Automation and data processing with the immucor Galileo (R) system in a university blood bank

Background: The implementation of automated techniques improves the workflow and quality of immuno-hematological results. The workflows of our university blood bank were reviewed during the implementation of an automated immunohematological testing system. Methods: Work impact of blood grouping and subgrouping, cross- matching and antibody search using the Immucor Galileo system was compared to the previous used standard manual and semi- automated methods. Results: The redesign of our workflow did not achieve a significant reduction of the specimen's working process time, the operator's time however was reduced by 23%. Corresponding results were achieved for blood grouping, Rhesus typing, antibody screen and for autocontrol when changing from two semi- automated to the Galileo system. Because of the higher sensitivity of the Immucor antibody detection system, the rate of the initial positive antibody screens rose from 4 to 6% Conclusion: The Immucor Galileo system automates routine blood bank testing with high reliability, specificity and higher sensitivity compared to our previous used standard manual and semi- automated methods

Reliable and accurate diagnostics from highly multiplexed sequencing assays

Scalable, inexpensive, and secure testing for SARS-CoV-2 infection is crucial for control of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Recently developed highly multiplexed sequencing assays (HMSAs) that rely on high-throughput sequencing can, in principle, meet these demands, and present promising alternatives to currently used RT-qPCR-based tests. However, reliable analysis, interpretation, and clinical use of HMSAs requires overcoming several computational, statistical and engineering challenges. Using recently acquired experimental data, we present and validate a computational workflow based on kallisto and bustools, that utilizes robust statistical methods and fast, memory efficient algorithms, to quickly, accurately and reliably process high-throughput sequencing data. We show that our workflow is effective at processing data from all recently proposed SARS-CoV-2 sequencing based diagnostic tests, and is generally applicable to any diagnostic HMSA

Creating a Testing Framework and Workflow for Developers New to Web Application Engineering

Web applications are quickly replacing standalone applications for everyday tasks. These web applications need to be tested to ensure proper functionality and reliability. There have been substantial efforts to create tools that assist with the testing of web applications, but there is no standard set of tools or a recommended workflow to ensure speed of development and strength of application. We have used and outlined the merits of a number of existing testing tools and brought together the best among them to create what we believe is a fully- featured, easy to use, testing framework and workflow for web application devel- opment. We then took an existing web application, PolyXpress, and augmented its development process to include our workflow suggestions in order to incorporate testing at all levels. PolyXpress is a web application that “allows you to create location-based stories, build eTours, or create restaurant guides. It is the tool that will bring people to locations in order to entertain, educate, or provide amazing deals.”[10] After incorporating our testing procedures, we immediately detected previously unknown bugs in the software. In addition, there is now a workflow in place for future developers to use which will expedite their testing and development

A Micro-Costing Framework for Circulating Tumor DNA Testing in Dutch Clinical Practice

Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is a promising new biomarker with multiple potential applications in cancer care. Estimating total cost of ctDNA testing is necessary for reimbursement and implementation, but challenging because of variations in workflow. We aimed to develop a micro-costing framework for consistent cost calculation of ctDNA testing. First, the foundation of the framework was built, based on the complete step-wise diagnostic workflow of ctDNA testing. Second, the costing method was set up, including costs for personnel, materials, equipment, overhead, and failures. Third, the framework was evaluated by experts and applied to six case studies, including PCR-, mass spectrometry–, and next-generation sequencing–based platforms, from three Dutch hospitals. The developed ctDNA micro-costing framework includes the diagnostic workflow from blood sample collection to diagnostic test result. The framework was developed from a Dutch perspective and takes testing volume into account. An open access tool is provided to allow for laboratory-specific calculations to explore the total costs of ctDNA testing specific workflow parameters matching the setting of interest. It also allows to straightforwardly assess the impact of alternative prices or assumptions on the cost per sample by simply varying the input parameters. The case studies showed a wide range of costs, from €168 to €7638 ($199 to$9124) per sample, and generated information. These costs are sensitive to the (coverage of) platform, setting, and testing volume

Functional Testing Using Object WorkFlow Nets

The main purpose of this paper is to present a new formal definition that can be used for modeling functional test. Initially, WorkFlow nets are used to represent the main functional requirement of the software. Next, Object WorkFlow nets derived from WorkFlow nets and object Petri nets are used to formally specify the test models of object oriented software functionalities to be used. In particular, the proposed models allow for the addition of complex data structure specifications as well as complex control specifications. The dynamic execution of functional testing models, when considering a specific software architecture, is given by the instantiation of a testing class associated with the tested functionality. An example of execution of functional testing corresponding to the "Withdrawal Operation" of a bank ATM machine is presented, as well as a comparative study based on a more traditional UML modeling approach

Extending the Unified Process with Model-Based Testing

International audienceThe Unified Process (UP) is a software development tech- nique that includes modeling of specifications and testing workflow. This workflow is achieved by information interpretation of specification to pro- duce manual tests. In this paper, we extend the UP with model-based testing (MBT) where models resulting of the UP will be used for MBT. We describe how model-based testing introduces new test design activi- ties in parallel with the application design activities. We give guidelines to derive the test model from the analysis model produced by the UP. We illustrate this tailored process with the example of a Geneva State taxation