Injury surveillance in elite Paralympic athletes with limb deficiency: a retrospective analysis of upper quadrant injuries

Background

Compared to injury surveillance in Olympic athletes relatively little literature exists for Paralympic athletes. Injury surveillance data underpin design and evaluation of injury prevention strategies in elite sport. The aim of this study is investigate upper quadrant injuries in elite athletes with limb deficiency.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of upper quadrant injuries in elite athletes with limb deficiency with available data (2008–2016) was conducted using medical notes extracted from English Institute of Sport (EIS) records. Eligibility criteria included funded athletes, eligible for EIS physiotherapy support with an upper and/or lower limb disability arising from full or partial limb deficiency.

Results

A total 162 injuries from 34 athletes were included. Participant characteristics: 20 males (59%), from 9 sports, with mean age 27 years (range 16–50 years) and 15 with congenital limb loss (44%). Athletes age 20–29 years experienced most injuries, four per athlete. The glenohumeral joint was the reported injury site (23%, n = 38). Index (first) injuries accounted for 77% (n = 128) injuries, 17% (n = 28) a recurrence and 6% (n = 10) an exacerbation. More than half of injuries occurred in training (58%, n = 94), this being slightly higher in those with traumatic limb loss. Athletes with quadruple levels of limb deficiency had double the number of recurrent injuries as those with single or double limb deficiency.

Conclusion

Elite athletes with limb deficiency experience upper quadrant injuries, with glenohumeral joint the most frequently reported. The quality and consistency of data reported limits definitive conclusions, although findings highlight the importance of precision and accuracy in recording injury surveillance to enable implementation of effective injury prevention strategies.

Analytical techniques for multiplex analysis of protein biomarkers

INTRODUCTION

The importance of biomarkers for pharmaceutical drug development and clinical diagnostics is more significant than ever in the current shift toward personalized medicine. Biomarkers have taken a central position either as companion markers to support drug development and patient selection, or as indicators aiming to detect the earliest perturbations indicative of disease, minimizing therapeutic intervention or even enabling disease reversal. Protein biomarkers are of particular interest given their central role in biochemical pathways. Hence, capabilities to analyze multiple protein biomarkers in one assay are highly interesting for biomedical research.

AREAS COVERED

We here review multiple methods that are suitable for robust, high throughput, standardized, and affordable analysis of protein biomarkers in a multiplex format. We describe innovative developments in immunoassays, the vanguard of methods in clinical laboratories, and mass spectrometry, increasingly implemented for protein biomarker analysis. Moreover, emerging techniques are discussed with potentially improved protein capture, separation, and detection that will further boost multiplex analyses.

EXPERT COMMENTARY

The development of clinically applied multiplex protein biomarker assays is essential as multi-protein signatures provide more comprehensive information about biological systems than single biomarkers, leading to improved insights in mechanisms of disease, diagnostics, and the effect of personalized medicine.

Seeded droplet microfluidic system for small molecule crystallization

A microfluidic approach to seeded crystallization has been demonstrated using abacavir hemisulfate, a nucleoside analog reverse transcriptase inhibitor, in droplet reactors to control polymorphism and produce particles with a low particle size distribution. Two techniques are introduced: (1) the first technique involves an emulsion system consisting of a dispersed phase solvent and a continuous phase, which holds slight solubility of the dispersed phase solvent. The dispersed phase contains both a dissolved active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and seeds of the desired polymorph. While the continuous phase enables solvent extraction, the negligible solubility of the API allows for growth of seeds inside droplets via extraction and subsequent API saturation. This technique demonstrates the ability to crystallize the API in spherical agglomerates via slow extraction of droplets. (2) The second technique utilizes a combined dispersed phase by joining in-flow a seed suspension stream with a supersaturated active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) stream. The combined dispersed phase is emulsified in a continuous phase for which the dispersed phase solvent and the API are both insoluble - droplets are incubated at temperatures below their saturation limit to induce crystal growth. Decreasing the concentration of seeds in its input stream resulted in a decreased number of crystals per droplet, increase in crystal size, and decrease in PSD. Temperature cycling was utilized as a proof of concept to demonstrate the ability to reduce the number of seeds per droplet where the optimal goal is to obtain a single seed per droplet for all droplets. Utilizing this approach in conjunction with the ability to produce monodispersed droplet reactors allows for enhanced control of particle size distribution (PSD) by precisely controlling the available mass for each individual seed crystal. The development of this technique as a proof-of-concept for crystallization can be expanded to manufacturing scales in a continuous manner using parallelized droplet generators and flow reactors to precisely control the temperature and crystal growth kinetics of individual droplets.

