TABLE 2.

Overview of the experiments and number of stools used for stool processing (robustness) and stool specimen transport of the SOS stool processing method^a

Experiment or procedure step		No. of participants	No. of stools	No. of aliquots	Standard protocol	Added experiments/modified protocol
A. Stool processing (robustness)
	A1. Stool volume	43	84	420b		0.3 g (replacing 1.5 g)
						0.5 g
					0.8 g
						1.0 g
						1.2 g
	A2. Mixing stool/SR by handshake or vortex	44	123	246	Handshake 30 seconds (2×)	Vortex 30 seconds (2×)
	A3. Sedimentation time	44	123	364c		5 minutes
					10 minutes
						20 minutes
	A4. Storage conditions stool/SR mixture	43	122	854		2–8°C; 5, 12, and 24 h
					2–8°C; 4 h	RT; 5, 12, and 24 h
						37°C; 5, 12, and 24 h
B. Stool transport
	Stool transport from collection to testing				2–8°C; 120 h	2–8°C; 48, 72, and 240 h
		42	83	1,079	RT; 48 h	RT; 72, 120, and 240 h
						37°C; 48, 72, 120, and 240 h

^aNo., number; RT, room (or ambient) temperature; SR, sample reagent.

^bThree aliquots were subjected to an experiment using 1.5 g of stool, but the team had experienced that it was better to use less instead of more than 1 g of stool; this amount was replaced by adding 0.3 g.

^cFive aliquots were subjected to an experiment in which sedimentation time was 15 min overall, without a second shaking step. Then, the 15-min experiment was revised and replaced with sedimentation for 20 min, after the second shaking step.