scholarly journals Diagnostic Techniques for COVID-19: A Mini-review of Early Diagnostic Methods

Author(s):  
Gao-Pan Dong ◽  
Xiu-Juan Guo ◽  
Ying-Ai Sun ◽  
Zheng Zhang ◽  
Lu-Pei Du ◽  
...  
2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 585-600
Author(s):  
V.A. Timchenko

Subject. This article deals with the issues of forensic diagnostics, which is an effective means of detecting, preventing and suppressing staff fraud. Objectives. The article aims to present an original approach to the development of methods of forensic diagnosis of staff fraud based on the modeling method. It is also intended to identify a structure of staff fraud patterns and justify the need to classify the staff fraud methods. Methods. For the study, I used the methods of comparative analysis, systematization, induction, and deduction. Results. The article defines approaches to the formation of diagnostic methods of staff fraud and presents typical inconsistencies that arise in economic information under the influence of fraudulent actions of staff. It describes some diagnostic techniques that can detect staff fraud elements that occur in certain ways of criminal activity. Conclusions and Relevance. The proposed original approach helps develop standard and specific methods for diagnosing staff fraud on a scientific basis. The provisions outlined in the article can serve as a basis for scholarly discussion, contribute to the effectiveness of research on counter-fraud in the field of personnel fraud, and can be applied to the practical activities of structural units and individuals whose task is to combat staff fraud in commercial organizations.


Author(s):  
Andrea Springer ◽  
Antje Glass ◽  
Julia Probst ◽  
Christina Strube

AbstractAround the world, human health and animal health are closely linked in terms of the One Health concept by ticks acting as vectors for zoonotic pathogens. Animals do not only maintain tick cycles but can either be clinically affected by the same tick-borne pathogens as humans and/or play a role as reservoirs or sentinel pathogen hosts. However, the relevance of different tick-borne diseases (TBDs) may vary in human vs. veterinary medicine, which is consequently reflected by the availability of human vs. veterinary diagnostic tests. Yet, as TBDs gain importance in both fields and rare zoonotic pathogens, such as Babesia spp., are increasingly identified as causes of human disease, a One Health approach regarding development of new diagnostic tools may lead to synergistic benefits. This review gives an overview on zoonotic protozoan, bacterial and viral tick-borne pathogens worldwide, discusses commonly used diagnostic techniques for TBDs, and compares commercial availability of diagnostic tests for humans vs. domestic animals, using Germany as an example, with the aim of highlighting existing gaps and opportunities for collaboration in a One Health framework.


2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-169
Author(s):  
V. A. Gordeeva ◽  
I. V. Kulik ◽  
E. A. Khromova ◽  
A. L. Rubezhov ◽  
M. V. Gordeeva

Relevance. The paper demonstrates the need to implement modern diagnostic techniques for diagnosis of precancerous and cancerous lesions at early or preclinical stages. Additional diagnostic methods are necessary, e.g. tissue autofluorescence, which allows revealing insidious pathological risk zones, particularly precancerous and cancerous lesions, to evaluate the condition of the oral tissues in patients with chronic oral mucosa disorders, especially caused by trauma. Purpose – to assess trauma-specific effectiveness of autofluorescence spectroscopy (AFS) in risk group patients with chronic trauma of the oral mucosa to reveal early malignization signs.Materials and methods. 25 subjects were selected for the study and divided into 2 groups: main group – 20 patients with different manifestations of chronic oral mucosa trauma; control group – 5 subjects without visible clinical manifestations and without oral trauma factors. Autofluorescence spectroscopy was performed in both groups using AFS-400 stomatoscope.Results. The received data demonstrated that the change in autofluorescence doesn’t allow drawing final conclusions on the presence or absence of chronic oral trauma malignization signs.Conclusion. AFS-400 stomatoscope may be effective in differentiating between healthy and damaged tissues, but there is no solid evidence that the change in fluorescence shade can help differentiate between various types of damaged tissues. Autofluorescence spectroscopy should be considered as an additional method for examination of patients with chronic oral mucosa trauma to reveal early malignization signs.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (7) ◽  
pp. 3315-3324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masoud Negahdary ◽  
Ali Moradi ◽  
Hossein Heli

Today, the late diagnosis of cancers is a big challenge, and using novel diagnostic techniques will provide essential, faster and more accurate treatments. Unfortunately, existing common and traditional diagnostic methods have not been helpful completely and most cancers are diagnosed too late. Recently, researchers have found new diagnostic methods against cancers by aptasensors; these sensory systems can detect involved biomarkers in various cancers so that the research in this field is continued strictly. Aptasensors can detect cancer markers in small quantities and high selectivity; moreover, other advantages of cancer aptasensors such as optimized time and cost saving can be considered. In addition, the aptasensors have been used in the diagnosis of the effective and related factors in cancer therapy follow-up. Here, the most researches about cancer aptasensors and other involved markers were collected, reviewed and described.  