Caregiving centenarians: Cross-national comparison in Caregiver-Burden between the United States and Japan

Background and Objectives: The personal distress associated with caring for a family member has been well documented; however, questions about the burden of caregiving for centenarians and cross-national differences in the caregiving context, remain unanswered.Research Design and Methods: This study includes reports by caregivers of 538 near-centenarians and centenarians in the U.S. and Japan: 234 from the Georgia Centenarian Study and 304 from the Tokyo Centenarian Study. Basic descriptive and multivariate regression analyses were conducted. Mean levels of caregiver burden and near-centenarian and centenarians' characteristics (as predictors) for caregiver burden were compared between the U.S. and Japan. The near-centenarian and centenarians' functional capacity and personality were assessed as predictors.Results: Differential predictive patterns in caregiver burden were found in the two groups. In the U.S., near-centenarian and centenarians' agreeableness and conscientiousness were negatively associated with caregiver burden; whereas the near-centenarian and centenarians' neuroticism and number of diseases were positively associated with caregiver burden. In Japan, the near-centenarian and centenarians' activities of daily living, openness, and agreeableness were negatively associated with caregiving burden. Interaction effects between functional capacity and personality, on caregiver burden were observed only in the U.S. In the U.S., higher levels of agreeableness and openness significantly changed the level of caregiver burden associated with vision problems and a greater number of diseases.Discussion and Implications: Cross-national comparative predictors of caregiving burden between the two countries emphasized that caring for centenarians should be understood in the caregiving context, as well as the social context.

Characterising the prognostic potential of HLA-DR during colorectal cancer development

HLA-DR, an MHC class II molecule that mediates antigen presentation, is a favourable prognostic indicator in colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the dynamics and location of HLA-DR expression during CRC development are unclear. We aimed to define HLA-DR expression by immunohistochemistry in colorectal epithelium and stromal tissue at different stages of cancer development, assessing non-neoplastic colorectal adenocarcinoma-adjacent tissue, adenomas and carcinoma tissues, and to associate HLA-DR levels with clinical outcomes. Patients with higher than median HLA-DR expression survived at least twice as long as patients with lower expression. This association was significant for HLA-DR staining in the colorectal carcinoma epithelium (n = 152, p = 0.011, HR 1.9, 95% CI 1.15-3.15) and adjacent non-neoplastic epithelium (n = 152, p < 0.001, HR 2.7, 95% CI 1.59-4.66), but not stroma. In stage II cases, however, the prognostic value of HLA-DR expression was significant only in adjacent non-neoplastic tissues, for both epithelium (n = 63, p = 0.015, HR 3.6, 95% CI 1.279-10.25) and stroma (n = 63, p = 0.018, HR 5.07, 95% CI 1.32-19.49). HLA-DR was lower in carcinoma tissue compared to matched adenomas (n = 35), in epithelium (p < 0.01) and stroma (p < 0.001). HLA-DR was further reduced in late-stage carcinoma (n = 101) compared to early stage (n = 105), in epithelium (p < 0.001) and stroma (p < 0.01). HLA-DR expression was lower (p < 0.05) in the adjacent non-neoplastic epithelium of patients with cancer recurrence. We demonstrate a progressive loss of HLA-DR in epithelial and stromal tissue compartments during CRC development and show prognostic ability in carcinoma-adjacent non-neoplastic tissues, highlighting the importance of this molecule in the anti-cancer immune response. These findings may have wider implications for immunotherapeutic interventions.

