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Purpose Methods Results Conclusion It is common to hear talk of ‘responders’ and ‘non‐responders’ with respect to myopia control interventions. We consider the reality of distinguishing these sub‐groups using data from the first year of the Low‐concentration Atropine for Myopia Progression (LAMP) study.The first year of the LAMP study was a robustly designed, placebo‐controlled trial of three different low concentrations of atropine using a large sample size (N > 100 randomised to each group). The authors subsequently published mean axial elongation and myopia progression rates by age group. We used these data to calculate efficacy in terms of both absolute reduction in myopic progression and absolute reduction in axial elongation for each of the different atropine concentrations at each age group. We then compared these efficacy data to the overall progression for each of the two progression metrics.Plotting efficacy as a function of overall myopia progression and axial elongation for each of the different atropine concentrations demonstrates the invariant nature of efficacy, in terms of clinically meaningful reduction in progression, despite a substantial range of underlying overall progression. That is, faster progressors—the so‐called non‐responders—achieved similar reduction in axial elongation and myopia progression as the slower progressors—the so‐called responders—within the various atropine treatment groups.The use of the terms, responders and non‐responders, during myopia progression interventions is not supported by evidence. Those designated as such may simply be slower or faster progressors, who, on average achieve the same benefit from treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visible‐to‐ultraviolet (UV) upconversion provides a fascinating strategy to achieve deep UV emission through readily accessible visible light. However, the intensity of deep UV emission obtained through visible‐to‐UV upconversion progress is still far from satisfactory, severely constraining its practical applications. Herein, a novel class of praseodymium ion (Pr3+)‐doped rare‐earth oxyhalides (YOCl, YOBr, and LuOBr) to achieve efficient upconverted deep UV emission in the spectral range of 250–350 nm is developed. The upconverted UV emission intensity of LuOBr:Pr3+ is determined to be 56.7 times stronger than that of the well‐established Lu7O6F9:Pr3+. When employed as a photon‐converter to activate photocatalytic water splitting reactions, upconverted deep UV emission enables H2 generation under visible light (λ > 420 nm) excitation from a xenon lamp. The efficient deep UV upconversion stems from tuning 4f15d1 state of Pr3+ by oxyhalide constituent which both facilitates the absorption of excitation photons in long‐lived intermediate 4f2 states and suppress the probability of nonradiative relaxation from 4f15d1 state. These findings not only provide new insights into a mechanistic understanding of the host effect on upconversion process but also make a breakthrough in developing efficient deep upconversion materials that will expand their further applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salmonella, the prevailing zoonotic pathogen within the Enterobacteriaceae family, holds the foremost position in global bacterial poisoning incidents, thereby signifying its paramount importance in public health. Consequently, the imperative for expeditious and uncomplicated detection techniques for Salmonella in food is underscored. After more than two decades of development, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) has emerged as a potent adjunct to the polymerase chain reaction, demonstrating significant advantages in the realm of isothermal amplification. Its growing prominence is evident in the increasing number of reports on its application in the rapid detection of Salmonella. This paper provides a systematic exposition of the technical principles and characteristics of LAMP, along with an overview of the research progress made in the rapid detection of Salmonella using LAMP and its derivatives. Additionally, the target genes reported in various levels, including Salmonella genus, species, serogroup, and serotype, are summarized, aiming to offer a valuable reference for the advancement of LAMP application in Salmonella detection. Finally, we look forward to the development direction of LAMP and expect more competitive methods to provide strong support for food safety applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Inexpensive mercury lamps were adopted to sterilize refrigerator compartments. • Both UVC irradiance and inactivation of E. coli were measured. • Impacts of low temperature and humidity on the UVC output were examined. • CFD modeling was used to aid positioning of multiple UVC lamps. Household refrigerator compartments and cold chain systems are highly susceptible to microbial contamination. To minimize the surface-contact disease transmission, low-temperature surfaces must be inactivated. Currently, there is no environmentally friendly and convenient means for surface sterilization at low temperatures. This investigation proposed the use of low-pressure mercury lamps to sterilize the bottom surface of a refrigerator. The mercury lamps emitted UVC irradiation and were mounted horizontally on the sidewalls of the refrigerator compartment to inactivate Escherichia coli (E. coli) on the bottom surface. The measured irradiances and E. coli inactivation efficiencies were used to validate the surface-to-surface (S2S) model. The impacts of the refrigeration temperature (20 °C, 4 °C, and −18 °C, respectively) on the UVC output and E. coli sterilization efficiency were evaluated. And so did for the impacts of the relative humidity (ranging from 45 % to 85 % at 4 °C). The required time for operation of the UVC lamps to reach a 3-log reduction in E. coli was calculated for different lamp placements. The results revealed that the UVC emission of low-pressure mercury lamps decreases remarkably with the temperature. The necessary UVC irradiation dose to achieve the same inactivation efficiency increases as the temperature decreases. To extend the operating life of UVC lamps, the installed lamps should make the irradiance distribution on the target surface as uniform as possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The tomato leafminer, Phthorimaea absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is a destructive invasive pest that originated in South America and has spread within China since 2017. A rapid method for on‐site identification of P. absoluta is urgently needed for interception of this pest across China. RESULTS: We developed a loop‐mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) technique to differentiate P. absoluta from Liriomyza sativae, Chromatomyia horticola, and Phthorimaea operculella using extracted genomic DNA, which was then refined to create an on‐site LAMP diagnostic method that can be performed under field conditions without the need for laboratory equipment. CONCLUSION: In the present research, we developed an on‐site diagnostic method for rapid differentiation of P. absoluta from other insects with similar morphology or damage characteristics in China. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial sunlight is a heat source in solar collector testing, where the light intensity and ambient conditions are controlled to provide uniformity in each test. In this study, twenty-five tungsten halogen lamps of 300 W 220 V were investigated for possible usage as the heat source. The experiment was conducted by varying the height of the lamps to the light field (Hd). The EN-12975-2 Standard was used to control the quality of the heat source on the light field. The results showed that the average light intensity (Iavg) decreased with an increase in Hd. When Hd was low, the %uniformity values (%uxy) met the criteria. The small light field area met the EN-12975-2 Standard better than the large area. A comparison of solar collector testing under a heat source from tungsten halogen lamps and natural sunlight was subsequently performed, and the experimental results were in accordance with the EN-12975-2 Standard. A single-channel flat plate solar collector was used as the test device and air was used as the working fluid. The experimental results revealed that the solar collector thermal efficiency (ηavg) trends were similar for both the heat source from tungsten halogen lamps and natural sunlight testing. A low %uxy resulted in a ηavg that was more similar to that of natural sunlight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mercury spectrum lamp is an important part of Mercury Atomic Frequency Standard (MAFS), which is used for light pumping and state detection. It may limit the stability and the signal-to-noise ratio performance in MAFS. In this work, we experimentally demonstrate mercury spectrum lamp can work under an optimum mode by controlling the cold end temperature of the lamp. It is found the maximum radiation intensity at 194 nm and the minimal 254 nm/194 nm ratio can be achieved simultaneously at about 55∘C. The minimal 254 nm/194 nm is about 24, which is an order of magnitude lower than the case in common. Meanwhile, the effect of RF excitation power on 254 nm/194 nm ratio and the self-absorption phenomenon of 254 nm are also investigated. The result demonstrates RF excitation power has a stronger influence on the light intensity of 194 nm than on that of 254 nm. These experimental results could shed light on later fluorescence detection experiment in MAFS and other lamp-based applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents research on the development history as well as on the materials and techniques of technical installations with gas discharge lamps, colloquially known as ‘neon’ systems, in the former German Democratic Republic (GDR). Taking into account changes in materials, design, and technology between the 1950s and the 1980s, the findings also form the basis for the practical art-technological examination and evaluation of the examples still in existence. The majority of these objects have disappeared since the 1990s; the remainder are still acutely endangered today, due to progress in lighting technology and the current highly invasive repair practices. In this paper, a systematic examination case study is presented and discussed for the first time. The Poliklinik lettering under consideration is located on the façade of today's Medical Centre in the Hanseatic city of Stralsund and dates back to the second half of the 1950s. After more than 60 years of exposure to the elements, it appeared as an authentically aged, completely original example of the object group. A substance-careful concept for in situ examination was developed that did not require the fragile structure to be dismantled. The concept presented here is generally applicable to other objects with gas discharge lamps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Point-of-care (POC) diagnostics have emerged as a crucial technology for emerging pathogen detections to enable rapid and on-site detection of infectious diseases. However, current POC devices often suffer from limited sensitivity with poor reliability to provide quantitative readouts. In this paper, we present a self-powered digital loop-mediated isothermal amplification (dLAMP) microfluidic chip (SP-dChip) for the rapid and quantitative detection of nucleic acids. The SP-dChip utilizes a vacuum lung design to passively digitize samples into individual nanoliter wells for high-throughput analysis. The superior digitization scheme is further combined with reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) to demonstrate dLAMP detection of Zika virus (ZIKV). Firstly, the LAMP assay is loaded into the chip and passively digitized into individual wells. Mineral oil is then pipetted through the chip to differentiate each well as an individual reactor. The chip did not require any external pumping or power input for rapid and reliable results to detect ZIKA RNA as low as 100 copies per μL within one hour. As such, this SP-dChip offers a new class of solutions for truly affordable, portable, and quantitative POC detections for emerging viruses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluorescence dye-based loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a sensitive nucleic acid detection method, but is limited to single-plex detection and may yield non-specific signals. In this study, we propose a bifunctional probe-based real-time LAMP amplification method for single-plexed or multiplexed detection. The bifunctional probe is derived by modifying the 5′ end of the fluorophore and an internal quencher on one of the LAMP primers; therefore, it can simultaneously be involved in the LAMP process and signal amplification. The fluorescence intensity undergoes a cumulative exponential increase during the incorporation of the bifunctional probe into double-stranded DNA amplicons. The bifunctional probe-based LAMP method is simplified and cost-effective, as the primer design and experimental operations align entirely with the ordinary LAMP. Different from other current probe-based methods, this method does not require additional enzymes, sequences, or special probe structures. Also, it is 10 min faster than several other probe-based LAMP methods. The bifunctional probe-based LAMP method allows the simultaneous detection of the target Vibrio parahaemolyticus DNA and the internal amplification control in a one-pot reaction, demonstrating its potential for multiplexed detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the problem of poor accuracy and the large model size in transmission line foreign object detection, an improved YOLOv7- tiny algorithm based on channel pruning has been proposed. Firstly, the ReXNet network is used to replace the backbone network of YOLOv7-tiny to address the feature bottleneck issue in the original network. Secondly, diversified branch blocks are introduced to enhance the network's feature fusion capability. Finally, through layer-adaptive magnitude-based pruning (LAMP), a pruning approach is employed to trade off some accuracy for a reduction in model size and computational load, preparing it for deployment on embedded devices. Experimental results indicate that the final improved model achieves a 3 percentage points increase in accuracy compared to the YOLOv7-tiny model, a 119.4% increase in FPS, and compresses the model size to 14% of the original