scholarly journals Adaptable Automated Interpretation of Rapid Diagnostic Tests Using Few-Shot Learning

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siddarth Arumugam ◽  
Jiawei Ma ◽  
Uzay Macar ◽  
Guangxing Han ◽  
Kathrine K McAulay ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Point Of Care ◽  
Linkage To Care ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Disease Status ◽  
Past Infection ◽  
Effective Manner ◽  
Lateral Flow Assays ◽  
Automated Interpretation ◽  
And Robotics ◽  
Automate Interpretation

Point-of-care lateral flow assays (LFAs) are becomingly increasingly prevalent for diagnosing individual patient disease status and surveying population disease prevalence in a timely, scalable, and cost-effective manner, but a central challenge is to assure correct assay operation and results interpretation as the assays are manually performed in decentralized settings. A smartphone-based software can automate interpretation of an LFA kit, but such algorithms typically require a very large number of images of assays tested with validated specimens, which is challenging to collect for different assay kits, especially for those released during a pandemic. Here, we present an approach - AutoAdapt LFA - that uses few-shot learning, an approach used in other applications such as computer vision and robotics, for accurate and automated interpretation of LFA kits that requires a small number of validated images for training. The approach consists of three components: extraction of membrane and zone areas from an image of the LFA kit, a self-supervised encoder that employs a feature extractor trained with edge-filtered patterns, and few-shot adaptation that enables generalization to new kits using limited validated images. From a base model pre-trained on a commercial LFA kit, we demonstrated the ability of adapted models to interpret results from five new COVID-19 LFA kits (three detecting antigens for diagnosing active infection, and two detecting antibodies for diagnosing past infection). Specifically, using just 10 to 20 images of each new kit, we achieved accuracies of 99% to 100% for each kit. The server-hosted algorithm has an execution time of approximately 4 seconds, which can potentially enable quality assurance and linkage to care for users operating new LFAs in decentralized settings.

scholarly journals Pre-vaccination testing could expand coverage of two-dose COVID vaccines

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 105
Author(s):  
Carl A. B. Pearson ◽  
Sam Clifford ◽  
Juliet R. C. Pulliam ◽  
Rosalind M. Eggo
Keyword(s):  
Vaccine Coverage ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Vaccine Dose ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Antibody Testing ◽  
Past Infection ◽  
Effective Manner ◽  
Highly Sensitive ◽  
Prior Infection ◽  
Antibody Tests

Recent evidence indicates that a single dose of mRNA-based vaccines produce similar immune responses in people with evidence of past infection compared with two doses in immunologically naive individuals. For COVID-19 vaccines with two dose regimens, point-of-care antibody testing for prior infection when administering the first dose could enable expanded vaccine access in a cost-effective manner. Generally, antibody tests with sensitivity and specificity well below that typically accepted for product licensure would still enable expanded vaccine coverage, though to be cost-beneficial total test cost (i.e. procurement and administration) needs to be less than roughly a third of total vaccine dose cost. For highly sensitive (90%) and specific (99%) tests, coverage could be expanded by more than 33%. Tests with the appropriate performance characteristics are plausible, though likely need setting specific tailoring.

scholarly journals Towards Point-of-Care Heart Failure Diagnostic Platforms: BNP and NT-proBNP Biosensors

Sensors ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (22) ◽  
pp. 5003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hussein Alawieh ◽  
Trishia El Chemaly ◽  
Samir Alam ◽  
Massoud Khraiche
Keyword(s):  
Heart Failure ◽  
Performance Metrics ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Diagnostic Techniques ◽  
Diagnostic Methods ◽  
Cardiac Biomarkers ◽  
Healthcare Sector ◽  
Effective Manner ◽  
Potential Integration

