Quality Grade Research Articles

Ecological Environment Assessment and Driving Mechanism Analysis of Nagqu and Amdo Sections of Qinghai-Xizang Highway Based on Improved Remote Sensing Ecological Index

The ecological environment along the Qinghai-Xizang highway is an important part of the construction of the ecological civilization in the Xizang region, and current research generally suffers from difficulties in data acquisition, low timeliness, and failure to consider the unique "alpine saline" environmental conditions in the study area due to the unique geographical environment of the Qinghai-Xizang plateau. Based on the GEE platform and the unique geographical environment of the study area, the remote sensing ecological index (RSEI) was improved, and a new saline remote sensing ecological index (SRSEI) applicable to the alpine saline region was constructed by using principal component analysis as an ecological environment quality evaluation index. The spatial distribution pattern and temporal variation trend of ecological environment quality along the Qinghai-Xizang Highway Nagqu-Amdo section were analyzed at multiple spatial and temporal scales using the ArcGIS 10.3 platform and geographic probes, and the driving mechanisms of eight control factors, including natural and human-made, on the spatial and temporal changes in SRSEI were investigated. The results showed that:① compared with RSEI, SRSEI was more sensitive to vegetation and had a stronger discriminatory ability in areas with sparse vegetation and severe salinization, which is suitable for ecological quality evaluation in alpine saline areas. ② The spatial scale of ecological environment quality in the study area had obvious geographical differentiation, and the areas with poor ecological quality were mainly concentrated in the northern Amdo County, whereas the areas with excellent and good quality grades were mainly distributed in the central-western and southeastern Nagqu areas. On the temporal scale, the ecological environment of the study area as a whole showed an improvement trend over 32 years, and the vegetation cover in the central-western and southeastern areas increased significantly, which had a strong improvement effect on the ecological environment. The improvement area was 1 425.98 km2, accounting for 99.82%. The mean value of SRSEI was 0.49, with an overall fluctuating upward trend and an average increase of 0.015 7 a-1. ③ The land use pattern was the most driving influence factor in the change of ecological environment quality in the study area, with an average q value of 0.157 6 over multiple years, and the influence of environmental factors was low. The multi-factor interaction results showed that the ecological environment in the study area was the result of multiple factors acting together, all factors had synergistic enhancement under the interaction, the influence of human factors was gradually increasing, and the interaction of the net primary productivity (NPP) of vegetation and land use pattern was the main interactive control factor of ecological environment quality in the study area. This study can provide a theoretical basis for ecological environmental protection and sustainable development along the Nagqu to Amdo section.

The barriers to and facilitators of implementing early mobilisation for patients with delirium on intensive care units: A systematic review.

Early mobilisation of critically ill patients remains variable across practice. This study set out to determine barriers to and facilitators of early mobilisation for patients diagnosed with delirium in the intensive care unit (ICU). A mixed-methods descriptive systematic review. Electronic databases (AMED, BNI, CINAHL Plus, Cochrane Library, Medline and EMBASE) were searched for publications up to 22nd December 2021. Independent reviewers screened studies and extracted data using Covidence Systematic Review Management software. Data were summarised according to frequency (n/%) of barriers and facilitators. Thematic analysis of qualitative studies was carried out in order to address the secondary aim. Quantitative studies were assessed using the GRADE quality assessment tool. Qualitative studies were analysed according to the GRADE-CERQual quality assessment tool. This study was prospectively registered on PROSPERO (CRD 42021227655). Ten studies met the inclusion criteria. Quantitative findings demonstrated the presence of delirium was the most common reported barrier to early mobilisation. The most common facilitator was ICU staff experience of positive outcomes as a result of early mobilisation interventions. Thematic analysis identified six main themes that may describe potential meanings behind these findings: (1) knowledge, (2) personal preferences, (3) perceived burden of delirium, (4) perceived complexity, (5) decision-making and (6) culture. These findings highlight the reported need to further understand the impact and value of early mobilisation as a non-pharmacological intervention for patients diagnosed with delirium in ICU. Evaluation of early mobilisation interventions involving key stakeholders may address these concerns and provide effective implementation strategies.