Pre-clinical models of small cell lung cancer and the validation of therapeutic targets

Introduction: Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive form of lung cancer that has a dismal prognosis. One of the factors hindering therapeutic developments for SCLC is that most SCLC is not surgically resected resulting in a paucity of material for analysis. To address this, significant efforts have been made by investigators to develop pre-clinical models of SCLC allowing for downstream target identification in this difficult to treat cancer.Areas covered: In this review, we describe the current pre-clinical models that have been developed to interrogate SCLC, and outline the benefits and limitations associated with each. Using examples we show how each has been used to (i) improve our knowledge of this intractable cancer, and (ii) identify and validate potential therapeutic targets that (iii) are currently under development and testing within the clinic.Expert opinion: The large numbers of preclinical models that have been developed have dramatically improved the ways in which we can examine SCLC and test therapeutic targets/interventions. The newer models are rapidly providing novel avenues for the design and testing of new therapeutics. Despite this many of these models have inherent flaws that limit the possibility of their use for individualized therapy decision-making for SCLC.

Pharmacokinetics of Netilmicin in CAPO Patients

The pharmacokinetics of netilmicin were studied during 16 episodes of peritonitis in CAPD patients. An initial intraperitoneal dose of 10 mg of netilmicin per litre of dialysate gives a concentration adequate for most cases. This dose may have to be increased according to the respective minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the infecting organisms.

Multi-sectorial research is paramount for preventing and controlling emerging infectious diseases

The social, economic and political consequences of emerging infectious disease (EID) may escape the sphere in which they first arise. In recent years, many EIDs have revealed the close links between human, animal and plant health, highlighting the need for multi-scale, multisectorial EID management. Human beings play a dual role in EID because they can promote their development through numerous human-environment interfaces and expanding international trade. On the other hand, their ability to analyze, interpret and act on the determinants of EID allows them to access the expertise necessary to control these EIDs. This expertise must be constantly adapted to remain relevant as the EID evolves, particularly in its virulence or transmission channels. Flexibility should become an inherent part of the expertise-based decision-making process even if it means going backwards. A certain degree of transparency and feedback to citizens is necessary for the acceptability of political decisions basing on expertise. A key step in the management of EID is the appropriate management of the early signal of infectious emergence. This step combines multidisciplinary skills allowing access to the best pathway for containing EID by implementing early countermeasures adapted to the situation. New digital technologies could significantly improve this early detection phase. Finally, experts have a fundamental role to play because they are located at the interface between operational actors and decision-makers, which allows multidirectional feedback, ideally in real time, between professional actors and decision makers. To combat current and future EIDs, expertise should be based on a multi-sectorial approach, promotion of collegiality and continuously adaptation to the evolving nature of EIDs.

Genetic correlations among selected traits in Canadian Holsteins

In the Canadian dairy industry, there are currently over 80 traits routinely evaluated, and more are considered for potential selection. Particularly, in the last few years, recording has commenced for several new phenotypes required to introduce novel traits with high economic importance into the selection program. However, without a systematic estimation of the genetic correlations that exist among traits, the potential results of indirect selection are unknown. Therefore, 29 traits representative of the trait diversity for first lactation Canadian animals were selected. Their two-by-two genetic correlations were estimated from a dataset of 62 498 first lactation Holstein cows, using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo Gibbs sampling approach. The general tendencies among the groups of traits confirm that production traits are negatively correlated with fertility traits and that functional traits are positively correlated with one another. The association of udder depth with fertility and disease resistance has also been highlighted. This contribution offers a comprehensive overview of current estimates across traits and includes correlations with novel traits that constitute an original addition to the literature. These new estimates can be used for newly developed genomic evaluation models and possibly lead to more accurate estimations of the dairy cows’ overall genetic merit.

Psychiatric and physical outcomes of long-term use of lithium in older adults with bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder: A cross-sectional multicenter study

OBJECTIVE

Although lithium is widely used in current practice to treat bipolar disorder (BD) and treatment-resistant major depressive disorder (MDD) among older adults, little is known about its efficacy and tolerability in this population, which is generally excluded from randomized clinical trials. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of long-term use of lithium among older adults with BD and MDD.

METHOD

Data from the Cohort of individuals with Schizophrenia and mood disorders Aged 55 years or more (CSA) were used. Two groups of patients with BD and MDD were compared: those who were currently receiving lithium versus those who were not. The effects of lithium on psychiatric (i.e., depressive symptoms severity, perceived clinical severity, rates of psychiatric admissions in the past-year), geriatric (overall and cognitive functioning) and physical outcomes (i.e., rates of non-psychiatric medical comorbidities and general hospital admissions in the past-year) were evaluated. All analyses were adjusted for age, sex, duration of disorder, diagnosis, smoking status, alcohol use, and use of antipsychotics, antiepileptics or antidepressants.

