Improved Spatiotemporal Framework for Human Activity Recognition in Smart Environment.

The rapid development of microsystems technology with the availability of various machine learning algorithms facilitates human activity recognition (HAR) and localization by low-cost and low-complexity systems in various applications related to industry 4.0, healthcare, ambient assisted living as well as tracking and navigation tasks. Previous work, which provided a spatiotemporal framework for HAR by fusing sensor data generated from an inertial measurement unit (IMU) with data obtained by an RGB photodiode for visible light sensing (VLS), already demonstrated promising results for real-time HAR and room identification. Based on these results, we extended the system by applying feature extraction methods of the time and frequency domain to improve considerably the correct determination of common human activities in industrial scenarios in combination with room localization. This increases the correct detection of activities to over 90% accuracy. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that this solution is applicable to real-world operating conditions in ambient light.

Adjuvant hypofractionated radiotherapy with simultaneous integrated boost after breast-conserving surgery: results of a prospective trial.

PURPOSE: We report results of a multicenter prospective single-arm phase II trial (ARO-2013-04, NCT01948726) of moderately accelerated hypofractionated radiotherapy with a simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) in patients with breast cancer receiving adjuvant radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery. METHODS: The eligibility criteria included unifocal breast cancer with an indication for adjuvant radiotherapy to the whole breast and boost radiotherapy to the tumor bed. The whole breast received a dose of 40 Gy and the tumor bed a total dose of 48 Gy in 16 fractions of 2.5 and 3 Gy, respectively. Radiotherapy could be given either as 3D conformal RT (3D-CRT) or as intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). The study was designed as a prospective single-arm trial to evaluate the acute toxicity of the treatment regimen. The study hypothesis was that the frequency of acute skin reaction grade ≥2 would be 20% or less. RESULTS: From November 2013 through July 2014, 149 patients were recruited from 12 participating centers. Six patients were excluded, leaving 143 patients for analysis. Eighty-four patients (58.7%) were treated with 3D-CRT and 59 (41.3%) with IMRT. Adherence to the treatment protocol was high. The rate of grade ≥2 skin toxicity was 14.7% (95% confidence interval 9.8-21.4%). The most frequent grade 3 toxicity (11%) was hot flashes. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated low toxicity of and high treatment adherence to hypofractionated adjuvant radiotherapy with SIB in a multicenter prospective trial, although the primary hypothesis was not met.

Value of pre- and intraoperative diagnostic methods in suspected glottic neoplasia.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the individual and combined ability of videostroboscopy (VS), high-speed digital imaging (HSDI), enhanced endoscopy (EE) and saline infusion (SI) to predict neoplasia, defined as glottic precursor lesion (GPL) or T1a glottic cancer, in patients suspected for glottic neoplasia. METHODS: A nationwide prospective cohort study of patients treated by cordectomy for suspected GPL or T1a glottic cancer from August 1st 2016 to October 31st 2018 was conducted in the five Danish University Departments of Head and Neck surgery. Sensitivity, specificity, negative and positive predictive values, and area under Receiver Operating Curves (AUC-ROC) were calculated with 95% confidence intervals with respect to the histological diagnosis. Logistic regression with an imputation model for missing data was applied. RESULTS: 261 patients aged 34-91 years participated; 79 (30.3%) with non-neoplasia (i.e., inflammation, papilloma, hyperkeratosis) and 182 (69.7%) neoplasia, hereof 95 (36.4%) with GPL and 87 (33.3%) with T1a glottic cancer. Data from 188 VS, 60 HSDI, 100 preoperative EE, 209 intraoperative EE, and 234 SI were analyzed. In the complete case analysis the AUC-ROC of each diagnostic test was low, but increased when the tests were combined and especially if the combination included EE. However, multinomial logistic regression with imputation showed significant association (p < 0.05) only between age, male gender, and perpendicular vasculature in intraoperative EE, and the endpoint neoplasia. CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative EE was the most accurate diagnostic method in detecting neoplasia. The prediction ability of methods applied preoperatively was more limited, but improved when test modalities were combined.

Soybean Seed Development: Fatty Acid and Phytohormone Metabolism and Their Interactions.

