Measurement of RNA can be used to study and monitor a range of infectious and non-communicable diseases, with profiling of multiple gene expression mRNA transcripts being increasingly applied to cancer stratification and prognosis. An international comparison study (Consultative Committee for Amount of Substance (CCQM)-P103.1) was performed in order to evaluate the comparability of measurements of RNA copy number ratio for multiple gene targets between two samples. Six exogenous synthetic targets comprising of External RNA Control Consortium (ERCC) standards were measured alongside transcripts for three endogenous gene targets present in the background of human cell line RNA. The study was carried out under the auspices of the Nucleic Acids (formerly Bioanalysis) Working Group of the CCQM. It was coordinated by LGC (United Kingdom) with the support of National Institute of Standards and Technology (USA) and results were submitted from thirteen National Metrology Institutes and Designated Institutes. The majority of laboratories performed RNA measurements using RT-qPCR, with datasets also being submitted by two laboratories based on reverse transcription digital polymerase chain reaction and one laboratory using a next-generation sequencing method. In RT-qPCR analysis, the RNA copy number ratios between the two samples were quantified using either a standard curve or a relative quantification approach. In general, good agreement was observed between the reported results of ERCC RNA copy number ratio measurements. Measurements of the RNA copy number ratios for endogenous genes between the two samples were also consistent between the majority of laboratories. Some differences in the reported values and confidence intervals (‘measurement uncertainties’) were noted which may be attributable to choice of measurement method or quantification approach. This highlights the need for standardised practices for the calculation of fold change ratios and uncertainties in the area of gene expression profiling.

To cope with amphibian die-offs caused by ranavirus, it is important to know the underlying ranavirus prevalence in a region. We studied the ranavirus prevalence in tadpoles of two native and one introduced anuran species inhabiting agricultural and surrounding areas at 49 locations across eight provinces of South Korea by applying qPCR. The local ranavirus prevalence and the individual infection rates at infected locations were 32.6% and 16.1%, respectively, for Dryophytes japonicus (Japanese tree frog); 25.6% and 26.1% for Pelophylax nigromaculatus (Black-spotted pond frog); and 30.5% and 50.0% for Lithobates catesbeianus (American bullfrog). The individual infection rate of L. catesbeianus was significantly greater than that of D. japonicus. The individual infection rate of P. nigromaculatus was related to the site-specific precipitation and air temperature. The individual infection rate gradually increased from Gosner development stage 39, and intermittent infection was confirmed in the early and middle developmental stages. Our results show that ranavirus is widespread among wild amphibians living in agricultural areas of South Korea, and mass die-offs by ranavirus could occur at any time.

| Abstract | PURPOSE:The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of visual control on gait speed and balance in patients with stroke. Static balance and gait speed were investigated with comparison and fixed direction of visual. METHODS:We included twenty-six patients with stroke. CONCLUSION:The results from this study showed that the visual direction effected on static balance and the faster visual movement made to increase the gait speed. Therefore the rehabilitation training with visual control may be implemented for stroke patients.

The Police force and other public sector organizations do not like non-ethical evaluation of their members and disclosure of evaluation results. However, it is essential for survival and growth of the organization to identify, measure and resolve accurately the non-ethical behaviors of their members.In this study, the dimensions of police officers' unethical behavior were categorized as negligence, personal use, dishonesty, and misconduct of police officers, and the level of those dimensions were measured. After that, the differences due to the individual and work environmental characteristics were explored. The result showed that the level of non-ethical behavior was lowerer than the average. And the differences was statistically significant according to gender, rank of organization, deployed department of the work, and the period of work duration. This implied the necessities of education of police ethics, ethical atmosphere, and establishment of ethical system per differences in individual and work environmental characteristics. Also, considering the fact that the low level of ethical behavior did not lead to ethical action in actual and the inherent problem in research method how frankly the respondents answered the negative self-evaluation, continuous interest in non-ethical behavior and further systemic research are needed in a dimension of personnel management.■ keyword :|Unethical Behavior|Negligence|Personal Use|Dishonesty|Misconduct|Police Officers|

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