The accuracy of in situ environmental radon measurement techniques is reviewed and new data for charcoal canister, alpha-track (track-etch) and electret detectors are presented. Deficiencies reported at the 1987 meeting in Wurenlingen. Federal Republic of Germany, for measurements using charcoal detectors are confirmed by the new results. Accuracy and precision of the alpha-track measurements l...

In 2010, the Japan Diabetes Society decided to introduce the National Glycohemoglobin Standardization Program (NGSP) values into clinical practice. Accordingly, NGSP Certification of Japanese manufacturers of HbA1c-related diagnostic reagents and instruments was initiated in February, 2012, through an NGSP network laboratory, the Asian Secondary Reference Laboratory (ASRL) #1. Traceability to t...

Regulation of laboratory testing for human health is mandated by law in the United States; the most recently enacted regulatory law is the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA). In accordance with this law, as of August 1995 a total of 154,721 laboratories had registered with the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), which is responsible for implementing the CLIA regu...

This study introduces and evaluates a computerized approach to measuring Japanese L2 oral proficiency. We present a testing and scoring method that uses a type of structured speech called elicited imitation (EI) to evaluate accuracy of speech productions. Several types of language resources and toolkits are required to develop, administer, and score responses to this test. First, we present a c...

Aflatoxins, mycotoxins of fungi of the Aspergillus sp., pose a risk to consumer health and are, therefore, regulated by more than 100 countries. To facilitate method development and validation as well as assessment of measurement capabilities, availability of certified reference materials and proficiency testing schemes is important. For these purposes, highly accurate determinations of the afl...