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A mobile laboratory transportable on commercial flights was developed to enable local response to viral hemorrhagic fever outbreaks. The development progressed from use of mobile real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction to mobile real-time recombinase polymerase amplification. In this study, we describe various stages of the mobile laboratory development. A brief overview of mobile laboratory deployments, which culminated in the first on-site detection of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in March 2014, and their successful use in a campaign to roll back EVD cases in Conakry in the West Africa Ebola virus outbreak are described. The developed mobile laboratory successfully enabled local teams to perform rapid disgnostic testing for viral hemorrhagic fever.

Background Leishmania donovani (LD) is a protozoan parasite transmitted to humans from sand flies, which causes Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL). Currently, the diagnosis is based on presence of the anti-LD antibodies and clinical symptoms. Molecular diagnosis would require real-time PCR, which is not easy to implement at field settings. In this study, we report on the development and testing of a recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) assay for the detection of LD. Methods A genomic DNA sample was applied to determine the assay analytical sensitivity. The cross-reactivity of the assay was tested by DNA of Leishmania spp. and of pathogens considered for differential diagnosis. The clinical performance of the assay was evaluated on LD positive and negative samples. All results were compared with real-time PCR. To allow the use of the assay at field settings, a mobile suitcase laboratory (56 × 45.5 × 26.5 cm) was developed and operated at the local hospital in Mymensingh, Bangladesh. Results The LD RPA assay detected equivalent to one LD genomic DNA. The assay was performed at constant temperature (42 °C) in 15 min. The RPA assay also detected other Leishmania species ( L. major , L. aethiopica and L. infantum ), but did not identify nucleic acid of other pathogens. Forty-eight samples from VL, asymptomatic and post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis subjects were detected positive and 48 LD-negative samples were negative by both LD RPA and real-time PCR assays, which indicates 100 % agreement. The suitcase laboratory was successfully operated at the local hospital by using a solar-powered battery. DNA extraction was performed by a novel magnetic bead based method (SpeedXtract), in which a simple fast lysis protocol was applied. Moreover, All reagents were cold-chain independent. Conclusions The mobile suitcase laboratory using RPA is ideal for rapid sensitive and specific detection of LD especially at low resource settings and could contribute to VL control and elimination programmes.

Background Lateral incisional hernias represent a distinct subset of abdominal wall defects and pose specific challenges in minimally invasive surgery due to unfavorable force vectors and the absence of a central anchoring structure. Hybrid approaches combining laparoscopic dissection with open fascial closure can facilitate repair but partially negate the benefits of minimally invasive surgery. This study evaluated the safety and effectiveness of a fully laparoscopic method for fascial closure—the Laparoscopic Suitcase Technique (LST). While central traction techniques have been previously described, their standardized laparoscopic application in lateral incisional hernias has not been clearly defined. Methods A retrospective comparative cohort study was conducted at a single tertiary referral center. Consecutive adult patients undergoing elective minimally invasive preperitoneal repair of lateral incisional hernias (EHS L1–L4, defect width ≥ 4 cm) were included. Patients treated with a hybrid approach between January 2019 and February 2020 were compared with patients treated exclusively using LST between July 2023 and January 2025. Surgical technique, mesh type, fixation, and overlap were standardized, with the method of fascial closure as the only procedural difference. Primary outcomes were operative time and 30-day postoperative complications. Secondary outcomes included length of hospital stay, mesh area, and hernia recurrence at 12 months. Results Thirty-three patients were included (hybrid n  = 16; LST n  = 17). Baseline demographic and hernia characteristics were comparable between groups. Median operative time was significantly shorter in the LST group (130.0 vs. 155.5 min, p  = 0.02). Overall 30-day complication rates were similar and limited to Clavien–Dindo grade I–II events. Length of hospital stay was significantly reduced with LST (3.0 vs. 4.5 days, p  < 0.001). No hernia recurrences were observed at 12-month follow-up in either group. Conclusions The Laparoscopic Suitcase Technique is a safe and feasible approach that may facilitate fully laparoscopic fascial closure in selected patients. By enabling early central tension redistribution, LST facilitates controlled closure while avoiding hybrid access and preserving a fully laparoscopic workflow.

