A fully automated system using a microcomputer for the hypertensive activity assays of drugs in the anesthetized rat

ABSTRACTA study comparing the ICT (immunochromatography technology)ToxoplasmaIgG and IgM rapid diagnostic test (LDBio Diagnostics, France) with a fully automated system, Architect, was performed on samples from university hospitals of Marseille and Saint-Etienne. A total of 767 prospective sera and 235 selected sera were collected. The panels were selected to test various IgG and IgM parameters. The reference technique,ToxoplasmaIgGII Western blot analysis (LDBio Diagnostics), was used to confirm the IgG results, and commercial kits Platelia Toxo IgM (Bio-Rad) and Toxo-ISAgA (bioMérieux) were used in Saint-Etienne and Marseille, respectively, as the IgM reference techniques. Sensitivity and specificity of the ICT and the Architect IgG assays were compared using a prospective panel. Sensitivity was 100% for the ICT test and 92.1% for Architect (cutoff at 1.6 IU/ml). The low-IgG-titer serum results confirmed that ICT sensitivity was superior to that of Architect. Specificity was 98.7% (ICT) and 99.8% (Architect IgG). The ICT test is also useful for detecting IgM without IgG and is both sensitive (100%) and specific (100%), as it can distinguish nonspecific IgM from specificToxoplasmaIgM. In comparison, IgM sensitivity and specificity on Architect are 96.1% and 99.6%, respectively (cutoff at 0.5 arbitrary units [AU]/ml). To conclude, this new test overcomes the limitations of automated screening techniques, which are not sensitive enough for IgG and lack specificity for IgM (rare IgM false-positive cases).

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Fully automated cognitive screening tool based on assessment of speech and language

Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry ◽

10.1136/jnnp-2019-322517 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 92 (1) ◽

pp. 12-15

Author(s):

Ronan Peter Daniel O'Malley ◽

Bahman Mirheidari ◽

Kirsty Harkness ◽

Markus Reuber ◽

Annalena Venneri ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Disorders ◽

Cognitive Disorder ◽

Current Data ◽

Automated System ◽

Cognitive Screening ◽

Machine Learning Classification ◽

Speaker Segmentation ◽

Memory Clinics ◽

Memory Concerns ◽

Fully Automated System

IntroductionRecent years have seen an almost sevenfold rise in referrals to specialist memory clinics. This has been associated with an increased proportion of patients referred with functional cognitive disorder (FCD), that is, non-progressive cognitive complaints. These patients are likely to benefit from a range of interventions (eg, psychotherapy) distinct from the requirements of patients with neurodegenerative cognitive disorders. We have developed a fully automated system, ‘CognoSpeak’, which enables risk stratification at the primary–secondary care interface and ongoing monitoring of patients with memory concerns.MethodsWe recruited 15 participants to each of four groups: Alzheimer’s disease (AD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), FCD and healthy controls. Participants responded to 12 questions posed by a computer-presented talking head. Automatic analysis of the audio and speech data involved speaker segmentation, automatic speech recognition and machine learning classification.ResultsCognoSpeak could distinguish between participants in the AD or MCI groups and those in the FCD or healthy control groups with a sensitivity of 86.7%. Patients with MCI were identified with a sensitivity of 80%.DiscussionOur fully automated system achieved levels of accuracy comparable to currently available, manually administered assessments. Greater accuracy should be achievable through further system training with a greater number of users, the inclusion of verbal fluency tasks and repeat assessments. The current data supports CognoSpeak’s promise as a screening and monitoring tool for patients with MCI. Pending confirmation of these findings, it may allow clinicians to offer patients at low risk of dementia earlier reassurance and relieve pressures on specialist memory services.

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GIDMP: Good protein-protein interaction data metamining practice

Cellular & Molecular Biology Letters ◽

10.2478/s11658-011-0004-1 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Dariusz Plewczynski ◽

Tomas Klingström

Keyword(s):

Statistical Data ◽

Contact Point ◽

Automated System ◽

Smooth Transition ◽

Protein Interaction Data ◽

Interaction Data ◽

End User ◽

Web Page ◽

Protein Protein Interaction ◽

Fully Automated System

AbstractStudying the interactome is one of the exciting frontiers of proteomics, as shown lately at the recent bioinformatics conferences (for example ISMB 2010, or ECCB 2010). Distribution of data is facilitated by a large number of databases. Metamining databases have been created in order to allow researchers access to several databases in one search, but there are serious difficulties for end users to evaluate the metamining effort. Therefore we suggest a new standard, “Good Interaction Data Metamining Practice” (GIDMP), which could be easily automated and requires only very minor inclusion of statistical data on each database homepage. Widespread adoption of the GIDMP standard would provide users with: a standardized way to evaluate the statistics provided by each metamining database, thus enhancing the end-user experiencea stable contact point for each database, allowing the smooth transition of statisticsa fully automated system, enhancing time- and cost-effectiveness.The proposed information can be presented as a few hidden lines of text on the source database www page, and a constantly updated table for a metamining database included in the source/credits web page.

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Fully automated system for the gas chromatographic characterization of polar biopolymers based on thermally assisted hydrolysis and methylation

Journal of Chromatography A ◽

10.1016/j.chroma.2008.05.047 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 1201 (2) ◽

pp. 169-175 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Erwin Kaal ◽

Sjaak de Koning ◽

Stella Brudin ◽

Hans-Gerd Janssen

Keyword(s):

Automated System ◽

Chromatographic Characterization ◽

Fully Automated System

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A Fully Automated System for the Preparation of Samples for Cryo-Electron Microscopy

ASME 2010 Dynamic Systems and Control Conference, Volume 1 ◽

10.1115/dscc2010-4272 ◽

2010 ◽

Author(s):

Zachary J. Thompson ◽

Kevin L. Johnson ◽

Nicolas Overby ◽

Jessica I. Chidi ◽

William K. Pryor ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Electron Microscopy ◽

Environmental Control ◽

Human Interaction ◽

Automated System ◽

Specimen Preparation ◽

Cryo Electron Microscopy ◽

Early Testing ◽

High Humidity Environment ◽

Fully Automated System

The preparation of specimens for cryo-electron microscopy is currently a labor and time intensive process, and the quality of resulting samples is highly dependent on both environmental and procedural factors. Specimens must be applied to sample grids in a high-humidity environment, frozen in liquid ethane, and stored in liquid nitrogen. The combination of cryogenic temperatures and humidity-control mandates the segregation of the humidity-controlled environment from the cryogenic environment. Several devices which automate portions of the specimen preparation process are currently in use; however, these systems still require significant human interaction in order to create viable samples. This paper describes a fully automated system for specimen preparation. The resulting system removes the need for human input during specimen preparation, improves process control, and provides similar levels of environmental control. Early testing shows that the resulting system is capable of manipulating samples in an autonomous manner while providing performance similar to existing systems.

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