worn by the individuals, either N-95 or surgical masks. We also compared the results of our proposed system with state-of-the-art methods, and we highly suggested that our system could be used to prevent the spread of local transmission and reduce the chances of human carriers of COVID-19.

scholarly journals Implementation of a national electronic reporting system in Lithuania

2009 ◽  
Vol 14 (13) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Domeika ◽  
G Kligys ◽  
O Ivanauskiene ◽  
J Mereckiene ◽  
V Bakasenas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reporting System ◽  
National Level ◽  
Communicable Diseases ◽  
World Health ◽  
Aggregated Data ◽  
Electronic Reporting ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
And Control ◽  
Further Development

Electronic reporting systems improve the quality and timeliness of the surveillance of communicable diseases. The aim of this paper is to present the process of the implementation and introduction of an electronic reporting system for the surveillance of communicable diseases in Lithuania. The project which started in 2002 was performed in collaboration between Lithuania and Sweden and was facilitated by the parallel process of adapting the surveillance system to European Union (EU) standards. The Lotus-based software, SmittAdm, was acquired from the Department of Communicable Diseases Control and Prevention of Stockholm County in Sweden and adopted for Lithuania, resulting in the Lithuanian software, ULISAS. A major advantage of this program for Lithuania was the possibility to work offline. The project was initiated in the two largest counties in Lithuania where ULISAS had been installed and put in use by January 2005. The introduction was gradual, the national level was connected to the system during late 2005, and all remaining counties were included during 2006 and 2007. The reporting system remains to be evaluated concerning timeliness and completeness of the surveillance. Further development is needed, for example the inclusion of all physicians and laboratories and an alert system for outbreaks. The introduction of this case-based, timely electronic reporting system in Lithuania allows better reporting of data to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) compared to the former reporting system with paper-based, aggregated data.

scholarly journals Point-of-Care Testing-the Key in the Battle against SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic

Micromachines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 1464
Author(s):  
Florina Silvia Iliescu ◽  
Ana Maria Ionescu ◽  
Larisa Gogianu ◽  
Monica Simion ◽  
Violeta Dediu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Decision Making ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Diagnostic Testing ◽  
Clinical Decision ◽  
Rapid Screening ◽  
Diagnostic Tools ◽  
Point Of Care Testing ◽  
Qrt Pcr ◽  
User Friendly

The deleterious effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic urged the development of diagnostic tools to manage the spread of disease. Currently, the “gold standard” involves the use of quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) for SARS-CoV-2 detection. Even though it is sensitive, specific and applicable for large batches of samples, qRT-PCR is labour-intensive, time-consuming, requires trained personnel and is not available in remote settings. This review summarizes and compares the available strategies for COVID-19: serological testing, Point-of-Care Testing, nanotechnology-based approaches and biosensors. Last but not least, we address the advantages and limitations of these methods as well as perspectives in COVID-19 diagnostics. The effort is constantly focused on understanding the quickly changing landscape of available diagnostic testing of COVID-19 at the clinical levels and introducing reliable and rapid screening point of care testing. The last approach is key to aid the clinical decision-making process for infection control, enhancing an appropriate treatment strategy and prompt isolation of asymptomatic/mild cases. As a viable alternative, Point-of-Care Testing (POCT) is typically low-cost and user-friendly, hence harbouring tremendous potential for rapid COVID-19 diagnosis.

scholarly journals Recent advances in user-friendly computational tools to engineer protein function

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Eduardo Sequeiros-Borja ◽  
Bartłomiej Surpeta ◽  
Jan Brezovsky
Keyword(s):  
Protein Engineering ◽  
Protein Design ◽  
Protein Function ◽  
Transport Processes ◽  
Allosteric Communication ◽  
Protein Nucleic Acid ◽  
Nucleic Acid Interactions ◽  
User Friendly ◽  
Ligand Transport ◽  
Further Development

Abstract Progress in technology and algorithms throughout the past decade has transformed the field of protein design and engineering. Computational approaches have become well-engrained in the processes of tailoring proteins for various biotechnological applications. Many tools and methods are developed and upgraded each year to satisfy the increasing demands and challenges of protein engineering. To help protein engineers and bioinformaticians navigate this emerging wave of dedicated software, we have critically evaluated recent additions to the toolbox regarding their application for semi-rational and rational protein engineering. These newly developed tools identify and prioritize hotspots and analyze the effects of mutations for a variety of properties, comprising ligand binding, protein–protein and protein–nucleic acid interactions, and electrostatic potential. We also discuss notable progress to target elusive protein dynamics and associated properties like ligand-transport processes and allosteric communication. Finally, we discuss several challenges these tools face and provide our perspectives on the further development of readily applicable methods to guide protein engineering efforts.

Rapid Screening of Pharmaceuticals by Thin-Layer Chromatography: Analysis of Essential Drugs by Visual Methods

1995 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allen S Kenyon ◽  
Paul E Flinn ◽  
Thomas P Layloff
Keyword(s):  
Thin Layer ◽  
Thin Layer Chromatography ◽  
The United States ◽  
World Health ◽  
Rapid Screening ◽  
Visual Methods ◽  
Screening Process ◽  
Standard Dosage ◽  
Essential Drugs ◽  
Layer Chromatography

Abstract A method for rapidly screening pharmaceuticals by thin-layer chromatography has been designed for use in areas with limited resources and by operators with limited training. An apparatus for performing the analysis in a plastic bag under equilibrium conditions was designed. Results can be reproduced by different operators and in different locations. The analysis can be performed without electricity or in a remote area, away from a laboratory. It is especially suited for field use in developing countries. The method is low cost, maintenance-free, fast, and reliable; it also uses limited volumes of solvents. The analyses can be performed without weighing if reference materials can be supplied in tablet form, provided the drug content is listed and only one unit is required for each analysis. All procedures were developed for the analysis of drugs from a partial list of essential drugs established by the World Health Organization. Three drugs were selected and prepared in the form of reference tablets. Comparisons with the analyses of the drugs in standard dosage forms were made by using reference tablets and primary USP standards. Comparable results were obtained, proving that the screening process can be conducted by using reference tablets and without weighing either the sample or the reference. The method has been successfully demonstrated and used in Swaziland, by high school teachers in the United States, and by personnel from the Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia. Personnel can be trained in a short time to perform screening analysis of drugs.