Microbiological quality of different tea grades produced in diverse agro-climatic regions in Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka, several tea grades are produced in factories located in different agro-climatic regions within three geographical elevations. The study aimed to determine the microbial quality of different tea grades and composite tea samples obtained from factories situated at diverse locations. The average APC, yeast & mould counts and coliforms in different tea grades ranged from 3.4 × 103 to 2.0 × 104 cfu/g, 4.8 × 102 to 2.5 × 103 cfu/g and 0.005 to 3.9 × 101 Most Probable Number (MPN)/g respectively. The tea samples collected from different factories had mean values of APC and yeast & mould as 5.3 × 103±1.3 × 103 cfu/g and 9.7 × 102±1.9 × 102 cfu/g. Escherichia coli (E.coli) and Salmonella were not detected either in tea grades or in composite samples. The identified microorganisms in tea samples belong to phyla Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Ascomycota, Basidiomycota and Zygomycota.The samples collected from the mid country elevation had the highest counts of APC and yeast & mould counts were high in the low country elevation. More than 70 % of the tested samples comply with the SLTB guidelines given for the microbiological quality of black tea. The distribution of bacterial, yeast and mould and coliform densities of tea were significantly variable with respect to geographic areas.

Research on lightweight detection algorithm for millet quality grading

AbstractAccurately assessing the quality of millet is of paramount importance for its storage, processing, and consumption. In complex environments, rapidly and precisely identifying densely packed millet poses a significant challenge in the quality grading process. This paper introduces an improved version of the YOLOv7 lightweight detection algorithm. The key enhancement involves integrating the super lightweight target detection algorithm ESNet. ESNet optimizes the lightweight design of the neck by enhancing the backbone network, thereby strengthening the network's feature extraction capabilities. Furthermore, by combining Soft non‐maximum suppression (NMS) with the EIOU Loss function, the accuracy of detecting dense millet in occluded scenarios is further optimized. Various models were evaluated using the millet dataset in this study. During the testing phase, images containing densely packed millet were randomly selected to assess the effectiveness of the models. The test results demonstrate that, compared to lightweight network architectures such as LCNet, ShuffleNetV2, and MobileNetV3, the improved YOLOv7‐ESNet model achieves higher average accuracy, precision, recall, and comprehensive evaluation metrics in detection. Additionally, by combining the YOLOv7‐ESNet model with Soft‐EIoU NMS, an average accuracy of 93.19% and an average prediction time of 52.5 ms were achieved. These results meet the real‐time grading requirements for millet quality, establishing a robust technical foundation for millet quality grading. This paper overcomes the challenge of precise millet detection in complex scenarios, providing a valuable contribution to the field.

Insight into the Relationship between the Causes of Off-Odour and Microorganism Communities in Xuanwei Ham.

To expound on the correlation between the microorganism communities and the formation of off-odour in Xuanwei ham, the microorganism communities and volatile compounds were investigated in the biceps femoris (BF) and semimembranosus (SM) of Xuanwei ham with different quality grades (normal ham and spoiled ham). The single molecule real-time sequencing showed that differential bacteria and fungi were more varied in normal hams than in spoiled hams. Headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography (HS-SPME-GC-MS) results indicated that aldehydes and alcohols were significantly higher in spoiled hams than those in normal hams (p < 0.05). The off-odour of spoiled hams was dominated by ichthyic, malodourous, sweaty, putrid, sour, and unpleasant odours produced by compounds such as trimethylamine (SM: 13.05 μg/kg), hexanal (BF: 206.46 μg/kg), octanal (BF: 59.52 μg/kg), methanethiol (SM: 12.85 μg/kg), and valeric acid (BF: 15.08 μg/kg), which are positively correlated with Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis, Pseudomonas sp., Aspergillus ruber, and Moraxella osloensis. Furthermore, the physicochemical property and quality characteristics results showed that high moisture (BF: 56.32 g/100 g), pH (BF: 6.63), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) (SM: 1.98 MDA/kg), and low NaCl content (SM: 6.31%) were also responsible for the spoilage of hams with off-odour. This study provided a deep insight into the off-odour of Xuanwei ham from the perspective of microorganism communities and a theoretical basis for improving the flavour and overall quality of Xuanwei hams.