Vegetable oil utilization is determined by its fatty acid composition. In soybean and other grain crops, during the seed development oil accumulation is important trait for value in food or industrial applications. Seed development is relatively short and sensitive to unfavorable abiotic conditions. These stresses can lead to a numerous undesirable qualitative as well as quantitative changes in fatty acid production. Fatty acid manipulation which targets a higher content of a specific single fatty acid for food or industrial application has gained more attention. Despite several successes in modifying the ratio of endogenous fatty acids in most domesticated oilseed crops, numerous obstacles in FA manipulation of seed maturation are yet to be overcome. Remarkably, connections with plant hormones have not been well studied despite their critical roles in the regulation and promotion of a plethora of processes in plant growth and development. While activities of phytohormones during the reproductive phase have been partially clarified in seed physiology, the biological role of plant hormones in oil accumulation during seed development has not been investigated. In this review seed development and numerous effects of abiotic stresses are discussed. After describing fatty acid and phytohormone metabolism and their interactions, we postulate that the endogenous plant hormones play important roles in fatty acid production in soybean seeds.

Hypofractionation with simultaneous integrated boost for early breast cancer: results of the German multicenter phase II trial (ARO-2010-01).

PURPOSE: To evaluate the feasibility of hypofractionation with SIB in all settings in Germany to prepare a multicenter treatment comparison. METHODS: Eligible patients had histopathologically confirmed breast cancer operated by BCS. Patients received WBI 40.0 Gy in 16 fractions of 2.5 Gy. A SIB with 0.5 Gy per fraction was administered to the tumor bed, thereby giving 48.0 Gy in 16 fractions to the boost-PTV sparing heart, LAD, lung, contralateral breast. The primary study objective was feasibility, administration of specified dose in 16 fractions within 22-29 days with adherence to certain dose constraints (heart; LAD; contralateral breast); secondary endpoints were toxicity, QoL. RESULTS: 151 patients were recruited from 7 institutions between 07/11-10/12. 10 patients met exclusion criteria prior to irradiation. All but two patients (99%) received the prescribed dose in the PTVs. Adherence to dose constraints and time limits was achieved in 89% (95% CI 82% to 93%). 11 AE were reported in 10 patients; five related to concurrent endocrine therapy. Two of the AEs were related to radiotherapy: grade 3 hot flushes in two cases. QoL remained unchanged. CONCLUSION: Hypofractionation with a SIB is feasible and was well tolerated in this study.

Material flow analysis of NdFeB magnets for Denmark: a comprehensive waste flow sampling and analysis approach.

Neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnets have become highly desirable for modern hi-tech applications. These magnets, in general, contain two key rare earth elements (REEs), i.e., neodymium (Nd) and dysprosium (Dy), which are responsible for the very high strength of these magnets, allowing for considerable size and weight reduction in modern applications. This study aims to explore the current and future potential of a secondary supply of neodymium and dysprosium from recycling of NdFeB magnets. For this purpose, material flow analysis (MFA) has been carried out to perform the detailed mapping of stocks and flows of NdFeB magnets in Denmark. A novel element of this study is the value added to the traditionally practiced MFAs at national and/or global levels by complementing them with a comprehensive sampling and elemental analysis of NdFeB magnets, taken out from a sample of 157 different products representing 18 various product types. The results show that the current amount of neodymium and dysprosium in NdFeB magnets present in the Danish waste stream is only 3 and 0.2 Mg, respectively. However, this number is estimated to increase to 175 Mg of neodymium and 11.4 Mg of dysprosium by 2035. Nevertheless, efficient recovery of these elements from a very diverse electronic waste stream remains a logistic and economic challenge.