size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human adenoviruses (HAdVs) are common pathogens that are associated with a variety of diseases, including respiratory tract infections (RTIs). Without reliable, fast, and cost-effective detection methods for HAdVs, patients may be misdiagnosed and inappropriately treated. To address this problem, we have developed a multiplex loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for the detection of the species Human adenovirus B (HAdV-B), Human adenovirus C (HAdV-C) and Human adenovirus E (HAdV-E) that cause RTIs. This multiplexing approach is based on the melting curve analysis of the amplicons with a specific melting temperature for each HAdV species. Without the need for typing of HAdVs, the LAMP results can be visually detected using colorimetric analysis. The assay reliably detects at least 375 copies of HAdV-B and -C and 750 copies of HAdV-E DNA per reaction in less than 35 min at 60 °C. The designed primers have no in silico cross-reactivity with other human respiratory pathogens. Validation on 331 nasal swab samples taken from patients with RTIs showed a 90–94% agreement rate with our in-house multiplex quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) method. Concordance between the quantitative and visual LAMP was 99%. The novel multiplexed LAMP could be an alternative to PCR for diagnostic purposes, saving personnel and equipment time, or could be used for point-of-care testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nuova luce da Pompei (New Light from Pompeii) explored the role of artificial light in the lives of ancient Romans. In addition to presenting 180 rarely seen bronzes from Pompeii, including lamps, candelabra, and elegant statues that held lamps, the exhibition demonstrated the effects and meanings these lighting devices generated. Clearly, Roman lamps have lost their agency, presented as objects in museums or in photographs—a problem addressed by encouraging visitors to handle replicas of lamps and to light them virtually. In a virtual reality recreation of the triclinium of the House of Polybius, visitors could use a torch to light lamps and see what they could reveal—or fail to reveal. Videos of elaborate lamps with figures standing on their oil holes were particularly noteworthy, demonstrating their potential for "shadow play." In addition to plumbing the meanings of the astonishingly varied imagery, the show investigated bronze metallurgy and modern conservation, as well as the role lamps played in the convivium, cult, nighttime pursuits, and commerce. A section on the creation of pastiches and copies evoked the antiquarian culture sparked by the discovery of Pompeii and Herculaneum. In its Rome venue, curators added a roomful of rarely seen objects from Rome's former Antiquarium Comunale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the potential application of loop-mediated isothermal amplification technology (LAMP) in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis. Methods: The clinical data of 305 patients with suspected tuberculosis admitted to Baoding Second Central Hospital from June 2020 to June 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Based on the pathological results, the non-tuberculosis group (123 cases) and tuberculosis group (182 cases) were included. The sputum samples with different traits, using modified Roche culture method, smear acid stain method and LAMP detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Results: Compared with the smear acid-fast staining method and the improved Roche culture method, the positive rate of LAMP samples was relatively high, and the positive rate of LAMP samples with cheese sputum was relatively high compared with other samples. The results of acid-fast staining showed that 80 cases were positive, 119 cases were negative, 4 cases were misdiagnosed and 102 cases were missed. The results of modified Roche culture showed that 104 cases were positive, 120 cases were negative, 3 cases were misdiagnosed and 78 cases were missed. LAMP results showed that 135 cases were positive, 121 cases were negative, 2 cases were misdiagnosed and 47 cases were missed. Compared with smear acid staining method and modified Roche culture method, the sensitivity, negative predictive value, accuracy and area under the curve (AUC) value of LAMP examination were relatively high, in which the sensitivity, accuracy and AUC value of smear acid staining method were lower than those of modified Roche culture method (P<0.05). Conclusion: LAMP technique was beneficial to the identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in various trait samples, and had high diagnostic sensitivity, negative predictive value and accuracy for Mycobacterium tuberculosis in sputum samples, which had higher diagnostic value for pulmonary tuberculosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare the diagnostic efficacy of multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Mycobacterium leprae-specific repetitive element (RLEP) PCR and loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) PCR in the diagnosis of pediatric leprosy as an alternative to slit-skin smear (SSS) examination. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed on 26 children aged 0–18 years with characteristic skin lesions of leprosy. SSS examination for acid fast bacilli (AFB) was performed for all children. Additionally, urine, stool and blood samples were tested by three PCR techniques - multiplex, RLEP and LAMP. The results of these tests were compared with each other and with results of SSS examination for acid fast bacilli (AFB) using appropriate statistical tests. Results: Out of 26 patients studied, SSS examination was positive for AFB in 7 cases (26.9%). In blood samples, the positivity of multiplex PCR, RLEP PCR and LAMP PCR was 84.6%, 80.8%, and 80.8%, respectively. Multiplex PCR in blood samples was positive in 100% (n = 7) of SSS positive cases and 84.2% (16 out of 19) of the SSS negative cases (P < 0.001). The positivity of all PCR methods in urine and stool samples was significantly lesser than in blood. Conclusion: Multiplex PCR in blood sample is a superior diagnostic tool for pediatric leprosy compared to RLEP PCR and LAMP PCR as well as SSS examination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of GeSec: Revista de Gestao e Secretariado is the property of Sindicato das Secretarias e Secretarios do Estado de Sao Paulo (SINSESP) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Early diagnosis has a pivotal role in the effective control and prevention of disease in fruit crops. Loop‐mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) has emerged as a prominent modality for disease diagnosis owing to its rapid detection, heightened sensitivity, exceptional specificity and easy operational procedures. The advent of LAMP‐coupled CRISPR‐Cas12, multiplex LAMP (mLAMP) and digital LAMP (dLAMP) has contributed to a paradigm shift in the field and increased the applicability of LAMP technology in viral disease detection. Such advancements have further extended the reach and efficacy of LAMP methodologies in diagnostic research. Here, we review LAMP detection technology application to identify viral diseases in fruits (e.g., apple, passion