RESULTS

Among the 281 older participants with BD or MDD, 15.7% were taking lithium for a mean duration of 12.5(SD = 11.6) years. Lithium use was associated with lower intensity of depressive symptoms, reduced perceived clinical global severity and lower benzodiazepine use (all p < 0.05), without being linked to greater rates of medical comorbidities, except for hypothyroidism.

LIMITATIONS

Data were cross-sectional and data on lifetime history of psychotropic medications was not assessed.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that long-term lithium use may be efficient and relatively well-tolerated in older adults with BD or treatment-resistant MDD.

The Uptake and Efficacy of Neoadjuvant Therapy in Older Adults with Locally Advanced Esophogastric Cancer

BACKGROUND

Data on Neo+/- adjuvant treatment in older patients with cancer is sparse. The management of locally advanced esophagogastric cancer (LAEC) in older patients was evaluated to determine treatment modalities and identify factors associated with survival.

METHODS

Patients diagnosed with LAEC (stage II or III) over 5 years were identified from the National Cancer Registry of Ireland. Treatment was classified as "best supportive care (BSC)," "surgery only," "neo/adjuvant treatment," and "chemo/radiation alone."Survival was assessed. Univariate and multivariate analysis (MVA) of clinicopathological factors and treatment was conducted.

RESULTS

Forty-six percent (n = 580) of the 1251 patients were ≥ 70 years, 11% (n = 134) received BSC, 23% (n = 288) surgery only, 31% (n = 390) had chemo/radiation alone, and 35% (n = 439) had neo/adjuvant treatment. Forty-six percent, 10%, and 0% of patients < 75, ≥ 75, and ≥ 80 years of age, respectively, received neoadjuvant treatment. Age was associated with treatment received (p < 0.001). Older patients were less likely to receive neo/adjuvant treatment, surgery, and any treatment. Median survival (OS) decreased with age (< 70 years: 23 months; 70-74: 19 months; 75-79: 13 months; ≥ 80 years: 10 months). In MVA, older age, smoking, later stage, and higher grade were significantly associated with a higher risk of death. Patients receiving neo/adjuvant treatment had lower risk of death than any other treatment group regardless of age.

CONCLUSION

Older patients were less likely to receive treatment for LAEC than younger patients. Patients aged ≥ 70 years benefit from neo/adjuvant treatment. Prospective clinical trials focusing on older patients and incorporating life expectancy, comorbidities, and geriatric assessment are needed to guide treatment.

Below Chance Performance of p < .05 or p < .20: Frequency of Statistically Below Chance Scores in Dementia

Objective

A p-value of < .05 has traditionally been utilized to determine below chance performance on forced-choice performance validity tests (PVT). Recently, Binder and colleagues (2014 & 2018) proposed that the p-value cutoff increase to < .20. To ensure this does not result in frequent false-positive errors in patients who are likely to have significant cognitive impairment, frequency of below chance scores at both p-values were examined within the context of possible dementia.

Method

Archival data of cognitively impaired inpatient (n = 55; mean RBANS Total Score = 64.67) and outpatient (n = 203; mean RBANS Total Score = 74.15) older adults without external incentives were examined to determine frequency of below chance performances on the Coin-in-the-Hand Test. To supplement this data and examine below chance performance on a second PVT, the authors reviewed empirical literature and extracted data on TOMM performance in individuals with dementia. Four studies (n = 269 patients) provided data that could be extracted.

Results

No patient produced a Coin-in-the-Hand Test score (0/258 individuals) reaching either p value cutoff. Similarly, no patient produced a TOMM Trial 2 (0/121 individuals) or Retention score (0/84 individuals) reaching either p value cutoff. For TOMM Trial 1, no patient (0/44) scored at p < .05 but two patients (2/64) scored at p < .20.

Conclusions

No individual in this study produced scores on either PVT reaching the p < .05 cutoff. At the p < .20 cutoff, there were only 2 out of 527 performances (0.4%) that reached this threshold; both of which were observed on TOMM Trial 1. This data supports the recommendation that p < .20 be used when determining below chance performance.

A-76 Specificity of the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status Digit Span as a Validity Indicator in Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia

Objective

The current study sought to examine the specificity of Digit Span (DS) scaled score from the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) as a performance validity test (PVT) in older adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) or dementia.