Injection Laryngoplasty of Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis Evaluated With Pause and Speech Measurements.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine a number of pause-and-speech-measurements in patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis, before and after injection laryngoplasty. The non-invasive measurements were selected to investigate and explain the treatment effect on connected speech in these patients. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study with repeated measurements design. METHOD: Voice recordings of 24 patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis from before and after injection laryngoplasty in local anesthesia were analyzed retrospectively with the computer program Praat. Measurements examined were number of pauses, average pause duration, pause ratio (expressing the amount of pausing during a reading-aloud task), number of breath groups, average duration of breath groups, articulation rate, speaking rate, maximum phonation time, and Voice Handicap Index. RESULTS: Injection laryngoplasty had a significant improving effect on the number of pauses, pause ratio, number of breath groups, average duration of breath groups, articulation rate, speaking rate, maximum phonation time, and Voice Handicap Index. Maximum phonation time before treatment correlated with several pause and speech measurements. CONCLUSION: The results showed that treatment with injection laryngoplasty had a clear effect on several pause and speech measurements and that these measurements correlated with maximum phonation time, but not with Voice Handicap Index.

Raman spectroscopy investigation of magnesium oxide nanoparticles.

We investigate Raman spectra (100 cm-1 to 3900 cm-1) of magnesium oxide nanoparticles with nominal sizes of 10 nm, 20 nm, 40 nm, 50 nm, and 300 nm. The crystal structure of MgO prohibits first-order modes and yet, there are numerous reports of relatively intense peaks throughout the literature. Raman signals at approximately 278 cm-1 and 445 cm-1 that were attributed to MgO nanoparticles by previous authors are shown to belong to layers of Mg(OH)2 formed on the surface of MgO nanoparticles. Through an annealing process at 400 °C in an O2 atmosphere, we observe that modes in the 3700 cm-1 spectral region, which are a signature of OH groups, disappear together with modes at 278 cm-1 and 445 cm-1, thus establishing a necessary criterion to associate all of these peaks to the presence of OH groups on the surface.

Abscisic Acid: A Potential Secreted Effector Synthesized by Phytophagous Insects for Host-Plant Manipulation.

Abscisic acid (ABA) is an isoprenoid-derived plant signaling molecule involved in a wide variety of plant processes, including facets of growth and development as well as responses to abiotic and biotic stress. ABA had previously been reported in a wide variety of animals, including insects and humans. We used high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-(ESI)-MS/MS) to examine concentrations of ABA in 17 species of phytophagous insects, including gall- and non-gall-inducing species from all insect orders with species known to induce plant galls: Thysanoptera, Hemiptera, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Diptera, and Hymenoptera. We found ABA in insect species in all six orders, in both gall-inducing and non-gall-inducing species, with no tendency for gall-inducing insects to have higher concentrations. The concentrations of ABA in insects often markedly exceeded those typically found in plants, suggesting it is highly improbable that insects obtain all their ABA from their host plant via consumption and sequestration. As a follow-up, we used immunohistochemistry to determine that ABA localizes to the salivary glands in the larvae of the gall-inducing Eurosta solidaginis (Diptera: Tephritidae). The high concentrations of ABA, combined with its localization to salivary glands, suggest that insects are synthesizing and secreting ABA to manipulate their host plants. The pervasiveness of ABA among both gall- and non-gall-inducing insects and our current knowledge of the role of ABA in plant processes suggest that insects are using ABA to manipulate source-sink mechanisms of nutrient allocation or to suppress host-plant defenses. ABA joins the triumvirate of phytohormones, along with cytokinins (CKs) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), that are abundant, widespread, and localized to glandular organs in insects and used to manipulate host plants.

In Operando Photoswitching of Cu Oxidation States in Cu-Based Plasmonic Heterogeneous Photocatalysis for Efficient H2 Evolution.

Metal nanoparticles (NP) supported on TiO2 are known to be efficient photocatalysts for solar-to-chemical energy conversion. While TiO2 decorated with copper NPs has the potential to become an attractive system, the poor oxidative stability of Cu severely limits its applicability. In this work, we demonstrate that, when Cu NPs supported on TiO2 nanobelts (NBs) are engaged in the photocatalytic generation of H2 from water under light illumination, Cu is not only oxidized in CuO but also dissolved under the form of Cu+/Cu2+ ions, leading to a continuous reconstruction of nanoparticles via Ostwald ripening. By nanoencapsulating the CuOx (Cu/CuO/Cu2O) NPs by a few layers of carbon supported on TiO2 (TC@C), Ostwald ripening can be suppressed. Simultaneously, the resulting CuOx@C NPs are photoreduced under light illumination to generate Cu@C NPs. This photoswitching strategy allows the preparation of a Cu plasmonic photocatalyst with enhanced activity for H2 production. Remarkably, the photocatalyst is even active when illuminated with visible light, indicating a clear plasmonic enhancement of photocatalytic activity from the surface plasmonic resonance (SPR) effect of Cu NPs. Three-dimensional electromagnetic wave-frequency domain (3D-EWFD) simulations were conducted to confirm the SPR enhancement. This advance bodes for the development of scalable multifunctional Cu-based plasmonic photocatalysts for solar energy transfer.