Spatio Temporal Analysis of Water Quality at Tasek Bera

Bera Lake is Malaysia’s largest natural fresh water reservoir. It has critical environmental and ecological significance for both humans and wildlife. Nonetheless, the water quality of this lake has deteriorated during the previous few decades as a result of land development projects in the river basin area. This study aims to analyse the spatio temporal pattern of water quality in Tasek Bera and to identify and evaluate the degradation grade for water quality, as well as to identify the environmental crucial factor for Tasek Bera and its surrounding area. This study also implements remote sensing technology to determine the water quality parameters in Tasek Bera. The data for this study was obtained from Landsat 8 OLI and Landsat 5 MSS from 3 different years which are year 2000, 2010 and 2020. The landset image were processed and integrated into the Geographical Information System (GIS) software to undergo classification, principal component analysis and weighted overlay process. Based on the weighted overlay mapping and Malaysia’s water quality index, the result showed that in year 2000, the water quality in Tasek Bera is mostly being in the second class (fair water quality) but in 2010, it shows a prominent increasing performance when the lake is mostly being in the first class (excellent water quality). However, in the year 2020, we had observe a significant decreasing of water quality especially on the upper section and the middle section of Tasek Bera. Through this study, researchers will be able to further analyse Tasek Bera’s current environmental state, and eventually bring evidence in the environmental deterioration that Tasek Bera has endured. This is also to make people realise the ecological importance of wetlands in Malaysia.

Clinical practice guideline recommendations to improve the mental health of adult trauma patients: protocol for a systematic review

IntroductionMental disorders are common in adult patients with traumatic injuries. To limit the burden of poor psychological well-being in this population, recognised authorities have issued recommendations through clinical practice guidelines...

Enhanced oxidase mimic activity of raspberry-like N-doped Mn3O4 with oxygen vacancies for efficient colorimetric detection of gallic acid coupled with smartphone

The content of gallic acid (GA) is positively correlated with the quality grade of tea. Here, we developed a colorimetric method based on raspberry-like N-doped Mn3O4 nanospheres (N-Mn3O4 NSs) with oxidase-like activity for GA assay. Modulating the electronic structure of Mn3O4 by N doping could promote the catalysis ability, and the produced oxygen vacancies (OVs) can provide high surface energy and abundant active sites. The N-Mn3O4 NSs presented low Michaelis-Menten constant (Km) of 0.142 mM and maximum initial velocity (Vmax) of 9.8 × 10−6 M s−1. The sensor exhibited excellent analytical performance towards GA detection, including low LOD (0.028 μM) and promising linear range (5 ∼ 30 μM). It is attributed that OVs and O2− participated in TMB oxidation. Based on the reaction color changes, a visualized semi-quantitative GA detection could be realized via a smartphone-based system. It could be applied for evaluating GA quality in market-purchased black tea and green tea.

Appraising the quality standard of clinical practice guidelines related to central venous catheter-related thrombosis prevention: a systematic review of clinical practice guidelines

ObjectiveTo evaluate the quality and analyse the content of clinical practice guidelines regarding central venous catheter-related thrombosis (CRT) to provide evidence for formulating an evidence-based practice protocol and a risk...

Eligibility criteria for using menopausal hormone therapy in breast cancer survivors: a safety report based on a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Menopause hormone therapy (MHT) effectively alleviates menopausal symptoms. However, it is generally not recommended for breast cancer survivors, although the scientific evidence is scarce. This study aimed to establish eligibility criteria for use of the MHT in breast cancer survivors based on a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature. We conducted exhaustive literature searches until June 2022 in MEDLINE, The Cochrane Library, and EMBASE, using a tailored strategy with a combination of controlled vocabulary and search terms related to breast cancer survivors and MHT. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and assessed the risk of bias using the Cochrane and Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies - of Interventions tools. The quality of the evidence was graded according to grading quality of evidence and strength of recommendations criteria (A, high; B, moderate; C, low; and D, very low). We categorized MHT use into four levels: category 1 (no restrictions on use), category 2 (the benefits outweigh the risks), category 3 (the risks generally outweigh the benefits), and category 4 (MHT should not be used). A total of 12 studies met the eligibility criteria. Analysis of the three randomized clinical trials using combined MHT or tibolone revealed no significant differences concerning tumor recurrence (relative risk [RR], 1.46; 95% CI, 0.99-2.24). A combined analysis of randomized clinical trials, prospective, and retrospective trials found no elevated risk of recurrence (RR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.54-1.33) or death (RR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.38-2.19). The eligibility criteria for patients with hormone receptor (HR)-positive tumors fell into categories 3B and 3C for combined MHT or estrogen alone and 4A for tibolone. For HR-negative tumors, the category was 2B and 2C. Our findings suggest that MHT could be a viable treatment alternative for breast cancer survivors experiencing menopausal symptoms, especially those with HR-negative tumors. Personalized management is recommended for each peri/postmenopausal woman facing a diminished quality of life because of menopause symptoms. Further randomized trials are needed before considering changes to current standards of care.