Heart failure is a class of cardiovascular diseases that remains the number one cause of death worldwide with a substantial economic burden of around $18 billion incurred by the healthcare sector in 2017 due to heart failure hospitalization and disease management. Although several laboratory tests have been used for early detection of heart failure, these traditional diagnostic methods still fail to effectively guide clinical decisions, prognosis, and therapy in a timely and cost-effective manner. Recent advances in the design and development of biosensors coupled with the discovery of new clinically relevant cardiac biomarkers are paving the way for breakthroughs in heart failure management. Natriuretic neurohormone peptides, B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal prohormone of BNP (NT-proBNP), are among the most promising biomarkers for clinical use. Remarkably, they result in an increased diagnostic accuracy of around 80% owing to the strong correlation between their circulating concentrations and different heart failure events. The latter has encouraged research towards developing and optimizing BNP biosensors for rapid and highly sensitive detection in the scope of point-of-care testing. This review sheds light on the advances in BNP and NT-proBNP sensing technologies for point-of-care (POC) applications and highlights the challenges of potential integration of these technologies in the clinic. Optical and electrochemical immunosensors are currently used for BNP sensing. The performance metrics of these biosensors—expressed in terms of sensitivity, selectivity, reproducibility, and other criteria—are compared to those of traditional diagnostic techniques, and the clinical applicability of these biosensors is assessed for their potential integration in point-of-care diagnostic platforms.

scholarly journals State-of-the-Art Extraction Methodologies for Bioactive Compounds from Algal Biome to Meet Bio-Economy Challenges and Opportunities

Molecules ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (11) ◽  
pp. 2953 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Eduardo Sosa-Hernández ◽  
Zamantha Escobedo-Avellaneda ◽  
Hafiz M. N. Iqbal ◽  
Jorge Welti-Chanes
Keyword(s):  
Bioactive Compounds ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Extraction Methods ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Bioactive Constituents ◽  
Assisted Extraction ◽  
Effective Manner ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities

Over the years, significant research efforts have been made to extract bioactive compounds by applying different methodologies for various applications. For instance, the use of bioactive compounds in several commercial sectors such as biomedical, pharmaceutical, cosmeceutical, nutraceutical and chemical industries, has promoted the need of the most suitable and standardized methods to extract these bioactive constituents in a sophisticated and cost-effective manner. In practice, several conventional extraction methods have numerous limitations, e.g., lower efficacy, high energy cost, low yield, etc., thus urges for new state-of-the-art extraction methodologies. Thus, the optimization along with the integration of efficient pretreatment strategies followed by traditional extraction and purification processes, have been the primary goal of current research and development studies. Among different sources, algal biome has been found as a promising and feasible source to extract a broader spectrum of bioactive compounds with point-of-care application potentialities. As evident from the literature, algal bio-products includes biofuels, lipids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, pigments, enzymes, polysaccharides, and proteins. The recovery of products from algal biomass is a matter of constant development and progress. This review covers recent advancements in the extraction methodologies such as enzyme-assisted extraction (EAE), supercritical-fluid extraction (SFE), microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and pressurized-liquid extraction (PLF) along with their working mechanism for extracting bioactive compounds from algal-based sources to meet bio-economy challenges and opportunities. A particular focus has been given to design characteristics, performance evaluation, and point-of-care applications of different bioactive compounds of microalgae. The previous and recent studies on the anticancer, antibacterial, and antiviral potentialities of algal-based bioactive compounds have also been discussed with particular reference to the mechanism underlying the effects of these active constituents with the related pathways. Towards the end, the information is also given on the possible research gaps, future perspectives and concluding remarks.

scholarly journals Point-of-Care/Chairside aMMP-8 Analytics of Periodontal Diseases’ Activity and Episodic Progression

Diagnostics ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ismo Räisänen ◽  
Anna Heikkinen ◽  
Eva Siren ◽  
Taina Tervahartiala ◽  
Dirk-Rolf Gieselmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Point Of Care ◽  
Periodontal Diseases ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Disease Status ◽  
Tissue Destruction ◽  
Treatment Needs ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Treatment Need ◽  
Periodontal Index ◽  
Test Result