•PMI determination based on insects of a body concealed in suitcase.•Insects could colonize corpses in suitcase.•Absence of certain species of insects could provide special clue for the case. Murderers sometimes dispose of bodies in zipped suitcases in an attempt to conceal their crimes. In these cases, the species of insects found and their succession patterns are typically different from those found on exposed corpses due to hindrances or delays in colonization. Here we report a case in which an unidentified female corpse was found in a soft-shell suitcase in a wetland area among some reeds in Guangdong, China on 13 May 2018. The suitcase was unbroken and zippers were well-sealed. The victim was a young woman, naked, and curled up in the suitcase. The insect evidence we collected include (i) pupae and empty puparia of Chrysomya nigripes (Aubertin) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) and Fannia canicularis (Linnaeus) (Diptera, Muscidae), (ii) larvae, pupae and empty puparia of Megaselia scalaris (Loew) (Diptera: Phoridae) and Hermetia illucens (Linnaeus) (Diptera: Stratiomyidae). According to this insect evidence, we estimated the PMImin as 56 days. Bhadra et al. (2014) show that larvae of Calliphora vomitoria (Linnaeus) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) and Calliphora vicina (Robineau-Desvoidy) (Diptera, Calliphoridae) can colonize carcasses concealed in zipped suitcases. Although the size of the zipper (7mm) in this case is larger than that described in Bhadra et al. (4mm), we did not find Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), Chrysomya rufifacies (Macquart) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), or Lucilia sericata (Meigen) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) which usually colonize fresh corpses in this area. Therefore, we deduced that the victim may have been killed in winter. After the crime was solved, the murderer confessed that he killed the victim on 5 January.

In recent years we have seen a major shift and trend to the use of four-wheeled suitcase with the reason of easiness to manage and perhaps a better balance. Unlike four-wheeled suitcase with single storage platform with the edge opening models which provide rolling stability and comfort handling, four-wheeled suitcase with splitting storage platforms with the middle opening models is often given rolling instability and less comfort handling because the underside sometimes is uneven position and affects the movement of the wheels. Pushing beside and pulling behind a suitcase with rolling wheels instability over a long period of time can induce musculoskeletal disorders. Through the analysis of existing suitcase designs, the questionnaire was used to collect customer voice data from a random sample of 126 respondents. After that, a research was conducted to design products and simulate tensile strengths for several types of materials. Here, silicone is the best option for material of the product.

Quasi-two-dimensional (Quasi-2D) van der Waals (vdW) materials can be mechanically or chemically exfoliated down to monolayer because of their strong intralayer bonding and the weak interlayer vdW interaction. Thanks to this unique property, one can often find exotic thickness-dependent electronic properties from these quasi-2D vdW materials, which can lead to bandgap opening, emerging superconductivity, or enhanced charge density waves with decreasing thickness. Surface-sensitive scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) can provide direct observation of structural and electronic characteristics of such layered materials with atomic precision in real space. However, it is very challenging to preserve the intrinsic surfaces of air-sensitive quasi-2D materials between preparation and measurement. In addition, vdW 2D crystals after exfoliation are extremely hard to explore with a typical STM setup due to their small size (≤ 10 μm). Here, we present a straightforward method compatible with any STM setup having optical access: (1) exfoliating and/or stacking layered materials in a glove box, (2) transferring them to an ultra-high vacuum STM chamber using a suitcase without exposure to air, and (3) navigating surface to locate exfoliated vdW 2D flakes with different thicknesses. We successfully demonstrated that the clean surfaces of the air-sensitive Fe 3 GeTe 2 can be effectively protected from unwanted oxidation during transfer. Furthermore, our method provides a simple but useful way to access a specific tiny stack of layered materials without any ex-situ fabrication processes for STM navigation. Our experimental improvement will open up a new way to investigate air-sensitive layered vdW materials with various thicknesses via surface-sensitive techniques including STM.