fruit, banana and citrus) and summarize current developments in LAMP technology and its future prospects, which could enhance its application in the detection of fruit viral diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) technique is a great alternative to PCR-based methods, as it is fast, easy to use and works with high sensitivity and specificity without the need for expensive instruments. However, one of the limitations of LAMP is difficulty in achieving the simultaneous detection of several targets in a single tube, as the methodologies that allow this rely on fluorogenic probes containing specific target sequences, complicating their adaptation and the optimization of assays. Here, we summarize different methods for the development of multiplex LAMP assays based on sequence-specific detection, illustrated with a schematic representation of the technique, and evaluate their practical application based on the real-time detection and quantification of results, the possibility to visualize the results at a glance, the prior stabilization of reaction components, promoting the point-of-care use, the maximum number of specific targets amplified, and the validation of the technique in clinical samples. The various LAMP multiplexing methodologies differ in their operating conditions and mechanism. Each methodology has its advantages and disadvantages, and the choice among them will depend on specific application interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two studies were conducted to investigate the impact of fresh pork display lamps on consumers' sensory responses to pork products. In the first experiment, 63 participants were asked to evaluate pork products with different degrees of freshness under four fresh pork display lights and two LED lights. In the other experiment, 30 subjects participated in the Farnsworth–Munsell 100 hue test under the same lamps, with the aim of showing whether the fresh pork display lamps impaired color discrimination. The results showed that the light source had a significant effect on the color appearance evaluation of the pork products. The ratings for perceived freshness under the fresh pork display lamps were significantly higher than those of ordinary LED lamps, while the color discrimination performance of the subjects under those lamps was poor. It was demonstrated that improper component proportions of the light spectrum could influence observers' assessment of meat quality and weaken the observers' ability to distinguish the freshness level. Through this study, the authors would like to remind lamp users and manufacturers to not only be concerned about the improvement in the color appearance of pork, but also the need for consumers to be aware of the authentic freshness of the pork products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is now understood that the flatfish farming industry faces significant threats from Chinook salmon bafinivirus (CSBV) induced hemorrhagic disease. Developing a prompt and efficient diagnostic method is crucial for effective disease control and minimizing losses in aquaculture production. This research assessed the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) technique, using a specific primer set, for rapid and precise detection of CSBV. The primer set for LAMP detection was selected based on its demonstrated high specificity and sensitivity, as confirmed through visualization and gel electrophoresis. The CSBV-LAMP reaction system operated at an effective temperature of 63–67°C for 60 min. Importantly, the LAMP assay could identify viral genomic cDNA at an extremely low concentration of 10 pg/μL within 60 min at 65°C. Moreover, this reaction system accurately detected CSBV in naturally infected flatfish samples, yielding a 100% positive detection rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sugarcane brown rust (SCBR), caused by Puccinia melanocephala, is a destructive fungal disease that has extensively spread in the sugarcane-cultivating regions across the world. Early monitoring plays an important role in predicting the P. melanocephala epidemic and managing SCBR. However, accurately identifying SCBR based on symptoms and urediniospore morphology at the initial stage is a challenge. Further, it is tedious, time-consuming, labor-intensive, and requires expensive equipment to detect P. melanocephala using PCR-based methods. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) technology is renowned for its speed, simplicity, and low equipment requirements for specifically and sensitively identifying many pathogens. Therefore, in this study, a novel and highly sensitive LAMP assay was developed for the specific detection of P. melanocephala in sugarcane. Here, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence of P. melanocephala was selected as the target gene for LAMP primer design. Based on the color change of SYBR Green I and gel electrophoresis, specific LAMP primers were screened. Further, the optimal reaction conditions for the LAMP assay were determined at 63 °C for 60 min. The LAMP assay showed a high degree of specificity for the detection of P. melanocephala in sugarcane, with no cross-reactivity with other fungal pathogens. The established LAMP protocol was highly sensitive and can be used to detect as low as 1 pg/μL of P. melanocephala plasmid DNA, which is comparable to that of nested PCR and ~100 times more sensitive than conventional PCR. Finally, the detection rate of the LAMP method was higher than that of conventional and nested PCR in field samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat generated from the bulb of an automotive lamp is transferred to the lamp reflector and lens through a heat-transfer mechanism. If the heat transferred to the reflector and lens exceeds the heat resistance limit of the materials used in their production, the materials deform. Therefore, lamp designers must design lamps within a limited range. If the lamp fails the heat resistance test after the design and pilot model production, the design process must be restarted. Redesigning requires significant time and costs. Therefore, a temperature-prediction algorithm for a single-function lamp during the initial design stage was developed in a previous study. In this study, a multifunction temperature-prediction algorithm with two or more heat sources was developed to predict the temperature of lamps of various shapes. The focus length based on the parabolic shape of the bulb installation surface and corner slope values near the lens were used to reflect the actual shape of the lamp. The introduction of the effective area improved the accuracy of the temperature prediction for the upper surface, which was strongly influenced by convection. The performance of the developed algorithm was evaluated by comparison with the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) results of an actual lamp model. Consequently, it was confirmed that the newly developed best prediction algorithm can be effectively applied to new automotive lamp designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Southern stem canker (SSC) of soybean, attributable to the fungal pathogen Diaporthe aspalathi, results in considerable losses of soybean in the field and has damaged production in several