PP18 An Access Evidence IT Solution Within A Pharmaceutical Company

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (S1) ◽  
pp. 72-73
Author(s):  
Marlene Gyldmark ◽  
Rachel Rosenthal ◽  
Martin Granser ◽  
Jasmin Escher-Kirch
Keyword(s):  
Pharmaceutical Company ◽  
Market Access ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Core Model ◽  
Regional Market ◽  
External Stakeholders ◽  
User Friendly ◽  
Further Development ◽  
Fast Access ◽  
Major Pharmaceutical Company

Introduction:During 2014, Roche tested whether the EUnetHTA HTA Core Model© was a useful, exhaustive and relevant value framework to promote efficiencies in scoping, storing and sharing health technology assessment (HTA) evidence within a pharmaceutical company. The conclusion was positive and Roche decided to build a cloud based information technology (IT) platform to store all relevant HTA evidence to support global and regional market access activities, tagged with metadata according to the HTA Core Model©., The platform should be user-friendly and promote efficiencies and knowledge sharing across the organization. Eventually this platform may also be used by external stakeholders to access relevant HTA evidence.Methods:In order to better equip global functions, regions and affiliates in a major pharmaceutical company with user-friendly and fast access to product-relevant HTA and payer evidence as well as access evidence plans, an easy-to-use IT-based platform was needed. The platform, internally called #TAg, is a central repository of information to support market access activities and promote collaboration between Affiliate, Region and Global teams. The platform uses metadata to label all types of evidence and uses the HTA Core Model© domains to categorize the evidence.Results:The platform #TAg was developed throughout 2016/2017 and officially launched on 1 October 2017. Within the first 30 days, the platform has been readily accepted by affiliates, regions and global functions through significant use uptake as measured by user registration and download activities. In addition, #TAg was used successfully in a pilot project for a submission to an external HTA body.Conclusions:A complete knowledge management system for HTA evidence is important for driving efficiency in scoping, storing and disseminating access evidence information within a pharmaceutical company. #TAg has so far proved a good start on such a system with further development expected in the coming years.

EUHFORIA in the ESA Virtual Space Weather Modelling Centre

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefaan Poedts
Keyword(s):  
Space Weather ◽  
Radiation Belt ◽  
Flux Rope ◽  
Virtual Space ◽  
Prototype System ◽  
System A ◽  
First Results ◽  
Efficient Integration ◽  
User Friendly ◽  
Further Development

<p>The goal of the ESA project "Virtual Space Weather Modelling Centre - Part 3" (2019-2021) is to further develop the Virtual Space Weather Modelling Centre (VSWMC), building on the Part 2 prototype system and focusing on the interaction with the ESA SSA SWE system. A first, limited version went operational in May 2019 under the H-ESC umbrella on the ESA SSA SWE Portal. The objective and scopes of this new project include: the efficient integration of <strong>new models</strong> and <strong>new model couplings</strong>, including daily automated<strong> end-to-end (Sun to Earth) simulations, </strong>the further development and wider use of the <strong>coupling toolkit</strong>  and <strong>front-end GUI, </strong>making the <strong>operational system more robust and user-friendly.</strong> The VSWMC-Part 3 project started on 1 October 2019.</p><p>EUHFORIA (‘European heliospheric forecasting information asset’) is integrated in the VSWMC and will be upgraded with alternative coronal models (Multi-VP and Wind-Predict) and flux-rope CME models, and new couplings will be made available, e.g. to more advanced magnetospheric models and radiation belt models, geo-effects models, and even SEP models. The first results will be discussed and put into perspective.</p>

scholarly journals Sex hormones as an emerging weapon to combat COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 01-03
Author(s):  
Dattatreya Mukherjee
Keyword(s):  
Close Contact ◽  
Virus Detection ◽  
World Health ◽  
Rapid Screening ◽  
Global Level ◽  
Rna Detection ◽  
Highly Pathogenic ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Respiratory Droplets

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) started as an epidemic in Wuhan in 2019 and was declared pandemic by WHO in March 2020. The virus has been identified and named as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This novel coronavirus strain is the causative agent of COVID-19, and continues to rapidly spread worldwide. SARS-CoV-2 is a highly pathogenic and transmissible coronavirus that spreads through respiratory droplets and unprotected close contact. “COVID‑19 outbreak, which has caused >95 million confirmed infections and >2 million coronavirus related deaths, is one of the most disastrous worldwide crises in recent years. Several methods have been used to examine SARS-CoV-2 infections.” i.e. RT-qPCR for viral RNA detection, and rapid screening procedures for antibody or virus detection. COVID-19 shows an incubation period of 3–7 days globally. Approximately 80% of the cases remain mild or asymptomatic, 15% are severe and 5% infectious cases turn to critical, requiring ventilation [2]. Several clinical trials have been proposed for its treatment and management with supportive aim of mortality reduction [1]. By glancing a view on fig 1, it can be evidently seen that COVID-19 cases have started to rise significantly since last few months. Furthermore, as per World Health Organization (WHO), there have been 131,020,967 confirmed cases of COVID-19 at a global level recently.

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