2000 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 1131-1135 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. De Groote ◽  
R. Ducatelle ◽  
L. J. van Doorn ◽  
K. Tilmant ◽  
A. Verschuuren ◽  
...  

Recently, a new 16S ribosomal DNA-based PCR assay was developed for the specific detection of “Candidatus Helicobacter suis” (former “Gastrospirillum suis”) in porcine gastric samples. In the present study, this PCR assay was compared to three other invasive diagnostic methods (rapid urease test, immunohistochemistry, histologic analysis by Giemsa staining). Antral stomach samples from 200 slaughterhouse pigs from Belgium and The Netherlands were examined. Bacterial presence was determined in 77% (154 of 200) of the samples by PCR in combination with Southern blot hybridization, 56% (111 of 200) of the samples by immunohistochemistry, 61% (122 of 200) of the samples by urease testing (20 h postinoculation [p.i.]), 36% (71 of 200) of the samples by urease testing (3 h p.i.), and 33% (65 of 200) of the samples by Giemsa staining. The intrinsic specificity of the PCR assay was assessed by Southern blot analysis with an “Candidatus H. suis”-specific probe and sequencing of PCR products. Interassay sensitivity and specificity values were assessed for each test by pairwise comparisons between tests. Agreement between tests was evaluated by calculating Cohen's kappa coefficient. From that analysis, the PCR assay was considered the most reliable benchmark. Microscopic detection of immunohistochemically labeled or Giemsa-stained “Candidatus H. suis” cells in stomach sections proved to be highly specific (100%) but relatively insensitive (72 and 42%, respectively) compared to the PCR assay. A longer incubation time of the urease test improved its sensitivity considerably (74 versus 55%) but was accompanied by a loss of specificity (72 versus 93%). In conclusion, we found the “Candidatus H. suis”-specific PCR assay to be a sensitive and reliable diagnostic method for the detection of “Candidatus H. suis” in the stomachs of pigs and could prove to be a valuable tool for further epidemiological studies both for “Candidatus H. suis”- and for “Helicobacter heilmannii” type 1-related research.


2018 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 117863101879707 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benet B Dhas ◽  
Vijaya R Dirisala ◽  
B Vishnu Bhat

The high mortality rate of neonatal sepsis is directly connected with time-consuming diagnostic methods that have low sensitivity and specificity. The need of the hour is to develop novel diagnostic techniques that are rapid and more specific. In this study, we estimated the expression levels of circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) that are involved in regulating immune response genes and underlying inflammatory responses, which may be used for sepsis diagnosis. The total circulating miRNA was isolated and the candidate miRNAs (miR-132, miR-146a, miR-155, and miR-223) were quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction technique. Statistical analysis revealed that miR-132 ( P < .01) and miR-223 ( P < .05) were downregulated in septic newborns compared with healthy babies. The decrease in expression of miR-132 and miR-223 may be associated with increased expression of immune-related genes involved in TLR (Toll-like receptor) signaling pathway. Further case-control studies with large sample size are required to identify the potential of miRNAs in neonatal sepsis diagnosis.


Cancers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 2815
Author(s):  
Jacqueline A. Rehn ◽  
Matthew J. O'Connor ◽  
Deborah L. White ◽  
David T. Yeung

DUX4-rearrangement (DUX4r) is a recently discovered recurrent genomic lesion reported in 4–7% of childhood B cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (B-ALL) cases. This subtype has favourable outcomes, especially in children and adolescents treated with intensive chemotherapy. The fusion most commonly links the hypervariable IGH gene to DUX4 a gene located within the D4Z4 macrosatellite repeat on chromosome 4, with a homologous polymorphic repeat on chromosome 10. DUX4r is cryptic to most standard diagnostic techniques, and difficult to identify even with next generation sequencing assays. This review summarises the clinical features and molecular genetics of DUX4r B-ALL and proposes prospective new diagnostic methods.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalie V. S. Vinkeles Melchers ◽  
Luc E. Coffeng ◽  
Sake J. de Vlas ◽  
Wilma A. Stolk