of the main soybean-producing countries worldwide. Early and precise identification of the causal pathogen is imperative for effective disease management. In this study, we performed an RPA-CRISPR/Cas12a, as well as LAMP, PCR and real-time PCR assays to verify and compare their sensitivity, specificity and simplicity and the practicality of the reactions. We screened crRNAs targeting a specific single-copy gene, and optimized the reagent concentrations, incubation temperatures and times for the conventional PCR, real-time PCR, LAMP, RPA and Cas12a cleavage stages for the detection of D. aspalathi. In comparison with the PCR-based assays, two thermostatic detection technologies, LAMP and RPA-CRISPR/Cas12a, led to higher specificity and sensitivity. The sensitivity of the LAMP assay could reach 0.01 ng μL−1 genomic DNA, and was 10 times more sensitive than real-time PCR (0.1 ng μL−1) and 100 times more sensitive than conventional PCR assay (1.0 ng μL−1); the reaction was completed within 1 h. The sensitivity of the RPA-CRISPR/Cas12a assay reached 0.1 ng μL−1 genomic DNA, and was 10 times more sensitive than conventional PCR (1.0 ng μL−1), with a 30 min reaction time. Furthermore, the feasibility of the two thermostatic methods was validated using infected soybean leaf and seeding samples. The rapid, visual one-pot detection assay developed could be operated by non-expert personnel without specialized equipment. This study provides a valuable diagnostic platform for the on-site detection of SSC or for use in resource-limited areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a molecular diagnosis technology with the advantages of isothermal reaction conditions and high sensitivity. However, the LAMP reactions are prone to producing false-positive results and thus are usually less reliable. This study demonstrates a gold nanoparticle (AuNP)-assisted colorimetric LAMP technique for diagnosing SARS-CoV-2, which aims to overcome the false-positive results. The AuNPs were functionalized with E gene probes, specifically tailored to bind to the amplified E-gene LAMP product, using the freezing method. Varied salt concentration and AuNP/probe combinations were tested for the highest visual performance. The experiments were conducted on synthetic SARS-CoV-2 RNA (Omicron variant), as well as on clinical samples. The assay showed an exceptional sensitivity of 8.05 fg of LAMP amplicon mixture (0.537 fg/µL). The average reaction time was ~ 30 min. In conclusion, AuNP-assisted LAMP detection will not identify any potential unspecific amplification, which helps to improve the efficiency and reliability of LAMP assays in point-of-care applications. The freezing method to functionalize the AuNPs with probes simplifies the assay, which can be utilized in further diagnostic studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Downy mildew of onion caused by a soil-inhabiting water mold, Peronospora destructor, is one of the most devastating diseases that can destroy entire onion fields in a matter of days. In this study, we developed a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay that allows for rapid detection of P. destructor by visual inspection. The internal transcribed spacer 2 region of P. destructor was used to design primer sets for LAMP reactions. The optimal temperature and incubation time were determined for the most efficient primer set. In the optimized condition, the LAMP assay exhibited at least 100 times more sensitivity than conventional PCR, detecting femtogram levels of P. destructor genomic DNA (gDNA). Detection of the pathogen from a small number of spores without gDNA extraction further confirmed the high sensitivity of the assay. For specificity, the LAMP assay was negative for gDNA of other fungal pathogens that cause various diseases on onion and oomycetes, whereas the assay was positive for gDNA extracted from onion tissues showing the typical downy mildew symptoms. Finally, we examined the efficacy of the LAMP assay in detection of P. destructor in soils. Soils collected from onion fields that had been contaminated with P. destructor were solarized for 60 days. Whereas the LAMP assay was negative for the solarized soils, we were able to detect P. destructor that oversummers in fields. The LAMP assay developed in this study enables rapid detection and diagnosis of downy mildew of onion in infected tissues and in soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluates the current viability of ChatGPT as a research tool in lychnology, a discipline of archaeology focusing on the study of light use and lamps in antiquity. Prompts applicable to a common cultural heritage artifact group—the Roman clay oil lamp—were entered in ChatGPT to test its capabilities in compiling, categorizing, describing, and identifying lamp types, and to assess how accurate, detailed, and knowledgeable its responses would be. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Food Research & Development is the property of Food Research & Development Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

An inorganic, high‐temperature (≈600 °C) thermochromic sensor is synthesized from a chemically bonded ceramic composite. The ceramic composite is composed of thermochromic 10 wt% chromium‐doped alumina (Cr:Al2O3) powder blended with a low‐reacting temperature (around 250 °C) phosphate binder, Al(H2PO4)3, (aluminum dihydrogen phosphate [ADP]). Cr‐doped alumina exhibits thermochromism at high temperatures, typically around 500–600 °C. Previously, infrared (IR) irradiation has been used to successfully convert ADP to an aluminum phosphate (AlPO4) ceramic phase that can bind ceramic components together. Here, an ultrahigh‐power (tens of kilowatts per square centimeter) flash lamp annealing (FLA) system is evaluated as an alternative photonic heating process to rapidly transform ADP to this ceramic. While IR lamps require 30 min to fully transform the ADP binder, FLA processes require less than 1 min and provide more dense microstructures, opening opportunities to additively manufacture ceramic components without the need for a post‐processing heating step. Final ceramics exhibit reversible thermochromic behavior, transitioning from pink to dark gray as the temperature increases from 25 to 600 °C. Here, the ability to use this technology to fabricate a temperature warning system for heated objects that are not yet emitting significant visible black‐body radiation is demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review describes the recent progress of floating-zone techniques for bulk single-crystal growth. The most crucial point of the crucible-free technique is to keep the molten zone stable. It has been investigated and reported to yield a steeper temperature gradient at the liquid–solid interface along the growth direction and a homogeneous molten liquid along the rotation axis. This article overviews several recent achievements starting from the conventional setup, particularly for lamps equipped in horizontal or vertical configurations, tilting mirrors, shielding the irradiation, and filament sizes for the optical-lamp floating-zone furnaces. Also, the recently advancing laser-heated floating-zone furnaces are described. Throughout the article, the author emphasizes that the floating-zone