Standardization of BSE rapid test performances and experiences gathered during the implementation of large-scale testing

The accumulation of pathological prion protein is used as a diagnostic marker for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. According to European Union (EU) regulations cattle older than 30 months of age (Germany, France, Italy, and Spain by national law >24 months) and slaughtered for human consumption must be tested by using rapid tests for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). Likewise fallen stock and clinically affected animals must be tested. This article gives a short overview of the incidence of BSE in Europe. The diagnostic hierarchy, i.e., the officially approved methodology for the confirmation of suspect rapid test cases, and the organization of the numerous laboratories involved in this large-scale testing for BSE are described. Special emphasis is given to necessary quality control measures currently in place for BSE rapid testing laboratories and to measures intended to assure a consistent performance of the commercially available rapid test kits.Presented at BERM-9—Ninth International Symposium on Biological and Environmental Reference Materials, 15–19 June 2003, Berlin, Germany.     

On practical metrology and chemical analysis: etalons and traceability systems

 National measurement systems are infrastructures to ensure, for each nation, a consistent and internationally recognised basis for measurement. Such complex systems have historical, technical, legal, organisational and institutional aspects to connect scientific metrology with practical measurements. Underlying any valid measurement is a chain of comparisons linking the measurement to an accepted standard. The ways the links are forged and the etalons (measurement standards) to which they connect are defining characteristics of all measurement systems. This is often referred to as traceability which aims at basing measurements in common measurement units – a key issue for the integration of quantitative chemical analysis with the evolving physical and engineering measurement systems. Adequate traceability and metrological control make possible new technical capabilities and new levels of quality assurance and confidence by users in the accuracy and integrity of quantitative analytical results. Traceability for chemical measurements is difficult to achieve and harder to demonstrate. The supply of appropriate etalons is critical to the development of metrology systems for chemical analysis. An approach is suggested that involves the development of networks of specialised reference laboratories able to make matrix-independent reference measurements on submitted samples, which may then be used as reference materials by an originating laboratory using its practical measurement procedures. Received: 31 July 1995 Accepted: 19 August 1995     

Measurement uncertainty of selenium determination in the reference material Seronorm Trace Elements Serum by hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry

 An analytical result is not considered to be complete without a statement of the measurement uncertainty associated with it. Evaluation of measurement uncertainty is therefore an essential part of every determination. In the present study the measurement uncertainty of the result of determination of selenium in the reference material Seronorm Trace Elements Serum was studied. The combination of a digestion procedure using sulfuric acid, V₂O₅ in H₂SO₄ and hydrogen peroxide and the continuous flow approach of hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry (HG-AFS) detection was used for selenium determination. The total uncertainty budget was calculated with the help of the GUM Workbench program, in which computations follow the rules of the ’ISO guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement’. The major sources of uncertainty were found to be due to the recovery of the procedure, measurement of peak heights and the purity of Na₂SeO₃. A selenium mass fraction of 77.1±4.8 ng/g (with a coverage factor of 2.1, 95% probability) was determined, which is comparable with the recommended value of 80 ng/g. Received: 13 September 2002 Accepted: 23 December 2002 Acknowledgements We would like to thank Tinkara Buˇcar, B.Sc. for useful discussions and the IAEA Vienna, for financial support of the project 11553/RO. Presented at CERMM-3, Central European Reference Materials and Measurements Conference: The function of reference materials in the measurement process, May 30–June 1, 2002, Rogaška Slatina, Slovenia Correspondence to V. Stibilj     

Functional magnetic resonance imaging reference phantom

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is widely used to pinpoint active brain areas. Changes in neuronal activity modulate the local blood oxygenation level, and the associated modulation of the magnetic field homogeneity can be detected with magnetic resonance imaging. Thus, the blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) fMRI indirectly measures neuronal activity. Similar modulation of magnetic field homogeneity was here elicited by other means to generate a BOLD-like change in a new phantom constructed to provide reference activations during fMRI. Magnetic inhomogeneities were produced by applying current to coils located near the phantom containing 1.5 ml of Gd-doped water. The signal-to-noise ratio of the images, produced by gradient-recalled echo-planar imaging, varied between 104 and 107 at a selected voxel when the field was and was not inhomogenized, respectively. The contrast of signals between homogeneous and inhomogeneous conditions was generally stable, except in 3% of time points. During the periods of greatest deviations an observable change would have been detected in a simultaneously measured BOLD signal. Such changes could result from the imaging method or occur through glitches in hardware or alterations in the measurement environment. With identical measurement setups, the phantom could allow comparing intersession or intersubject brain activations.     