The relationship between perceptions of instruction quality, intrinsic motivation, and reading achievement: a longitudinal analysis

ABSTRACT This study including 3,089 students from 173 secondary schools explored the changes in students’ perception of classroom management and goal clarity throughout early adolescence (Grades 5 to 9) and its relationship with learning outcomes such as intrinsic motivation and school grade in reading. The results revealed: 1) Students’ perception of instruction quality, intrinsic motivation and school grade decreased over the years; 2) intrinsic motivation influenced classroom management perception, whereas the relationships between the classroom management perception and school grade were reciprocal; 3) the influence of goal clarity perception on intrinsic motivation changed over the years, and a positive influence on outcomes was only observed between Grades 8 and 9; 4) there were different results between male and female students as well as between academic and vocational tracks. The findings have implications for understanding the possible contextual factors related to the decrease in learning outcomes for reading in secondary schools.

Qingxiangxing Baijiu sensory quality grade classification by 1H NMR and GC combined with multivariate statistical analysis

The traditional uniform artificial sensory evaluation makes it difficult to standardize the classification of different sensory quality grades of Baijiu. In this study, a total of 92 authentic Qingxiangxing Baijiu samples with 3 sensory quality grades were carefully collected. Gas chromatography (GC) was used to determine 46 main flavor components and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy was employed to obtain hydrogen atom characteristic information of organic compounds. The principal component analysis (PCA), k-nearest neighbor (KNN) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) models were conducted and fully validated by internal leave-one-out cross validation (LOOCV) and external repeated double random cross validation (RDRCV). The sensory quality grades of Qingxiangxing Baijiu were effectively classified by using GC and 1H NMR techniques coupled with PCA/KNN analysis with the averaged accuracy higher than 80%. In addition, synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE) algorithm was successfully used to address the model overfitting problem caused by an unbalanced sample composition. This study demonstrated that 1H NMR and GC combined with multivariate statistical analysis were effective for sensory quality classification of Qingxiangxing Baijiu.

Automotive Grade WLCSP for Radar Applications

Wafer-Level Chip Scale Packages (WLCSPs) are becoming commonplace in the industry due to their small form factor. Applications include industrial and automotive which demand high reliability performance. Additionally, WLCSPs may be superior in some implementations to other package options for RF performance in the mmWave spectrum, which is desired for automotive radar application. In this study the industry’s first auto grade 1 capable large WLCSP package. (~ 72 mm2 body size, 18x15 BGA array, 0.5 mm pitch) will be presented. It will be demonstrated how extensive design enhancements, predictive simulations, careful package materials and process selection and assembly process optimization studies are required to develop a robust package solution. Multiple assembly process experiments and corner studies were conducted to demonstrate robustness of WLCSP package solution to meet automotive grade quality and reliability requirements. Both component/unit level and board level reliability was evaluated as per AECQ100 standards. Robustness margins were confirmed through reliability testing performed up to 2-3x reliability requirements.

Analyzing and comparising capacity of glucose- and uric acid-lowering effects of yellow tea with different varieties and grades in zebrafish model

Abstract: The glucose-lowering effects (GLE) and uric acid-lowering effects (UALE) of tea have been widely reported, but the differences in quality and activity of different varieties and grades (DVG) are still unknown. Herein, yellow tea (YT) were chosen, and in this study the effects of YT with DVG on GLE and UALE were investigated and comparised in zebrafish with diabetes and hyperuricemia, and the mechanism of action were deeply researched. Results showed that there were distinct differences in GLE and UALE of YT with DVG after zebrafish evaluation. The GLE and UALE of population cultivar with all different grades were relatively better than that of special early species. The GLE of bud tea and small tea was better than that of large tea. The UALE of small tea was better than that of large tea and then better than that of bud tea. The differences in GLE and UALE may be related to the content levels of phenols because the GLE and UALE was significantly reduced when phenols directly removed from YT solution. Regression analysis revealed that the highest GLE and UALE does not require the highest or lowest content of each phenolic substance, but depend on what components.