Method

Archival data were utilized and included 195 patients (mean age = 72.8; mean education = 13.2) who underwent outpatient neuropsychological evaluations. Cases that had missing data, did not meet criteria for a neurocognitive disorder, or whose performance was deemed invalid were excluded. Participants were classified according to their evaluation diagnosis of MCI (n = 72; mean RBANS total score = 86.8) or dementia. Those diagnosed with dementia were divided by MoCA performance and categorized as mild dementia (n = 90; MoCA≥15; mean RBANS Total Score = 71.0) or moderate dementia (n = 33; MoCA < 15; mean RBANS Total Score = 55.9). Scaled score frequencies were analyzed to calculate specificity for each group.

Results

An RBANS DS scaled score of ≤4 occurred infrequently in older adults with MCI and mild dementia, resulting in specificity values of 0.93 and 0.90, respectively. In moderate dementia, specificity fell to 0.68 when using a scaled score of ≤4, with a cutoff of ≤2 required to maintain adequate specificity.

Conclusions

Findings suggest utility of RBANS DS scaled score as a PVT in dementia evaluations provided use of appropriate cutoffs. A more stringent cutoff was required in examinees with moderate dementia relative to patients with MCI and mild dementia. Future research should examine the RBANS DS sensitivity to invalid performance, as well as DS specificity across specific etiologies of MCI and dementia.

A Systematic Review of the Specificity of the Test of Memory Malingering in Children

Objective

The present study, adhering to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, is the first systematic review of the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM) to examine the specificity of traditional adult cutoffs in children ages 5-18.

Data Selection

Article search terms and selection criteria were identified a priori. A search of PsycINFO and PubMED in January 2018 identified 539 peer-reviewed journal articles published from 1997-2017. Studies were excluded if they did not involve a pediatric sample, did not provide a means for ensuring validity external to the TOMM, contained samples overlapping those of other included studies, or did not provide sufficient data to calculate specificity values at traditional cutoffs. Frequencies of true negatives and false positives were extracted. When not available, these counts were calculated from sample size and specificity values. Data extraction was completed independently by the first two authors with any discrepancies rectified via discussion. Data were synthesized using a fixed effects model to calculate overall specificity.

Data Synthesis

Application of selection criteria resulted in 9 articles comprising 13 samples for Trial 2 and 3 studies comprising 5 samples for Retention. Weighted mean specificity was 0.98 for Trial 2 (n = 662) and 0.99 for Retention (n = 173) at standard cutoffs.

Conclusions

TOMM Trial 2 and Retention at traditional cutoffs maintain specificity values in pediatrics comparable to those of adults. Given limited research on the potential impact of very young age and extremely low cognitive functioning, further research will be important in determining the generalizability of these results across all pediatric populations.

KH-Type Splicing Regulatory Protein Controls Colorectal Cancer Cell Growth and Modulates the Tumor Microenvironment

KH-type splicing regulatory protein (KHSRP) is a multifunctional nucleic acid binding protein implicated in key aspects of cancer cell biology: inflammation and cell-fate determination. However, the role KHSRP plays in colorectal cancer (CRC) tumorigenesis remains largely unknown. Using a combination of in silico analysis of large data sets, ex vivo analysis of protein expression in patients, and mechanistic studies using in vitro models of CRC, we investigated the oncogenic role of KHSRP. We demonstrated KHSRP expression in the epithelial and stromal compartments of both primary and metastatic tumors. Elevated expression was found in tumor versus matched normal tissue, and these findings were validated in larger independent cohorts in silico. KHSRP expression was a prognostic indicator of worse overall survival (hazard ratio, 3.74; 95% CI, 1.43-22.97; P = 0.0138). Mechanistic data in CRC cell line models supported a role of KHSRP in driving epithelial cell proliferation in both a primary and metastatic setting, through control of the G₁/S transition. In addition, KHSRP promoted a proangiogenic extracellular environment by regulating the secretion of oncogenic proteins involved in diverse cellular processes, such as migration and response to cellular stress. Our study provides novel mechanistic insight into the tumor-promoting effects of KHSRP in CRC.

