Green analytical assay for the viability assessment of single maize seeds using double-threshold strategy for catalase activity and malondialdehyde content.

The development of nondestructive technology for the detection of seed viability is challenging. In this study, to establish a green and effective method for the viability assessment of single maize seeds, a two-stage seed viability detection method was proposed. The catalase (CAT) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content were selected as the most key biochemical components affecting maize seed viability, and regression prediction models were developed based on their hyperspectral information and a data fusion strategy. Qualitative discrimination models for seed viability evaluation were constructed based on the predicted response values of the selected key biochemical components. The results showed that the double components thresholds strategy achieved the highest discrimination accuracy (92.9%), providing a crucial approach for the rapid and environmentally friendly detection of seed viability.

Life cycle assessment of n-caproic acid production via chain elongation from food waste: Comparison of shunting and staged technology.

n-Caproic acid is a widely used biochemical that can be produced from organic waste through chain elongation technology. This study aims to evaluate the environmental impacts of n-caproic acid production through chain elongation by two processes (i.e., shunting and staged technology). The Open-life cycle assessment (LCA) model was used to calculate the environmental impacts of both technologies based on experimental data. Results showed that the shunting technology had higher environmental impacts than the staged technology. Water and electricity made bigger contribution to the environmental impacts of both technologies. Reusing chain elongation effluent substituting for water and using electricity produced by wind power could reduce the environmental impacts of water and electricity effectively. Using ethanol from food waste had higher global warming potential than fossil ethanol, which suggested that a cradle-to-grave LCA is needed to be carried out for specific raw materials and chain elongation products in the future.

'There is always good fortune in misfortune to encourage us in coping with difficulties'-The lived experiences of family caregivers of people with dementia during the COVID-19 outbreak in China: A phenomenological study.

AIM: To describe the lived experiences of family caregivers of individuals with dementia during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in China. DESIGN: This study used a descriptive phenomenological research method. METHODS: Between May and September 2021, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 family caregivers of people with dementia. Colaizzi's method was used for manual analysis. RESULTS: Qualitative data revealed an overarching experience of finding 'There is always good fortune in misfortune to encourage us in coping with difficulties'. Three themes emerged: family reactions to the COVID-19 outbreak, feeling supported by multiple resources performing respective functions and resilient adaptation to new situations. CONCLUSION: During the COVID-19 outbreak, family caregivers of people living with dementia in China looked for positive aspects among difficulties and experienced corresponding reactions, social support resources and resilient adapted coping styles. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND/OR PATIENT CARE: Nurses in China and other countries facing similar pandemic characteristics, cultures or economic development levels, can guide family caregivers to look at family hardships from a positive perspective, develop interventions to rapidly respond to families' reactions after a disaster and help them identify social support resources and form adapted coping styles. IMPACT: We identified the resilience and the positive experiences of Chinese family caregivers of individuals with dementia during the COVID-19 outbreak. The results can inform countries with similar cultures and economic levels, offering measures to support their adaptation to pandemics. REPORTING METHOD: This study followed the COREQ guidelines. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Family caregivers of people with dementia who met the inclusion criteria and who were interested in sharing their understanding of their experiences, participated in the study.

On the development of equivalent medium for active implantable device radiofrequency safety assessment.

PURPOSE: To develop the equivalent medium theorem that can be used to perform accurate evaluation of implantable device safety under MRI exposure. METHODS: Numerical methods were used to determine the equivalent medium parameters along clinically relevant trajectories inside a human body model. Additionally, numerical and experimental investigations were performed using both a computational human body model and an inhomogeneous phantom to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method. RESULTS: The equivalent medium parameters, which are determined from a simplified lead configuration, are independent of the lead types and lead design parameters and only depend on the lead trajectories. Experimental investigations using an inhomogeneous phantom showed excellent agreement between the computational predicted values and the direct measured temperature rises indicating the effectiveness and accuracy of this method. CONCLUSION: For the models based on multiple patient trajectories studied, it demonstrates that the equivalent medium theorem is valid for leads of different types and designs, as long as the lead trajectories are determined.

Quantitative assessment of zearalenone in maize using multivariate algorithms coupled to Raman spectroscopy.

Zearalenone is a contaminant in food and feed products which are hazardous to humans and animals. This study explored the feasibility of the Raman rapid screening technique for zearalenone in contaminated maize. For representative Raman spectra acquisition, the ground maize samples were collected by extended sample area to avoid the adverse effect of heterogeneous component. Regression models were built with partial least squares (PLS) and compared with those built with other variable selection algorithms such as synergy interval PLS (siPLS), ant colony optimization PLS (ACO-PLS) and siPLS-ACO. SiPLS-ACO algorithm was superior to others in terms of predictive power performance for zearalenone analysis. The best model based on siPLS-ACO achieved coefficients of correlation (Rp) of 0.9260 and RMSEP of 87.9132 µg/kg in the prediction set, respectively. Raman spectroscopy combined multivariate calibration showed promising results for the rapid screening large numbers of zearalenone maize contaminations in bulk quantities without sample-extraction steps.