A study on the development and the application strategy of FT-MIRS-based models for the diagnosis of subclinical mastitis and milk quality classification in buffaloes

Buffalo mastitis detection and buffalo milk quality are of great importance to the world dairy industry. Somatic cell count (SCC) can be employed to assess mammary gland health and milk quality in dairy cows, but SCC detection is costly, and the detection instrument is expensive. The purpose of this study was to develop high and low SCC identification models using Fourier-transform mid-infrared spectrum (FT-MIRS), which could be used to diagnose subclinical mastitis (SCM) in buffalo and to determine the milk quality grade at a low cost. The dataset contained 899 buffalo milk samples collected from two regions in China. Firstly, the samples were divided into positive group above the threshold (SCM or unqualified milk) and negative group below the threshold (healthy or qualified milk) with SCC = 200 × 103 cells/mL (SCM in buffalo), 400 × 103 cells/mL (EU standard for raw cow milk, ES), 500 × 103 cells/mL (Indian standard for raw buffalo milk, IS), and 750 × 103 cells/mL (US standard for raw cow milk, US) as thresholds, respectively. Then, with FT-MIRS as predictive variables, predictive models were developed using Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLSDA), Random Forest (RF), and Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM). The main results were as follows: the AUCval of the diagnostic model of SCM in buffalo using SCM criteria as a threshold was 0.84 (PLSDA). The AUCval values of the three buffalo milk quality classification models with ES, IS, and US as thresholds were 0.76 (PLSDA), 0.78 (GBM), and 0.84 (PLSDA), respectively. The predictive models established in this paper had a weak predictive ability for positive samples, and the “stepwise discriminant analysis” was recommended to improve the model application effect: The models were applied to classify samples as positive and negative, and then the samples with higher predictive probability were selected. Finally, the remaining samples were further differentiated using the reference methods of SCC detection. To conclude, FT-MIRS has the potential to predict buffalo mammary gland health status and buffalo milk quality grade, reduce the cost of SCC detection, and improve work efficiency, which will lay the foundation for rapid buffalo milk quality classification by raw milk regulatory authorities and rapid diagnosis of SCM in buffalo by farms.

Dynamic Simulation of Land Use and Habitat Quality Assessment in Baiyangdian Basin Using the SD-PLUS Coupled Model

The physical foundation and environmental assurance provided by the regional habitat are crucial for the survival and sustainable development of organisms. Land use change, as a significant manifestation of human activity, is a crucial factor in habitat quality. An SD-PLUS coupled model was developed to simulate land use change in the Baiyangdian(BYD) Basin using data on land use, socio-economic factors, and the climatic environment from 2000 to 2020. The InVEST model was employed to assess the habitat quality of the basin from 2000 to 2050. The findings indicated the following: Between 2020 and 2050, the predominant land use changes across the three scenarios involve the conversion of farmland to construction land and grassland to woodland. The magnitude of these changes steadily declines over time. The magnitude of change in land use for all kinds was greater under SSP5 compared to SSP1 and SSP2. The movement of habitat quality grades primarily occurred from higher grades to lower grades. In 2050, the habitat quality is projected to improve compared to 2020 under three different scenarios. The highest improvement is expected in SSP5 with a 0.60% increase, followed by SSP2 with a 0.42% increase and SSP1 with the smallest increase of 0.23%.

Discussion on the mechanism of Danggui Sini decoction in treating diabetic foot based on network pharmacology and molecular docking and verification of the curative effect by meta-analysis.

