Performance comparison of sampling designs for quality and safety control of raw materials in bulk: a simulation study based on NIR spectral data and geostatistical analysis

This study exploits the potential of near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy to deliver a measurement for each sampling point. Furthermore, it provides a protocol for the modelling of the spatial pattern of analytical constituents. On the basis of these two aspects, the methodology proposed in this work offers an opportunity to provide a real-time monitoring system to evaluate raw materials, easing and optimising the existing procedures for sampling and analysing products transported in bulk. In this paper, Processed Animal Proteins (PAPs) were selected as case study, and two types of quality/safety issues were tested in PAP lots —induced by moisture and cross-contamination. A simulation study, based on geostatistical analysis and the use of a set of sampling protocols, made a qualitative analysis possible to compare the representation of the spatial surfaces produced by each design. Moreover, the Root Mean Square Error of Prediction (RMSEP), calculated from the differences between the analytical values and the geostatistical predictions at unsampled locations, was used to measure the performance in each case. Results show the high sensitivity of the process to the sampling plan used — understood as the sampling design plus the sampling intensity. In general, a gradual decrease in the performance can be observed as the sampling intensity decreases, so that unlike for higher intensities, the too low ones resulted in oversmoothed surfaces which did not manage to represent the actual distribution. Overall, Stratified and Simple Random samplings achieved the best results in most cases. This indicated that an optimal balance between the design and the intensity of the sampling plan is imperative to perform this methodology

Multistage and adaptive sampling protocols combined with near-infrared spectral sensors for automated monitoring of raw materials in bulk

A near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy-based real-time monitoring system is proposed to sample and analyse agro-industrial raw materials transported in bulk in a single stage, easing and optimising the evaluation process of incoming lots at reception of agri-food plants. NIR analysis allows rapid and cost-effective analytical results to be obtained, and hence to rethink current sampling protocols. For this purpose, multistage and adaptive sampling designs were tested in this paper, which have been reported (in soil science and ecology) to be more flexible and efficient than conventional strategies to study patterns of clustering or patchiness, which can be the result of natural phenomena. The additional spatial information provided by NIR has also been exploited, using geostatistical analysis to model the spatial pattern of key analytical constituents in Processed Animal Proteins (PAPs). This study addresses the assessment of two kinds of quality/safety issues in PAP lots – moisture accumulation and cross-contamination. After a simulation study, qualitative and quantitative analyses were carried out to make a performance comparison between sampling designs. Results show that sampling densities below 10–15% demonstrated higher estimation errors, failing to represent the actual spatial patterns, while a stratified adaptive cluster sampling design achieved the best performance

Near-infrared spectroscopy and geostatistical analysis for modeling spatial distribution of analytical constituents in bulk animal by-product protein meals

Control and inspection operations within the context of safety and quality assessment of bulk foods and feeds are not only of particular importance, they are also demanding challenges, given the complexity of food/feed production systems and the variability of product properties. Existing methodologies have a variety of limitations, such as high costs of implementation per sample or shortcomings in early detection of potential threats for human/animal health or quality deviations. Therefore, new proposals are required for the analysis of raw materials in situ in a more efficient and cost-effective manner. For this purpose, a pilot laboratory study was performed on a set of bulk lots of animal by-product protein meals to introduce and test an approach based on near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and geostatistical analysis. Spectral data, provided by a fiber optic probe connected to a Fourier transform (FT) NIR spectrometer, were used to predict moisture and crude protein content at each sampling point. Variographic analysis was carried out for spatial structure characterization, while ordinary Kriging achieved continuous maps for those parameters. The results indicated that the methodology could be a first approximation to an approach that, properly complemented with the Theory of Sampling and supported by experimental validation in real-life conditions, would enhance efficiency and the decision-making process regarding safety and adulteration issues

Long-term outcome among men with conservatively treated localised prostate cancer

Optimal management of clinically localised prostate cancer presents unique challenges, because of its highly variable and often indolent natural history. There is an urgent need to predict more accurately its natural history, in order to avoid unnecessary treatment. Medical records of men diagnosed with clinically localised prostate cancer, in the UK, between 1990 and 1996 were reviewed to identify those who were conservatively treated, under age 76 years at the time of pathological diagnosis and had a baseline prostate-specific antigen (PSA) measurement. Diagnostic biopsy specimens were centrally reviewed to assign primary and secondary Gleason grades. The primary end point was death from prostate cancer and multivariate models were constructed to determine its best predictors. A total of 2333 eligible patients were identified. The most important prognostic factors were Gleason score and baseline PSA level. These factors were largely independent and together, contributed substantially more predictive power than either one alone. Clinical stage and extent of disease determined, either from needle biopsy or transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) chips, provided some additional prognostic information. In conclusion, a model using Gleason score and PSA level identified three subgroups comprising 17, 50, and 33% of the cohort with a 10-year prostate cancer specific mortality of <10, 10–30, and >30%, respectively. This classification is a substantial improvement on previous ones using only Gleason score, but better markers are needed to predict survival more accurately in the intermediate group of patients