Abstract Background Lymphatic filariasis (LF) infection is generally diagnosed through parasitological identification of microfilariae (mf) in the blood. Although historically the most commonly used technique for counting mf is the thick blood smear based on 20 µl blood (TBS20), various other techniques and blood volumes have been applied. It is therefore a challenge to compare mf prevalence estimates from different LF-survey data. Our objective was to standardise microfilaraemia (mf) prevalence estimates to TBS20 as the reference diagnostic technique. Methods We first performed a systematic review to identify studies reporting on comparative mf prevalence data as measured by more than one diagnostic test, including TBS20, on the same study population. Associations between mf prevalences based on different diagnostic techniques were quantified in terms of odds ratios (OR, with TBS20 blood as reference), using a meta-regression model. Results We identified 606 articles matching our search strategy and included 14 in our analyses. The OR of the mf prevalences as measured by the more sensitive counting chamber technique (≥ 50 µl blood) was 2.90 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.60–5.28). For membrane filtration (1 ml blood) the OR was 2.39 (95% CI: 1.62–3.53), Knott’s technique it was 1.54 (95% CI: 0.72–3.29), and for TBS in ≥ 40 µl blood it was 1.37 (95% CI: 0.81–2.30). Conclusions We provided transformation factors to standardise mf prevalence estimates as detected by different diagnostic techniques to mf prevalence estimates as measured by TBS20. This will facilitate the use and comparison of more datasets in meta-analyses and geographic mapping initiatives across countries and over time.


2002 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 114-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Cicalini ◽  
F. Palmieri ◽  
P. Noto ◽  
E. Boumis ◽  
N. Petrosillo

The use of central vascular catheters (CVC) is associated with a substantial number of complications, amongst which infections predominate. A diagnosis of CVC-related infection usually requires catheter removal for culture. Semiquantitative (roll-plate method) and quantitative methods (flush, vortex, centrifugation or sonication methods) are the most reliable diagnostic methodologies requiring catheter removal, because of their greater specificity. The roll-plate method is the simplest and most commonly used technique. This method only samples the external surface of the catheter, and is particularly indicated for recently inserted catheters in which extraluminal colonisation is the primary mechanism of infection. Luminal culture techniques, such as the quantitative methods, may be more relevant for catheters that have been in place for a long period of time. However, in up to 85% of removed CVC the culture is negative, and other diagnostic techniques that do not require catheter removal have been proposed, including paired quantitative blood cultures, endoluminal brushing, and differential time to positivity (DTP) of paired blood cultures. DTP, that compares the time to positivity for qualitative cultures of blood samples simultaneously drawn from the CVC and a peripheral vein, appears to be the most reliable in the routine clinical practice since many hospitals use automatic devices for qualitative blood culture positivity detection. More recently catheter-sparing direct diagnostic methods, which include Gram stain and acridin-orange leucocyte cytospin (AOLC) test, appeared to be especially useful because of the rapidity of results and the ability to distinguish different microorganisms, allowing early targeted antimicrobial therapy.


Author(s):  
Rafael Melillo LAURINO-NETO ◽  
Fernando HERBELLA ◽  
Francisco SCHLOTTMANN ◽  
Marco PATTI

ABSTRACT Introduction: The diagnosis of achalasia may be suggested by clinical features but a complete work-up is required not only to confirm the diagnosis but also to grade the disease by severity or clinical subtype. Objective: To review the current evaluation of esophageal achalasia and its correct comprehension. Method: The literature review was based on papers published on Medline/Pubmed, SciELO and Lilacs, crossing the following headings: “esophageal achalasia”; “deglutition disorders”; “diagnostic techniques”, “digestive system”; “endoscopy, digestive system”; “manometry”. Results: The diagnosis of achalasia is suggested by clinical features but is not sufficient to distinguish this from other esophageal disease. It must be confirmed by further diagnostic tests, such as esophagogastroduodenoscopy, barium swallow and manometry. Recent advances in diagnostic methods, including high resolution manometry might even help predicting outcome or selected more appropriate procedures to treat the disease. Conclusion: A detailed and systematic study of achalasia patients allows not only a correct diagnosis but also contributes to therapeutic decision making and prognosis.


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