Traditional periodontal disease diagnostics are based mainly on clinical examination and radiographs. They assess only past tissue destruction and provide no information on the current disease status or its future progression. The objective is to find out if an active matrix metalloproteinase-8 (aMMP-8) point-of-care (PoC) test could provide a cost-effective way to get around this limitation. This cross-sectional study used 47 adolescents and 70 adults, who were clinically examined and their aMMP-8 PoC tested. The aMMP-8 PoC test results and patients’ treatment need, based on the community periodontal index of treatment needs (CPITN), were compared and analyzed using Fisher’s exact test. In terms of CPITN, the aMMP-8 PoC test gave no false positives for both adolescents and adults. All healthy patients got a negative test result, while a positive test result indicated periodontal treatment need correctly. Finally, there was a significant association between a patient’s aMMP-8 PoC test result and his/her treatment need (p = 0.001 for adolescents, p = 0.001 for adults). In conclusion, more accurate diagnostics of periodontal diseases’ activity and progression using an aMMP-8 PoC test may help to reduce oral health care costs by reducing patient overtreatment, improving patient outcome, and reducing the need for complex periodontal therapy.

Nosocomial Urinary Tract Infection: A Prospective Evaluation of 108 Catheterized Patients

1981 ◽  
Vol 2 (5) ◽  
pp. 380-386 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan I. Hartstein ◽  
Susan B. Garber ◽  
Thomas T. Ward ◽  
Stephen R. Jones ◽  
Virginia H. Morthland
Keyword(s):  
Urinary Tract Infection ◽  
Urinary Tract ◽  
Tract Infection ◽  
Urinary Tract Infections ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Disease Status ◽  
Nosocomial Urinary Tract Infection ◽  
Effective Manner ◽  
Tract Infections ◽  
Major Emphasis

AbstractThis study describes the evaluation of 108 patients who had indwelling urethral catheters for acute medical and surgical indications. Patients were evaluated daily, and cultures from bladders and drainage bags were obtained. Appropriateness for continuing catheterization was assessed using preset criteria. Twenty-five patients developed urinary tract infections. Exposure to antibiotics and a shorter duration of catheterization were the only factors that correlated significantly with a delayed onset or decreased prevalence of infection. Factors found to have insignificant effects included age, sex, maintenance of the closed system, underlying host disease status, catheter type, and reason for catheterization. No collection systems with one way valves were used, but significant colony counts in drainage bag urine preceded urinary tract infection in only two patients. Thirty-six percent of the total 562 catheter days were judged unnecessary. A major emphasis must be placed on prompt catheter removal if the prevalence of nosocomial urinary tract infections is to be reduced substantially in a cost-effective manner [Infect Control 1981; 2(5):380-386.]

scholarly journals Development of nucleic acid aptamer-based lateral flow assays: A robust platform for cost-effective point-of-care diagnosis

Theranostics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 5174-5196
Author(s):  
Tao Wang ◽  
Lanmei Chen ◽  
Arpitha Chikkanna ◽  
Suxiang Chen ◽  
Isabell Brusius ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nucleic Acid ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Lateral Flow ◽  
Lateral Flow Assays

Strategic planning in grassland farming: Principles andapplications

1997 ◽  
pp. 191-197
Author(s):  
W.J. Parker ◽  
N.M. Shadbolt ◽  
D.I. Gray
Keyword(s):  
Strategic Planning ◽  
Performance Indicators ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Key Performance Indicators ◽  
Strategic Plans ◽  
Effective Manner ◽  
Farm Business ◽  
Pastoral Farming ◽  
Financial Environment

Three levels of planning can be distinguished in grassland farming: strategic, tactical and operational. The purpose of strategic planning is to achieve a sustainable long-term fit of the farm business with its physical, social and financial environment. In pastoral farming, this essentially means developing plans that maximise and best match pasture growth with animal demand, while generating sufficient income to maintain or enhance farm resources and improvements, and attain personal and financial goals. Strategic plans relate to the whole farm business and are focused on the means to achieve future needs. They should be routinely (at least annually) reviewed and monitored for effectiveness through key performance indicators (e.g., Economic Farm Surplus) that enable progress toward goals to be measured in a timely and cost-effective manner. Failure to link strategy with control is likely to result in unfulfilled plans. Keywords: management, performance