Awareness and Attitudes of Dental Students toward Older Adults in Indonesia.

In this study, we aimed to analyse the awareness and attitudes of dental students (DS) toward older adults (OAs) in Indonesia. Compromised oral health (OH) among OAs is a significant public health problem that is a global health burden. Furthermore, appropriate education can provide DS with information about strategic and efficient treatments for OAs. An online invitation was provided to every dental student in Indonesia in the third to sixth year of study to answer a web-based questionnaire as a part of a survey on awareness and attitudes (14 questions) towards OAs. From 1288 valid forms submitted, it was evident that most students (87%) expressed a positive attitude toward OAs. Female students showed a more positive attitude compared to males, with an odds ratio of 1.539 (p = 0.036), and students who had a connection to an older adult demonstrated a more positive attitude than those who did not (OR = 2.076; p < 0.001). The majority of the DS (98%) were conscious of the importance of geriatrics in dentistry, with female students showing more awareness than their male counterparts (OR = 2.553; p = 0.033). Positive awareness and attitudes must be accompanied by knowledge so that DS can offer appropriate and effective oral care to geriatric patients.

Hypofractionation with simultaneous integrated boost after breast-conserving surgery: Long term results of two phase-II trials.

PURPOSE: To analyze long-term results of two multicenter prospective single-arm trials (ARO-2010-01 and ARO-2013-04) investigating adjuvant hypofractionated radiotherapy (HF) with simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) after breast-conserving surgery (BCS). METHODS: Eligible patients had histopathologically confirmed unifocal breast cancer planned for whole breast irradiation plus boost radiotherapy to the tumor bed. In both studies, a total dose of 40 Gy was applied to the whole breast and of 48 Gy to the tumor bed in 16 fractions of 2.5 and 3.0 Gy. Radiotherapy could be given either as three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) or as intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). The primary study objectives were feasibility and security within an observation period of six months. The current investigation focuses on long-term efficacy and toxicities. RESULTS: Between 2011 and 2014, both trials enrolled 300 patients in total. Data from 274 of these patients could be used for the current analysis. The median follow-up time was 60 months and the 5-year disease-free survival 92.1%. Three patients suffered a local recurrence (after 36-72 months) while a regional recurrence occurred in one patient (after 17 months). The 5-year local control rate in the breast was 99.6%. 63.5% of all patients did not report any late radiation-related toxicity, 28.5% reported grade 1 and 7.3% grade 2 toxicities. The highest late toxicity was grade 3 in 2 women (0.7%, telangiectasia and lymphedema of the breast). CONCLUSION: Our analysis demonstrates favorable efficacy and low rates of long-term side effects of HF with SIB after BCS. Randomized controlled phase III trials are ongoing.

Identification and Speed Estimation of a Moving Object in an Indoor Application Based on Visible Light Sensing of Retroreflective Foils.

Identification and sensing are two of the main tasks a wireless sensor node has to perform in an Internet of Things (IoT) environment. Placing active powered nodes on objects is the most usual approach for the fulfillment of these functions. With the expected massive increase of connected things, there are several issues on the horizon that hamper the further deployment of this approach in an energy efficient, sustainable way, like the usage of environmentally hazardous batteries or accumulators, as well as the required electrical energy for their operation. In this work, we propose a novel approach for performing the tasks of identification and sensing, applying visible light sensing (VLS) based on light emitting diode (LED) illumination and utilizing retroreflective foils mounted on a moving object. This low cost hardware is combined with a self-developed, low complex software algorithm with minimal training effort. Our results show that successful identification and sensing of the speed of a moving object can be achieved with a correct estimation rate of 99.92%. The used foils are commercially available and pose no threat to the environment and there is no need for active sensors on the moving object and no requirement of wireless radio frequency communication. All of this is achievable whilst undisturbed illumination is still provided.