Quality of life after carotid endarterectomy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Most studies documenting beneficial outcomes after carotid endarterectomy (CE) are limited to mortality and morbidity rates, costs, and length of hospital stay (LOS). Few have examined the dependency of patients and how they perceive their own health changes after surgery. The aim of the present study was to evaluate quality of life and independence in activities of daily living (ADL) and to study its determinants.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Sixty-three patients admitted in the Post Anaesthesia Care Unit (PACU) after CE were eligible for this 14-month follow-up study. Patients were contacted 6 months after discharge to complete a Short Form-36 questionnaire (SF-36) and to have their dependency in ADL evaluated.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Among 59 hospital survivors at 6 months follow-up, 43 completed the questionnaires. Sixty-three percent reported that their general level of health was better on the day they answered the questionnaire than 12 months earlier. Patients had worse SF-36 scores for all domains except bodily pain than a general urban population, and comparison with a group of patients 6 months after surgical ICU discharge showed no differences. Six months after PACU discharge, the Lawton Instrumental Activities of ADL Scale and the Katz Index of ADL demonstrated higher dependency scores (5.9 ± 2.2 versus 4.3 ± 2.4 and 0.3 ± 0.8 versus 0.6 ± 0.9, p < 0.001 and p = 0.047). Sixty-five percent and 33% were dependent in at least one activity in instrumental and personal ADL, respectively. Patients dependent in at least one ADL task had higher Revised Cardiac Risk Index (RCRI) scores (1.0 versus 1.5, p = 0.017). After controlling for multiple comparisons, no significant differences were found.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Patients undergoing CE have improved self-perception of quality of life despite being more dependent. Almost all their scores are worse than those in an urban population. We could identify no predictors of greater dependency in ADL tasks six months after PACU discharge.</p

The impact of viral mutations on recognition by SARS-CoV-2 specific T cells.

We identify amino acid variants within dominant SARS-CoV-2 T cell epitopes by interrogating global sequence data. Several variants within nucleocapsid and ORF3a epitopes have arisen independently in multiple lineages and result in loss of recognition by epitope-specific T cells assessed by IFN-γ and cytotoxic killing assays. Complete loss of T cell responsiveness was seen due to Q213K in the A∗01:01-restricted CD8+ ORF3a epitope FTSDYYQLY207-215; due to P13L, P13S, and P13T in the B∗27:05-restricted CD8+ nucleocapsid epitope QRNAPRITF9-17; and due to T362I and P365S in the A∗03:01/A∗11:01-restricted CD8+ nucleocapsid epitope KTFPPTEPK361-369. CD8+ T cell lines unable to recognize variant epitopes have diverse T cell receptor repertoires. These data demonstrate the potential for T cell evasion and highlight the need for ongoing surveillance for variants capable of escaping T cell as well as humoral immunity.This work is supported by the UK Medical Research Council (MRC); Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences(CAMS) Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences (CIFMS), China; National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, and UK Researchand Innovation (UKRI)/NIHR through the UK Coro-navirus Immunology Consortium (UK-CIC). Sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 samples and collation of data wasundertaken by the COG-UK CONSORTIUM. COG-UK is supported by funding from the Medical ResearchCouncil (MRC) part of UK Research & Innovation (UKRI),the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR),and Genome Research Limited, operating as the Wellcome Sanger Institute. T.I.d.S. is supported by a Well-come Trust Intermediate Clinical Fellowship (110058/Z/15/Z). L.T. is supported by the Wellcome Trust(grant number 205228/Z/16/Z) and by theUniversity of Liverpool Centre for Excellence in Infectious DiseaseResearch (CEIDR). S.D. is funded by an NIHR GlobalResearch Professorship (NIHR300791). L.T. and S.C.M.are also supported by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Medical Countermeasures Initiative contract75F40120C00085 and the National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit (HPRU) inEmerging and Zoonotic Infections (NIHR200907) at University of Liverpool inpartnership with Public HealthEngland (PHE), in collaboration with Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and the University of Oxford.L.T. is based at the University of Liverpool. M.D.P. is funded by the NIHR Sheffield Biomedical ResearchCentre (BRC – IS-BRC-1215-20017). ISARIC4C is supported by the MRC (grant no MC_PC_19059). J.C.K.is a Wellcome Investigator (WT204969/Z/16/Z) and supported by NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centreand CIFMS. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR or MRC

Classifying with confidence using Bayes rule and kernel density estimation

An example in which near infrared spectroscopic data are used to classify animal feed ingredients is used to make the case for the value of probabilistic approaches to classification problems. The accuracy of probabilities given by linear and quadratic discriminant analysis and by a more flexible kernel density approach are examined, and the effect on these probabilities of the use of different tuning criteria is explored. The example involves the classification of multiple particles in a sample, and detailed probability calculations bearing on the inference for both the sample and its parent population are presented

Structure in the Near Field of the Transverse Jet

Photographs of a jet issuing from a wall into a crossflow display the four types of vortical structures which exist in the near field: namely, the jet shear layer vortices, the nascent far field vortex pair, the near-wall horseshoe vortices, and a system of vortices in the wake of the jet. It is shown that the wake vorticity is not “shed” from the jet but is formed from vorticity which originated in the wall boundary layer. The sources of vorticity for the other types of structures are also briefly discussed