Gold-Aptamer-Nanoconstructs Engineered to Detect Conserved Enteroviral Nucleic Acid Sequences

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Veeren Chauhan ◽  
Mohamed M Elsutohy ◽  
C Patrick McClure ◽  
Will Irving ◽  
Neil Roddis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nucleic Acid ◽  
In Silico ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Lateral Flow ◽  
Nucleic Acid Sequence ◽  
In Silico Screening ◽  
Lateral Flow Assays ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Software And Hardware ◽  
Nucleic Acid Sequences

<p>Enteroviruses are a ubiquitous mammalian pathogen that can produce mild to life-threatening disease. Bearing this in mind, we have developed a rapid, accurate and economical point-of-care biosensor that can detect a nucleic acid sequences conserved amongst 96% of all known enteroviruses. The biosensor harnesses the physicochemical properties of gold nanoparticles and aptamers to provide colourimetric, spectroscopic and lateral flow-based identification of an exclusive enteroviral RNA sequence (23 bases), which was identified through in silico screening. Aptamers were designed to demonstrate specific complementarity towards the target enteroviral RNA to produce aggregated gold-aptamer nanoconstructs. Conserved target enteroviral nucleic acid sequence (≥ 1x10<sup>-7</sup> M, ≥1.4×10<sup>-14</sup> g/mL), initiates gold-aptamer-nanoconstructs disaggregation and a signal transduction mechanism, producing a colourimetric and spectroscopic blueshift (544 nm (purple) > 524 nm (red)). Furthermore, lateral-flow-assays that utilise gold-aptamer-nanoconstructs were unaffected by contaminating human genomic DNA, demonstrated rapid detection of conserved target enteroviral nucleic acid sequence (< 60 s) and could be interpreted with a bespoke software and hardware electronic interface. We anticipate our methodology will translate in-silico screening of nucleic acid databases to a tangible enteroviral desktop detector, which could be readily translated to related organisms. This will pave-the-way forward in the clinical evaluation of disease and complement existing strategies at overcoming antimicrobial resistance.</p>

scholarly journals Novel Regeneration Approach for Creating Reusable FO-SPR Probes with NTA Surface Chemistry

Nanomaterials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 186
Author(s):  
Jia-Huan Qu ◽  
Karen Leirs ◽  
Remei Escudero ◽  
Žiga Strmšek ◽  
Roman Jerala ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surface Chemistry ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Nitrilotriacetic Acid ◽  
Antibody Fragments ◽  
Rapid Screening ◽  
Red Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Effective Manner ◽  
Surface Regeneration ◽  
Sensitivity Specificity

To date, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensors have been exploited in numerous different contexts while continuously pushing boundaries in terms of improved sensitivity, specificity, portability and reusability. The latter has attracted attention as a viable alternative to disposable biosensors, also offering prospects for rapid screening of biomolecules or biomolecular interactions. In this context here, we developed an approach to successfully regenerate a fiber-optic (FO)-SPR surface when utilizing cobalt (II)-nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) surface chemistry. To achieve this, we tested multiple regeneration conditions that can disrupt the NTA chelate on a surface fully saturated with His6-tagged antibody fragments (scFv-33H1F7) over ten regeneration cycles. The best surface regeneration was obtained when combining 100 mM EDTA, 500 mM imidazole and 0.5% SDS at pH 8.0 for 1 min with shaking at 150 rpm followed by washing with 0.5 M NaOH for 3 min. The true versatility of the established approach was proven by regenerating the NTA surface for ten cycles with three other model system bioreceptors, different in their size and structure: His6-tagged SARS-CoV-2 spike fragment (receptor binding domain, RBD), a red fluorescent protein (RFP) and protein origami carrying 4 RFPs (Tet12SN-RRRR). Enabling the removal of His6-tagged bioreceptors from NTA surfaces in a fast and cost-effective manner can have broad applications, spanning from the development of biosensors and various biopharmaceutical analyses to the synthesis of novel biomaterials.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document