technique has been a powerful tool for crystal growth since the 1950s with its roots in the zone-melting method, and it has still been advancing for further materials' growth such as quantum materials with modern scientific concepts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing robust professional networks can help shape the trajectories of early career scientists. Yet, historical inequities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields make access to these networks highly variable across academic programmes, and senior academics often have little time for mentoring. Here, we illustrate the success of a virtual Laboratory Meeting Programme (LaMP). In this programme, we matched students (mentees) with a more experienced scientist (mentors) from a research group. The mentees then attended the mentors' laboratory meetings during the academic year with two laboratory meetings specifically dedicated to the mentee's professional development. Survey results indicate that mentees expanded their knowledge of the hidden curriculum as well as their professional network, while only requiring a few extra hours of their mentor's time over eight months. In addition, host laboratories benefitted from mentees sharing new perspectives and knowledge in laboratory meetings. Diversity of the mentees was significantly higher than the mentors, suggesting that the programme increased the participation of traditionally under-represented groups. Finally, we found that providing a stipend was very important to many mentees. We conclude that virtual LaMPs can be an inclusive and cost-effective way to foster trainee development and increase diversity within STEM fields with little additional time commitment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is one of the most serious and debilitating complications that can occur after total joint arthroplasty. Therefore, early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are important for a good prognosis. Recently, molecular diagnostic methods have been widely used to detect the causative microorganisms of PJI sensitively and rapidly. The Multiplex Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) method eliminates the complex temperature cycling and delays caused by temperature transitions seen in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods, making it faster and easier to perform compared to PCR-based assays. Therefore, this study developed a multiplex LAMP assay for diagnosing bacterial PJI using LAMP technology and evaluated its analytical and clinical performance. Methods: We developed a multiplex LAMP assay for the detection of five bacteria: Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus agalactiae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli, frequently observed to be the causative agents of PJI. The method of analytical sensitivity and cross-reactivity were determined by spiking standard strains into the joint synovial fluid. The analytical sensitivity of the multiplex LAMP assay was compared with that of a quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assay. Clinical performance was evaluated using 20 joint synovial fluid samples collected from patients suspected of having bacterial PJI. Results: The analytical sensitivity of the gram-positive bacterial multiplex LAMP assay and qPCR were 105/104 CFU/mL, 103/103 CFU/mL, and 105/104 CFU/mL against S. agalactiae, S. epidermidis, and S. aureus, respectively. For P. aeruginosa and E. coli, the analytical sensitivity of the multiplex LAMP and qPCR assays were 105/104 and 106/104 CFU/mL, respectively. The multiplex LAMP assay detects target bacteria without cross-reacting with other bacteria, and exhibited 100% sensitivity and specificity in clinical performance evaluation. Conclusions: This multiplex LAMP assay can rapidly detect five high-prevalence bacterial species causing bacterial PJI, with excellent sensitivity and specificity, in less than 1 h, and it may be useful for the early diagnosis of PJI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infections caused by snakehead vesiculovirus (SHVV) have seen frequent outbreaks in recent years, inflicting significant losses on the snakehead aquaculture industry. Early detection is therefore essential for effective prevention and control of pathogenic infections and reduction of economic losses caused by infections. There is an urgent need for a simple, rapid, specific, sensitive, and intuitive method to monitor snakehead infected with SHVV. The aim of the present study was to develop and evaluate a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for the rapid visual detection of SHVV in snakehead. Three pairs of primers were designed according to the conserved region of phosphoprotein (P) gene sequences of SHVV and were applied for the detection of SHVV from fish samples. Time and temperature conditions for the amplification of SHVV were optimized at 65 °C and 55 min. The LAMP assay demonstrated high specificity, with no cross-reactivity with seven other viruses. Amplification results were visualized by a color change after the addition of hydroxynaphthol blue (HNB) dye. Sensitivity test results showed that the minimum detection volume with this method was 1.76 × 102 copies/μL, which was 100 times more sensitive than RT-PCR assay. We used the established LAMP system to test 50 clinical samples and detected 32 positive responses, whereas 22 positive samples out of 50 samples were detected by RT-PCR. The establishment of a visual LAMP assay further shortens the virus detection process and allows visual reading of positive responses through color changes; it is suitable for use in quarantine and field detection. Therefore, this proposed method provides a sensitive, specific, and user-friendly method for the rapid diagnosis of SHVV in snakehead farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An unmanned surface vehicle (USV) with a fish attraction lamp was developed to assist in the nighttime operations of a Japanese purse seine fishery. The USV weighs about 15 kg, is equipped with a 200 W underwater light-emitting diode (LED), and can be radio-controlled to move on the sea surface. The purse seiner shoots a net to surround the lighting boat to catch fish gathered by fish attraction lamps. The USV was deployed on the sea surface from the purse seiner during the net-hauling operation and replaced the lighting boat to continue fish attraction after shooting the net. The time required for each operation using the USV and conventional lighting boat operations was compared, and it was found that the time required for the lighting boat for fish attraction after shooting the net was reduced by about 10 min per haul when the USV was used. On the other hand, the time required by the purse seiner to shoot and haul the net and the catch amount did not change. The USV can contribute to time savings in operation and safety improvements in the purse seine fishery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our research has developed a highly sensitive and simple assay to detect small amounts of animal and human biological material in less than 40 min. The handheld SaLux19 device developed at the Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine in Göttingen, Germany, was used to