A new energy spectrum reconstruction method for time-of-flight diagnostics of high-energy laser-driven protons

The Time-of-Flight (TOF) technique coupled with semiconductorlike detectors, as silicon carbide and diamond, is one of the most promising diagnostic methods for high-energy, high repetition rate, laser-accelerated ions allowing a full on-line beam spectral characterization. A new analysis method for reconstructing the energy spectrum of high-energy laser-driven ion beams from TOF signals is hereby presented and discussed. The proposed method takes into account the detector's working principle, through the accurate calculation of the energy loss in the detector active layer, using Monte Carlo simulations. The analysis method was validated against well-established diagnostics, such as the Thomson parabola spectrometer, during an experimental campaign carried out at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (UK) with the high-energy laser-driven protons accelerated by the VULCAN Petawatt laser.

Digit Span Forward as a Performance Validity Test in Dementia Evaluations: Specificity in Mild Cognitive Impairment, Mild Dementia, and Moderate Dementia

Objective

Traditional performance validity tests (PVTs) often yield high false positive rates in dementia evaluations. The current study examined the frequency of extremely low scores (≤ 2 percentile) on WAIS-IV Digit Span Forward (DSF) in older adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) or dementia to evaluate its possible utility as a PVT in these populations.

Method

Archival data from outpatient neuropsychological evaluations were analyzed. Individuals who were not diagnosed with a neurocognitive disorder, had missing data, or were believed to be invalidly performing were excluded. Participants (n = 195; mean age = 72.8; mean education = 13.2 years) were classified according to their evaluation diagnosis of MCI (n = 72; mean RBANS Total Score = 86.8) or dementia. Dementia patients were further divided by MoCA score into groups of mild dementia (n = 90; MoCA≥15; mean RBANS Total Score = 71.0) or moderate dementia (n = 33; MoCA < 15; mean RBANS Total Score = 55.9). Frequencies of scaled scores were analyzed to calculate specificity values for each group.

Results

A WAIS-IV DSF scaled score of ≤4 (≤ 2 percentile) resulted in specificity values of 0.99 and 0.94 in MCI and mild dementia, respectively. Conversely, in moderate dementia, ≥0.90 specificity was achieved only when using a more conservative cutoff of ≤2.

Conclusions

Low DSF scaled scores occurred infrequently in MCI and mild dementia, indicating strong specificity and potential utility as a PVT in these populations. However, in moderate dementia, low DSF scores were more common, requiring use of a more stringent cutoff. Future research should examine DSF sensitivity to invalid performance, as well as DSF specificity according to specific etiologies of MCI and dementia.

Use of inline near-infrared spectroscopy to predict the viscosity of shampoo using multivariate analysis

Objective

In the personal care industry, viscosity is a critical quality attribute that influences product quality and process economics. Like many industrial liquids, personal care liquids are complex non‐Newtonian liquids made up of aqueous surfactant systems whose viscosity depends on the build‐up of micellar networks. Measuring the viscosity of complex liquids offline is easily done using benchtop rheometers and viscometers. The challenge lies in measuring the viscosity of personal care liquids online during manufacturing. Being able to track the viscosity of such products through their manufacturing cycle will not only allow for better process control but also more enhanced quality control. Therefore, the aim of this work was to investigate how proxy measurements using inline near‐infrared (NIR) spectroscopy in transmission mode can be used to predict the viscosity of shampoo. NIR spectroscopy has not, to the best our knowledge, been used to predict the viscosity of complex surfactant systems like shampoo and could significantly affect the way quality is monitored in a manufacturing environment.

Method

This work focuses on viscosity changes because of differences in chloride content as salt is often used to adjust viscosity. The relationship between salt content and the viscosity of shampoo is well known following the salt curve. From an industrial perspective the region of interest for the formulation studied in this work only covers a small section of this curve. Therefore, two predictive models were developed: one covering the full range of the salt curve and another focusing on the industrially applicable region.

Result

Models were produced using partial least squares (PLS) where both datasets showed some predictive ability with the concentrated region of interest showing enhanced performance [root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) – 2.32 Pa s] compared with the larger range (RMSEP – 4.44 Pa s).

Conclusion

This work provides a good starting point for developing robust predictive models for in situ viscosity measurements for shampoo manufacturing, where further work into different sources of variation and the extent of the modelling capability with regards to different formulations should be studied.