Improving Quality in Noninvasive Testing by Certification and Accreditation

AbstractFood products suitable for Muslim consumers should be halal certified, particularly when their origins or production processes are doubtful. However, there is a multiplicity of halal standards. This situation may generate confusion, particularly for producers in Western countries who would like to certify their products in order to export them to Islamic countries. This study analyzed the reasons underlying the multiplicity of standards and reviewed the attempts of harmonization over time. Then, the case study of application to slaughterhouses was considered, by comparing four different halal standards (namely GSO 993:2015, OIC/SMIIC 1:2019, HAS 23103:2012, and MS 1500:2019) representative of different geographic areas. Animal stunning was critically examined, comparing tradition with modernity. The study evidenced that the basic requirements related to slaughtering are common to all the halal standards considered, but several differences occur in more specific details. Only a close collaboration between the authorities of all the countries involved in issuing halal certifications will lead to a homogeneous regulatory framework with unified certification and accreditation procedures, increasingly required in a globalized market.

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Evidence-Based Recommendations for Short- and Long-Term Management of Uninvestigated Dyspepsia in Primary Care: An Update of the Canadian Dyspepsia Working Group (CanDys) Clinical Management Tool

Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology ◽

10.1155/2005/674607 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 19 (5) ◽

pp. 285-303 ◽

Cited By ~ 51

Author(s):

Sander JO Veldhuyzen van Zanten ◽

Marc Bradette ◽

Naoki Chiba ◽

David Armstrong ◽

Alan Barkun ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Primary Care ◽

Proton Pump Inhibitor ◽

Proton Pump ◽

Clinical Management ◽

Management Tool ◽

Noninvasive Testing ◽

Ulcer Bleeding ◽

High Dose ◽

Inflammatory Drugs ◽

Anti Inflammatory

The present paper is an update to and extension of the previous systematic review on the primary care management of patients with uninvestigated dyspepsia (UD). The original publication of the clinical management tool focused on the initial four- to eight-week assessment of UD. This update is based on new data from systematic reviews and clinical trials relevant to UD. There is now direct clinical evidence supporting a test-and-treat approach in patients with nondominant heartburn dyspepsia symptoms, and head-to-head comparisons show that use of a proton pump inhibitor is superior to the use of H2-receptor antagonists (H2RAs) in the initial treatment of Helicobacter pylori-negative dyspepsia patients. Cisapride is no longer available as a treatment option and evidence for other prokinetic agents is lacking. In patients with long-standing heartburn-dominant (ie, gastroesophageal reflux disease) and nonheartburn-dominant dyspepsia, a once-in-a-lifetime endoscopy is recommended. Endoscopy should also be considered in patients with new-onset dyspepsia that develops after the age of 50 years. Conventional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, acetylsalicylic acid and cyclooxygenase-2-selective inhibitors can all cause dyspepsia. If their use cannot be discontinued, cotherapy with either a proton pump inhibitor, misoprostol or high-dose H2RAs is recommended, although the evidence is based on ulcer data and not dyspepsia data. In patients with nonheartburn-dominant dyspepsia, noninvasive testing for H pylori should be performed and treatment given if positive. When starting nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for a prolonged course, testing and treatment with H2RAs are advised if patients have a history of previous ulcers or ulcer bleeding.

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Current Advancements in Noninvasive Profiling of the Embryo Culture Media Secretome

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms22052513 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (5) ◽

pp. 2513

Author(s):

Raminta Zmuidinaite ◽

Fady I. Sharara ◽

Ray K. Iles

Keyword(s):

Dna Analysis ◽

Culture Media ◽

Noninvasive Testing ◽

Noninvasive Test ◽

Vitro Fertilization ◽

Global Trend ◽

Human Reproductive ◽

Microscopy Techniques ◽

Ploidy Status

There have been over 8 million babies born through in vitro fertilization (IVF) and this number continues to grow. There is a global trend to perform elective single embryo transfers, avoiding risks associated with multiple pregnancies. It is therefore important to understand where current research of noninvasive testing for embryos stands, and what are the most promising techniques currently used. Furthermore, it is important to identify the potential to translate research and development into clinically applicable methods that ultimately improve live birth and reduce time to pregnancy. The current focus in the field of human reproductive medicine is to develop a more rapid, quantitative, and noninvasive test. Some of the most promising fields of research for noninvasive assays comprise cell-free DNA analysis, microscopy techniques coupled with artificial intelligence (AI) and omics analysis of the spent blastocyst media. High-throughput proteomics and metabolomics technologies are valuable tools for noninvasive embryo analysis. The biggest advantages of such technology are that it can differentiate between the embryos that appear morphologically identical and has the potential to identify the ploidy status noninvasively prior to transfer in a fresh cycle or before vitrification for a later frozen embryo transfer.

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Abstract TP226: Vertebral Artery Dissection is More Common Than Carotid Artery Dissection and More Difficult to Detect on Non-invasive Imaging

Stroke ◽

10.1161/str.47.suppl_1.tp226 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 47 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Mohammad O Nakawah ◽

John Volpi

Keyword(s):

Tertiary Care ◽

Vertebral Artery Dissection ◽

Clinical Manifestations ◽

Carotid Artery Dissection ◽

Vascular Imaging ◽

Noninvasive Testing ◽

Artery Dissection ◽

Care Hospital ◽

Anterior Circulation ◽

Cerebral Angiogram

Background: Cervical artery dissections (CAD) are among the most common causes of stroke in young and middle-aged adults. In contrast to carotid dissections (CD) and anterior circulation ischemia, the clinical manifestations of vertebral dissections (VD) and posterior circulation ischemia are often nonspecific (e.g. dizziness and ataxia), and thus a high index of suspicion is necessary for diagnosis. Therefore, the reported incidence of VD in the medical literature is likely to be an underestimation. Methods: With IRB approval, we conducted a retrospective chart review study using the Neurology Database of Houston Methodist Neurological Institute to identify all patients diagnosed with CAD between August 2011 and March 2015. All patients presented with cerebral ischemia (TIA or stroke). The diagnosis of CAD was made by a stroke neurologist and was based on clinical presentation and appropriate vascular imaging studies. Patients with incidental CAD and those with questionable diagnosis of CAD clinically and radiographically were excluded. Over the studied period (32 months), a total of 677 TIA patients and 3230 stroke patients were admitted to our tertiary-care hospital. Results: Of 52 patients with CAD-related TIA or ischemic stroke, there were 34 patients (65.4%) with VD and 18 patients (34.6%) with CD. The average age of presentation is 47 years (range: 18 to 75 years) for VD patients and 51 years (range: 34 to 78 years) for CD patients. CAD was slightly more common in males, with 18 VD patients (52.9%) and 10 CD patients (55.5%) in our studied population were males. Out of 30 patients with VD who underwent both noninvasive vascular imaging (MRA or CTA) and cerebral angiogram, dissection was detected on noninvasive imaging in 10 patients (33.3%). On the other hand, out of 13 patients with CD who had both types of imaging modalities, dissection was detected on noninvasive testing in 8 patients (61.5%). Conclusions: VD was detected approximately twice as frequently as CD in our study. Both conditions are slightly more common in men with an average age of presentation is about 50 years. In addition, our data suggest that noninvasive testing is more likely to diagnose carotid dissection (in two-third of cases) than vertebral dissection (in one-third of cases).

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