validate our concept. The proposed system uses isothermal amplification of DNA in a rapid assay format. Our results show that the assay can detect Sus scrofa nucleic acids with very high sensitivity and specificity. This detection system has potential for forensic scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In previous studies, the 308‐nm light‐emitting diode (LED) has been proven safe and effective for treating vitiligo. However, direct comparisons between the 308‐nm LED and 308‐nm excimer lamp (308‐nm MEL) for the treatment of vitiligo are lacking. Objective: To compare the efficacy of the 308‐nm LED and 308‐nm MEL for treating nonsegmental stable vitiligo. Patients and Methods: This randomized controlled trial was conducted between January 2018 and August 2023. Enrolled patients were randomly assigned to either the 308‐nm LED or the 308‐nm MEL groups, both receiving 16 treatment sessions. Adverse events that occurred during the treatment were documented. Results: In total, 269 stable vitiligo patches from 174 patients completed the study. A total of 131 lesions were included in the 308‐nm LED group, and 138 lesions were included in the 308‐nm MEL group. After 16 treatment sessions, 38.17% of the vitiligo patches in the 308‐nm LED group achieved repigmentation of at least 50% versus 38.41% in the 308‐nm MEL group. The two devices exhibited similar results in terms of efficacy for a repigmentation of at least 50% (p =.968). The incidence of adverse effects with the two phototherapy devices was comparable (p =.522). Conclusions: Treatment of vitiligo with the 308‐nm LED had a similar efficacy rate to the 308‐nm MEL, and the incidence of adverse effects was comparable between the two devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sleep is quantitatively described by subdividing polysomnographic records into intervals each of which is allocated to one of the just 5 all-or-nothing variables called "sleep–wake stages". What are the mechanisms governing the establishment of such 5 relatively stable stages and rapid transitions between them? We modeled these stages as resulting from the competing interactions between the mutually inhibiting drives for wake, NREM sleep, and REM sleep that are proposed to work in a similar way as two-, two-, and one-way switch, respectively. The electromechanical counterparts of the stages were visualized as 5 variants of an electrical circuit connecting these switches with three lamps. During W and transient state N1, two sleep switches are switched off, and three lamps are turned off. During other transitions, one of these lamps is turning on after changing in on–off state of one or two of three switches. During transitions to N2, one (N2) lamp is turning on. During the following transitions to N3, one more (N3) lamp is turning on. During transitions from N2 to R, the N2 lamp is turning off, while the R lamp is turning on. Estimates of stage-specific scores on the 1st and 2nd principal components of the electroencephalographic spectra provided empirical evidence for such on–off states of these switches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how the materiality of lighting influenced the development of ancient rabbinic teachings that would later become the foundations of Jewish law. Drawing on ideas and frameworks from scholarship on material religion, I bring together archaeological finds, experimental archaeology, and references to objects in classical rabbinic literature to argue that the ways that lighting was used provided the earliest rabbis with tools and fodder for developing new expressions of piety that could be performed in one's household. How lamps, oils, and wicks were used in Roman-era Palestine (second-third century CE) played an influential role in the development of rabbinic Judaism. I show this through rabbinic prescriptions on lighting lamps on Friday evening to mark the onset of the Sabbath, as the different wicks and oils created opportunities for one to choose to perform the custom in rabbinically-prescribed ways. I next demonstrate how the rabbis drew on common lighting practices to reinterpret biblical laws on the now-destroyed Jerusalem Temple cult into expressions of piety that can be performed in households throughout Roman Palestine. In this way, the materiality of light contributed towards the ancient rabbis' role in transforming Judaism in the post-Temple age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective surface disinfection is crucial for preventing the spread of pathogens in hospitals. Standard UltraViolet-C (UV-C) lamps have been widely used for this purpose, but their disinfection efficiency under real-world conditions is not well understood. To fill this gap, the influence of the power of the ultraviolet radiator, source-sample distance, and exposure time on the performance of UV-C lamps against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus epidermidis were experimentally determined in the laboratory and hospital. The obtained results showed that the UV irradiance and, thus, the UV-C disinfection efficiency decreased significantly at distances greater than 100 cm from the UV-C lamp. Moreover, increasing the total power of the radiators does not improve the performance of UV-C lamps under real conditions. The UV-C disinfection efficiency greater than 90% was achieved only under laboratory conditions at a close distance from the UV-C lamp, i.e., 10 cm. These findings provide novel insights into the limitations of UV-C lamps in real-world conditions and highlight the need for more effective disinfection strategies in hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lysosomes-associated membrane proteins (LAMPs), a family of glycosylated proteins andmajor constituents of the lysosomal membranes, play a dominant role in various cellular processes, including phagocytosis, autophagy and immunity in mammals. However, their roles in aquatic species remain poorly known. In the present study, three lamp genes were cloned and characterized from Micropterus salmoides. Subsequently, their transcriptional levels in response to different nutritional status were investigated. The full-length coding sequences of lamp1, lamp2 and lamp3 were 1251bp, 1224bp and 771bp, encoding 416, 407 and 256 amino acids, respectively. Multiple sequence alignment showed that LAMP1-3 were highly conserved among the different fish species, respectively. 