[Assessment of Influence Detective Position Variability on Precision of Near Infrared Models for Soluble Solid Content of Watermelon].

Non-destructive detection for soluble solids content (SSC) is important to improve watermelon's internal quality, which attracts more and more attention from consumers. In order to realize the precise detection for SSC of mini watermelon's whole surface by using Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and reduce the influence of detective position variability on the accuracy of NIR prediction model for SSC, the diffused transmission spectra and soluble solids content were collected from three different detective positions of 'jingxiu' watermelon, including the equator, calyx and stem. The prediction models of single detective position and mixed three detective positions for SSC were established with Partial least square (PLS). Successive projections algorithm (SPA) and competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) were adopted to select effective variables of NIR spectroscopy for SSC of watermelon as well. The results showed that the prediction model of mixed three detective positions was better than the model of single detective position. Meanwhile, 42 characteristic variables of NIR spectroscopy selected with CARS were used to establish PLS prediction model for SSC. The prediction model was simplified significantly and the prediction accuracy for SSC was improved greatly. The correlation coefficient of prediction (RP) and root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) by CARS-PLS were 0.892, 0.684 °Brix for the equator, 0.905, 0.621 °Brix for the calyx, 0.899, 0.721 °Brix for the stem, respectively. However, the prediction result of SPA-PLS established by 19 characteristic wavelength variables of NIR spectroscopy was bad for the equator, calyx and stem detective positions. The correlation coefficient of prediction (RP) is less than 0.752 and root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) is relatively high. It was proposed that the PLS prediction model established by mixed three different detective positions with effective characteristic wavelength variables selected by CARS can improve the prediction accuracy for SSC. And the CARS-PLS prediction model can achieve fast and precise detection for SSC of mini watermelon's whole surface. The influence of detective position variability on the accuracy of NIR prediction model could be reduced simultaneously. This paper could provide theoretical basis for calibrating NIR prediction model for SSC of mini watermelon. It also could provide reference for developing the portable and non-destructive detection equipment for soluble solids content of mini watermelon's whole surface.

Adaptation and validation of the "cognitive complaints in bipolar disorder rating assessment" (COBRA) in Chinese bipolar patients.

BACKGROUND: There is no specific instrument available to measure cognitive deficits as reported by bipolar patients in China. Therefore, if discrepancies between bipolar patients' reports and the results of neuropsychological tests which have been described in other countries existing or not in Chinese bipolar disorder patients have not been known yet. And it is completely blank about the subjective cognition of these Chinese bipolar patients. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study is to revise and validate a specific, user-friendly, brief instrument named the "cognitive complaints in bipolar disorder rating assessment" (COBRA) into Chinese version. METHODS: The total sample (N=255) included 125 bipolar disorder patients and 130 healthy controls. The psychometric properties of the COBRA (e.g. internal consistency, retest reliability, discriminative validity, concurrent validity, content validity, item analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, ROC curve and feasibility) were analyzed. RESULTS: The Chinese version of the COBRA had very high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.905) and retest reliability (ICC=0.902). Confirmatory factor analysis validated the one-factor model and the cut-off value to discriminate the patients and controls was 11.Bipolar patients experienced greater cognitive complaints compared to control group suggesting a discriminative validity of the instrument. No significant correlation was found between the COBRA and the total Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA), except for single measures related to executive function (phonemic fluency, p=0.045), verbal memory (delayed recall, p=0.004). LIMITATIONS: Cross-sectional design, no specific or unspecific but reliable instrument in Chinese to assess subjective cognitive difficulties in mental disorders for criterion validity or convergent validity analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The Chinese version of the COBRA showed to be a simple and reliable instrument to assess subjective cognitive complaints in Chinese bipolar patients.

[Criterion-related validity of the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire-Chinese version].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the criterion-related validity of Menopause-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (MENQOL)-Chinese version and to evaluate the effect of menopausal symptoms on health related quality of life. METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional survey. Three communities were randomly chosen in Changsha, and then 340 menopausal women aged 45-55 years were randomly chosen from the documented data of the 3 community health service centers. They were required to fill out 4 questionnaires: demographic questionnaire, MENQOL-Chinese version, Kupperman Index (KI) and World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHQOL)-BREF. Correlation analysis was used to measure the criterion-related validity. RESULTS: MENQOL-Chinese version subscales (vasomotor, psycho-social, sexual and physical) and KI total score were positively correlated (r=0.800, 0.751, 0.607, 0.906 respectively); while negatively correlated with WHOQOL-BREF total score (r =-0.694, -0.851, -0.585, -0.873 respectively); MENQOL-Chinese version subscales (vasomotor, psycho-social, sexual and physical) were significantly correlated with WHOQOL-BREF subscales (physical, psychological, social relationship, environment), and the physical domain was the highest among the correlation coefficients (r=-0.915). CONCLUSION: MENQOL-Chinese version shows relatively high criterion-related validity compared with KI and WHOQOL-BREF, which can be widely used to measure the quality of life of menopause women in China.