Cytokinins Are Abundant and Widespread Among Insect Species.

Cytokinins (CKs) are a class of compounds that have long been thought to be exclusively plant growth regulators. Interestingly, some species of phytopathogenic bacteria and fungi have been shown to, and gall-inducing insects have been hypothesized to, produce CKs and use them to manipulate their host plants. We used high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) to examine concentrations of a wide range of CKs in 17 species of phytophagous insects, including gall- and non-gall-inducing species from all six orders of Insecta that contain species known to induce galls: Thysanoptera, Hemiptera, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Diptera, and Hymenoptera. We found CKs in all six orders of insects, and they were not associated exclusively with gall-inducing species. We detected 24 different CK analytes, varying in their chemical structure and biological activity. Isoprenoid precursor nucleotide and riboside forms of trans-zeatin (tZ) and isopentenyladenine (iP) were most abundant and widespread across the surveyed insect species. Notably, the observed concentrations of CKs often markedly exceeded those reported in plants suggesting that insects are synthesizing CKs rather than obtaining them from the host plant via tissue consumption, compound sequestration, and bioaccumulation. These findings support insect-derived CKs as means for gall-inducing insects to manipulate their host plant to facilitate cell proliferation, and for both gall- and non-gall-inducing insects to modify nutrient flux and plant defenses during herbivory. Furthermore, wide distribution of CKs across phytophagous insects, including non-gall-inducing species, suggests that insect-borne CKs could be involved in manipulation of source-sink mechanisms of nutrient allocation to sustain the feeding site and altering plant defensive responses, rather than solely gall induction. Given the absence of any evidence for genes in the de novo CK biosynthesis pathway in insects, we postulate that the tRNA-ipt pathway is responsible for CK production. However, the unusually high concentrations of CKs in insects, and the tendency toward dominance of their CK profiles by tZ and iP suggest that the tRNA-ipt pathway functions differently and substantially more efficiently in insects than in plants.

Characterization of bacterial operons consisting of two tubulins and a kinesin-like gene by the novel Two-Step Gene Walking method.

Tubulins are still considered as typical proteins of Eukaryotes. However, more recently they have been found in the unusual bacteria Prosthecobacter (btubAB). In this study, the genomic organization of the btub-genes and their genomic environment were characterized by using the newly developed Two-Step Gene Walking method. In all investigated Prosthecobacters, btubAB are organized in a typical bacterial operon. Strikingly, all btub-operons comprise a third gene with similarities to kinesin light chain sequences. The genomic environments of the characterized btub-operons are always different. This supports the hypothesis that this group of genes represents an independent functional unit, which was acquired by Prosthecobacter via horizontal gene transfer. The newly developed Two-Step Gene Walking method is based on randomly primed polymerase chain reaction (PCR). It presents a simple workflow, which comprises only two major steps--a Walking-PCR with a single specific outward pointing primer (step 1) and the direct sequencing of its product using a nested specific primer (step 2). Two-Step Gene Walking proved to be highly efficient and was successfully used to characterize over 20 kb of sequence not only in pure culture but even in complex non-pure culture samples.

Characterization and evolution of cell division and cell wall synthesis genes in the bacterial phyla Verrucomicrobia, Lentisphaerae, Chlamydiae, and Planctomycetes and phylogenetic comparison with rRNA genes.