3-D structure prediction, genomic survey, and phylogenetic analysis were further confirmed that these genes are widely existed in vertebrates. The mRNA expression of the three genes was ubiquitously expressed in all selected tissues, including liver, brain, gill, heart, muscle, spleen, kidney, stomach, adipose and intestine, lamp1 shows highly transcript levels in brain and muscle, lamp2 displays highly expression level in heart, muscle and spleen, but lamp3 shows highly transcript level in spleen, liver and kidney. To analyze the function of the three genes under starvation stress in largemouth bass, three experimental treatment groups (fasted group and refeeding group, control group) were established in the current study. The results indicated that the expression of lamp1 was significant induced after starvation, and then returned to normal levels after refeeding in the liver. The expression of lamp2 and lamp3 exhibited the same trend in the liver. In addition, in the spleen and the kidney, the transcript level of lamp1 and lamp2 was remarkably increased in the fasted treatment group and slightly decreased in the refed treatment group, respectively. Collectively, our findings suggest that three lamp genes may have differential function in the immune and energetic organism in largemouth bass, which is helpful in understanding roles of lamps in aquatic species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work derives a theoretical value for the entropy of a Linear Additive Markov Process (LAMP), an expressive but simple model able to generate sequences with a given autocorrelation structure. Our research establishes that the theoretical entropy rate of a LAMP model is equivalent to the theoretical entropy rate of the underlying first-order Markov Chain. The LAMP model captures complex relationships and long-range dependencies in data with similar expressibility to a higher-order Markov process. While a higher-order Markov process has a polynomial parameter space, a LAMP model is characterised only by a probability distribution and the transition matrix of an underlying first-order Markov Chain. This surprising result can be explained by the information balance between the additional structure imposed by the next state distribution of the LAMP model, and the additional randomness of each new transition. Understanding the entropy of the LAMP model provides a tool to model complex dependencies in data while retaining useful theoretical results. To emphasise the practical applications, we use the LAMP model to estimate the entropy rate of the LastFM, BrightKite, Wikispeedia and Reuters-21578 datasets. We compare estimates calculated using frequency probability estimates, a first-order Markov model and the LAMP model, also considering two approaches to ensure the transition matrix is irreducible. In most cases the LAMP entropy rates are lower than those of the alternatives, suggesting that LAMP model is better at accommodating structural dependencies in the processes, achieving a more accurate estimate of the true entropy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilizing highly concentrated solar power for thermochemical processing as one of the extraterrestrial in situ resource utilization (ISRU) applications has been highlighted as an essential technique to support deep-space exploration in the future. Multi-source high-flux solar simulators (HFSSs) are widely employed to provide stable irradiance for indoor solar thermal experiments. Meanwhile, numerical modeling that can characterize the radiation transport mechanisms within the solar thermal system has been developed for performance evaluation before field trials. However, significant differences between simulated and measured flux distributions were shown for existing models developed based on the Monte-Carlo ray-tracing (MCRT) method, which has been attributed to only one or two specific reasons. In this paper, we proposed a comprehensive analysis of the concentration characteristics of a 42 kW metal-halide lamp HFSS, developed at Swinburne University of Technology, considering the effect of five aspects. The flux distribution, uniformity, and vector distribution under different configurations were compared to quantify the influence of these factors on receiving irradiance. The suitable arc size, reflector shape, and reflector surface properties of the existing HFSS have also been numerically determined to improve the model and reduce the root mean square error (RMSE) for the lamp array from 38.2% to 8.3%. This research provides a potential pathway to numerically predict the radiation transfer performance of HFSSs and determine the suitable configuration for desired solar thermochemical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aspergillus species create major postharvest problems due to the food losses caused by their mere presence and the hazardous mycotoxins they produce, such as aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and ochratoxin A (OTA). These mycotoxins are mainly produced by A. flavus and A. carbonarius, respectively. In this study, we developed a rapid detection method for the two aforementioned species based on loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP). The primers were designed to target genes belonging to the mycotoxin clusters pks and aflT for A. carbonarius and A. flavus, respectively. Result visualization was carried out in real time via the detection of fluorescent signals. The method developed showed high sensitivity and specificity, with detection limits of 0.3 and 0.03 pg/reaction of purified DNA of A. carbonarius and A. flavus, respectively. The assays were further implemented on inoculated nuts, including pistachios and almonds, after one-step crude DNA extraction. These tests revealed a detection level of 0.5 spore/g that shows the effectiveness of LAMP as a rapid method for detecting potentially toxigenic Aspergillus spp. directly in food. The validation of the assays included tests on a larger scale that further confirmed their sensitivity and specificity, as well as enabling the production of ready-to-use LAMP prototype kits. These kits are easy to use and aim to simplify the screening of food samples in order to monitor the presence of specific Aspergillus contaminations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Both Wood's lamp and reflective confidential laser scanning microcopy are helpful for the diagnosis and treatment of vitiligo. However, there is few research that contains large samples and consistent observations. Aims: To analyze the characteristics of Wood's lamp images and reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) images of vitiligo lesions and to evaluate their significance in vitiligo staging. Methods: We analyzed the characteristics of RCM images, Wood's lamp images, the vitiligo disease activity (VIDA) score, and clinical features to guide vitiligo staging and treatment. Results: The expert consensus based on the clinical features, VIDA score, Wood's lamp findings, and isomorphic response was consistent with the Wood's lamp findings (χ2 = 3.63, p > 0.05) and RCM findings (χ2 = 3.60, p > 0.05) in diagnosing vitiligo and assessing the disease stage. There was a correlation between the three lesion grades based on the Wood's lamp findings and the stage of vitiligo (p < 0.01). Lesions that appeared porcelain white under the Wood's lamp were in the slowly progressive stage; lesions that appeared gray‐white or trichromatic under the Wood's lamp were in the rapidly progressive stage; lesions with clear borders under the Wood's lamp needed further analysis by RCM for the stage to be determined; lesions with blurred borders under the Wood's lamp were in the rapidly progressive stage; lesions that were visible under the naked eye and under the Wood's lamp were in the rapidly progressive stage. Conclusion: The study demonstrates a reliable correlation between the findings of RCM (a sophisticated expensive tool) and Wood's lamp examination (a simple, readily available, inexpensive tool) in the assessment of the disease activity of vitiligo lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]