A linear algorithm of the reference region model for DCE-MRI is robust and relaxes requirements for temporal resolution

Dynamic contrast enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) has utility for improving clinical diagnoses of solid tumors, and for evaluating the early responses of anti-angiogenic chemotherapies. The Reference Region Model (RRM) can improve the clinical implementation of DCE-MRI by substituting the contrast enhancement of muscle for the Arterial Input Function that is used in traditional DCE-MRI methodologies. The RRM is typically fitted to experimental results with a non-linear least squares algorithm. This report demonstrates that this algorithm produces inaccurate and imprecise results when DCE-MRI results have low SNR or slow temporal resolution. To overcome this limitation, a linear least-squares algorithm has been derived for the Reference Region Model. This new algorithm improves accuracy and precision of fitting the Reference Region Model to DCE-MRI results, especially for voxel-wise analyses. This linear algorithm is insensitive to injection speeds, and has 300- to 8000-fold faster calculation speed relative to the non-linear algorithm. The linear algorithm produces more accurate results for over a wider range of permeabilities and blood volumes of tumor vasculature. This new algorithm, termed the Linear Reference Region Model, has strong potential to improve clinical DCE-MRI evaluations.     

基于Labview的一级环形倒立摆逆系统轨迹法自动摆起控制

利用求解非线性方程两点边值问题,得到逆系统参考轨迹;通过设计逆系统前馈控制及LQR反馈控制器,对参考轨迹实时跟踪.基于QNET 2.0旋转倒立摆实验平台,采用Labview编程软件,实现了一级环形倒立摆的自动摆起与稳定的实物控制.实验结果证明控制算法的有效性,可以使一级环形倒立摆在一个摆周期内自动摆起,并保持稳定状态....     

NIST transmission density instrument

The Optical Technology Division of NIST has developed a new instrument for measuring ISO standard visual diffuse transmission densities using the diffuse influx mode. This instrument is used to calibrate both X-ray and photographic film step tablet Standard Reference Materials. The design, characterization, and operation of the instrument are detailed. The instrument was fully characterized both to verify compliance with the applicable international standards and to determine the combined uncertainty in transmission density associated with the calibrations. Results from comparisons with other laboratories are also presented.     

Handbook Of Heterogeneous Catalysis. 2., completely revised and enlarged Edition. Vol. 1–8. Edited by G. Ertl,H. Knözinger,F. Schüth,and J. Weitkamp.

Wiley‐VCH, Weinheim 2008. 3966 pp., hardcover € 1999.00.—ISBN 978‐3527312412

     

Phase equilibria and crystal chemistry of the R-Cu-Ti-O systems (R=lanthanides and Y)

As part of the study of interaction of the Ba₂RCu₃O_6+z (R=lanthanides and Y) superconductor with SrTiO₃ buffer, phase equilibria of the subsystem, R₂O₃-TiO₂-CuO (R=Nd, Y, and Yb), have been investigated in air at 960 °C. While the phase relationships of the two phase diagrams with smaller R (Y and Yb) are similar, substantial differences were found in the Nd₂O₃-TiO₂-CuO system, partly due to different phase formation in the binary R₂O₃-TiO₂ and R₂O₃-CuO systems. R₂CuTiO₆ and R₂Cu₉Ti₁₂O₃₆ were the only ternary phases established in all the three diagrams. R₂Cu₉Ti₁₂O₃₆ belongs to the perovskite-related [AC₃](B₄)O₁₂ family which is cubic Im3. Depending on the size of R³⁺, R₂CuTiO₆ crystallizes in two crystal systems: Pnma (R=La-Gd), and P6₃cm (R=Dy-Lu). The structure and crystal chemistry of the Pnma series of R₂CuTiO₆ (R=La, Nd, Sm, Eu, and Gd) are discussed in detail in this paper. Patterns for selected members of R₂CuTiO₆ have also been prepared and submitted for inclusion in the Powder Diffraction File (PDF).