In the past, studies on the relationships of the bacterial phyla Planctomycetes, Chlamydiae, Lentisphaerae, and Verrucomicrobia using different phylogenetic markers have been controversial. Investigations based on 16S rRNA sequence analyses suggested a relationship of the four phyla, showing the branching order Planctomycetes, Chlamydiae, Verrucomicrobia/Lentisphaerae. Phylogenetic analyses of 23S rRNA genes in this study also support a monophyletic grouping and their branching order--this grouping is significant for understanding cell division, since the major bacterial cell division protein FtsZ is absent from members of two of the phyla Chlamydiae and Planctomycetes. In Verrucomicrobia, knowledge about cell division is mainly restricted to the recent report of ftsZ in the closely related genera Prosthecobacter and Verrucomicrobium. In this study, genes of the conserved division and cell wall (dcw) cluster (ddl, ftsQ, ftsA, and ftsZ) were characterized in all verrucomicrobial subdivisions (1 to 4) with cultivable representatives (1 to 4). Sequence analyses and transcriptional analyses in Verrucomicrobia and genome data analyses in Lentisphaerae suggested that cell division is based on FtsZ in all verrucomicrobial subdivisions and possibly also in the sister phylum Lentisphaerae. Comprehensive sequence analyses of available genome data for representatives of Verrucomicrobia, Lentisphaerae, Chlamydiae, and Planctomycetes strongly indicate that their last common ancestor possessed a conserved, ancestral type of dcw gene cluster and an FtsZ-based cell division mechanism. This implies that Planctomycetes and Chlamydiae may have shifted independently to a non-FtsZ-based cell division mechanism after their separate branchings from their last common ancestor with Verrucomicrobia.

A novel DNA microarray design for accurate and straightforward identification of Escherichia coli safety and laboratory strains.

Escherichia coli K-12, B, C and W strains and their derivates are declared in biological safety guidelines as risk group 1 organisms as they are unable to colonise the human gut. Differentiation and identification of these safety strains is mainly based on pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), phage sensitivity tests or PCR-based methods. However, these methods are either tedious and time consuming (phage sensitivity, PFGE) or based on single specific fragments (PCR) or patterns (PFGE) lacking additional information for further differentiation of the strains. In the current study, subtractive hybridisation techniques were applied to detect specific DNA fragments which were used to design a microarray (chip) for accurate and simple identification of these organisms, and to differentiate them from other E. coli strains. The chip can be used to identify E. coli safety strains and monitor them during ongoing experiments for changes in their genome and culture purity. The hybridisation layout of the microarray was arranged in such a way that the respective lineages of safety strains could be easily identified as distinct letters (K, B, C or W). Differentiation of single strains or subtyping was possible with further probes. In addition, a set of probes targeting genes coding for common virulence factors has been included, both to differentiate safety strains from pathogenic variants and to make sure that no transfer of these genes happens during handling or storage. The reliability of the approach has been tested on a comprehensive selection of E. coli laboratory strains and pathogenic representatives.

Screening of heavy metal containing waste types for use as raw material in Arctic clay-based bricks.

In the vulnerable Arctic environment, the impact of especially hazardous wastes can have severe consequences and the reduction and safe handling of these waste types are therefore an important issue. In this study, two groups of heavy metal containing particulate waste materials, municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly and bottom ashes and mine tailings (i.e., residues from the mineral resource industry) from Greenland were screened in order to determine their suitability as secondary resources in clay-based brick production. Small clay discs, containing 20 or 40% of the different particulate waste materials, were fired and material properties and heavy metal leaching tests were conducted before and after firing. Remediation techniques (washing in distilled water and electrodialytical treatment) applied to the fly ash reduced leaching before firing. The mine tailings and bottom ash brick discs obtained satisfactory densities (1669-2007 kg/m3) and open porosities (27.9-39.9%). In contrast, the fly ash brick discs had low densities (1313-1578 kg/m3) and high open porosities (42.1-51. %). However, leaching tests on crushed brick discs revealed that heavy metals generally became more available after firing for all the investigated materials and that further optimisation is therefore necessary prior to incorporation in bricks.

Rapid identification of Escherichia coli safety and laboratory strain lineages based on Multiplex-PCR.

Escherichia coli K-12, B, C and W strains are the most frequently used bacterial safety and laboratory strains. Lineage-specific DNA fragments were detected by microplate subtractive hybridization and utilized to create a fast differentiation method using a single PCR reaction to differentiate clearly the four lineages and separate them from pathogenic variants. The method has been evaluated on a comprehensive selection of widely used laboratory strains and a variety of pathogenic E. coli representatives. In addition, in silico analysis on all available E. coli genomes and the genomes of the close relatives Shigella and Salmonella confirmed the reliability of the proposed method. A fast identification and differentiation of E. coli safety strains by Multiplex-PCR is a useful tool for researchers and companies to check and monitor their reference stocks.