Notwithstanding the opportunities it provides, the implementation of some measures of the EU Common Agricultural Policy (EU CAP), including agri-environment-climate measures (AECMs), also generates threats. The study identifies an extremely disturbing process that can be referred to as “internal neo-colonialism”, which has been driven by the technocratic agrarian policy of the EU and transformations in Poland at the turn of the twenty-first century. The associated disadvantageous practices mainly affect areas under threat of marginalisation and peripheralisation, including Poland with its post-Socialist heritage, which has shaped the attitudes and behaviour of society and has consolidated linkages between politics and business. In order to retrace such activities, the study analyses EU funds granted in support of farmers implementing AECMs, with a focus on analysing the place of residence of the “farmer” and the location of the farm. As the research shows, the attractiveness of CAP support causes Polish agriculture and Poland’s countryside, including its natural and financial resources, to be drained by so-called “suitcase farmers”, i.e. people/entities not tied to the place where the agricultural activity is pursued, many of whom live in cities. One common practice is to take over land located in legally protected areas noted for their high quality of natural environment. Not only does the practice of land grabbing strengthen the social exclusion of rural communities and the peripheralisation and pauperisation of these areas, but it also hinders discussion about environmental justice and the ecological integrity of rural areas.

In mathematics, there are four basic operations that students must master from the elementary school level, namely addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. However, some students experience difficulties or misunderstandings in interpreting multiplication as repeated addition. This research aims to improve the learning outcomes of second-grade students on multiplication material in elementary schools. This research used the teacher action research approach with 20 second-grade students at Kepuhan Sewon Public Elementary School as participants. Apart from that, this research used two data collection methods, namely providing mathematical worksheets and observations carried out by special observers. Data analysis was carried out by looking at the students’ average scores, reflecting through focus group discussions with observers, and filling in observation sheets by the teacher. Furthermore, the results of this research are presented in the form of teacher observation sheet scores and mathematical worksheets work results. The score results on the observation sheet show an increase in scores from learning in cycle 1 to cycle 2. In addition, the average score of students’ mathematical worksheets after intervention in the form of smart suitcase media and mathematical worksheets always increases with pre-cycle details (82), cycle I (93), and cycle II (94). Thus, the use of smart suitcase media assisted by mathematical worksheets has direct implications for improving the learning outcomes of second-grade students in the material of multiplication of integers.

A two-wheel suitcase or trolley can exhibit undamped rocking oscillations from one wheel to the other when pulled fast enough. We study this instability both experimentally—with a toy model of a suitcase rolling on a treadmill—and theoretically. The suitcase oscillates only if a finite perturbation is applied. This is because intrinsic dissipation occurs when the supporting wheel switches. When unstable, the suitcase either increasingly rocks until overturning or reaches a stable limit cycle. The friction force at the rolling wheels constrains wheels to roll without slipping. This constraint imposes a coupling between the translational motion and the three-dimensional rotational motion of the suitcase that drives the rocking instability. The same behaviours are observed in the experiments and in the simulations. The asymptotic scaling laws we observe in the simulations are explained by means of a simplified model where the coupling force is explicit.

With the advancement of isothermal nucleic acid amplification techniques, detection of the pathogenic DNA in clinical samples at point-of-need is no longer a dream. The newly developed recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) assay incorporated in a suitcase laboratory has shown promising diagnostic efficacy over real-time PCR in detection of leishmania DNA from clinical samples. For broader application of this point-of-need system, we undertook a current multi-country diagnostic evaluation study towards establishing this technique in different endemic settings which would be beneficial for the ongoing elimination programs for leishmaniasis. For this study purpose, clinical samples from confirmed visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) patients were subjected to both real-time PCR and RPA assay in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal. Further skin samples from confirmed cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) patients were also included from Sri Lanka. A total of 450 clinical samples from VL patients, 429 from PKDL patients, 47 from CL patients, and 322 from endemic healthy/healthy controls were under investigation to determine the diagnostic efficacy of RPA assay in comparison to real-time PCR. A comparative sensitivity of both methods was found where real-time PCR and RPA assay showed 96.86% (95% CI: 94.45–98.42) and 88.85% (95% CI: 85.08–91.96) sensitivity respectively in the diagnosis of VL cases. This new isothermal method also exhibited promising diagnostic sensitivity (93.50%) for PKDL cases, when a skin sample was used. Due to variation in the sequence of target amplicons, RPA assay showed comparatively lower sensitivity (55.32%) than that of real-time PCR in Sri Lanka for the diagnosis of CL cases. Except for India, the assay presented absolute specificity in the rest of the sites. Excellent concordance between the two molecular methods towards detection of leishmania DNA in clinical samples substantiates the application of RPA assay incorporated in a suitcase laboratory for point-of-need diagnosis of VL and PKDL in low resource endemic settings. However, further improvisation of the method is necessary for diagnosis of CL.