The main active components and mechanism of Danggui Sini decoction (DSD) in treating diabetic foot (DF) were studied and verified by network pharmacology and molecular docking. Evidence-based medicine was used to prove its efficacy. The TCMSP systematic pharmacology platform screened out DSD's practical components and targets-screening disease targets in GeneCards database, using Cytoscape 3.7.2 to draw DSD-active ingredient-target network diagram, and drawing the protein interaction network diagram through STRING database. The Metascape platform was used to analyze the GO function enrichment and KEGG signal pathway. The molecular docking experiment was carried out by using Auto Dock vina 4.2. The related literature on DSD in treating DF in China Zhiwang, Wanfang, Weipu, and China Biomedical Literature Database was searched. The literature was screened, data was extracted, and quality was evaluated according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Then, a meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 software. A total of 256 targets of all effective components of DSD were obtained. Among 1,272 disease targets, there are 113 common targets. The GO analysis received 6,179 entries, and the KEGG pathway enrichment analysis found 251 related pathways. The molecular docking results of the main targets of diabetic foot and the active substances of DSD all showed a high docking activity. The meta-analysis included six literature, all of which were randomized controlled experiments. The quality grade of the literature was C, and the results showed that the total effective rate of clinical efficacy in the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group. DSD may treat DF by participating in biological processes such as cell proliferation regulation, inflammatory reaction, oxidative stress reaction, and promotion of angiogenesis. DSD treats DF through AKT1, TP53, IL6, TNF, VEGFA, and other targets. DSD plays a role in treating DF mainly through the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway and PI3K-AKT signaling pathway. The molecular docking results of AKT1, TP53, IL-6, TNF, and VEGFA with the active substances of DSD show that they all have a high docking activity; among them, VEGFA has a higher docking activity. Compared with conventional treatment, DSD has a high effective rate, short wound healing time, large wound healing area, and high ABI index.

National Beef Tenderness Survey—2022: Consumer Sensory Panel Evaluations and Warner-Bratzler Shear Force of Beef Steaks From Retail and Foodservice

Beef retail steaks from establishments across 11 US cities and beef foodservice steaks from establishments in 6 US cities were evaluated by consumer sensory evaluations and Warner-Bratzler shear (WBS) force analyses. The retail tenderloin had the lowest (P&amp;lt;0.05) WBS force value compared to other retail cuts. The retail steak with the greatest (P&amp;lt;0.05) WBS force value was the top sirloin. Foodservice ribeye and top loin steaks had greater (P&amp;lt;0.05) WBS force values compared to the tenderloin. All retail top blade, bone-in ribeye, Porterhouse, and tenderloin steaks were categorized as“very tender” (&amp;lt;31.4 N). There were no (P&amp;gt;0.05) differences in WBS force values among USDA quality grade groups for foodservice steaks. Retail tenderloin steaks received the highest (P&amp;lt;0.05) consumer rating for overall like/dislike, tenderness like/dislike,tenderness level, flavor like/dislike, and juiciness like/dislike compared to all other retail cuts. There were no (P&amp;gt;0.05)differences among the 4 foodservice cuts for consumer sensory ratings of overall like/dislike, tenderness like/dislike, tenderness level, flavor like/dislike, and juiciness like/dislike. There were no (P&amp;gt;0.05) USDA quality grade differences for ribeye, top loin, top sirloin, and tenderloin foodservice steaks for overall like/dislike, tenderness like/dislike, tenderness level, flavor like/dislike, and juiciness like/dislike. Regardless of source (foodservice or retail), USDA grade group, or beef cut, measures of tenderness in this survey reveal ratings and values that should meet most consumer expectations in the marketplace.

Morphological and functional characteristics of the meibomian gland in pediatric patients with epiblepharon

BackgroundTo observe morphologic and functional changes in meibomian glands in pediatric patients with and without lower eyelid epiblepharon.MethodsIn this prospective observation study, 55 eyes of 55 patients( 24 males, 31 females; mean age ± SD,9.82 ± 2.59 years; range 6–14 years) and 60 eyes of 60 controls ( 32 males, 28 females; mean age ± SD,10.57 ± 2.75 years; range 6–14 years) were included. The following tests were performed: eyelid margin abnormality by slit-lamp examination, measurement of noninvasive keratographic break-up time (NIKBUT), grading of absence of meibomian gland (meibography score) assessed with noncontact meibography, morphologic changes of meibomian glands (thinning, dilatation and distortion), tear production by the Schirmer 1 test, and grading of meibum quality and meibomian gland expressibility.ResultsThe morphologic changes in meibomian glands were more common in the epiblepharon group (56.36%) than in the control group (28.33%) (p = 0.002). The meibum quality was worse in the epiblepharon group than in the control group (p = 0.009), and the NIKBUT was significantly shorter in the epiblepharon group than in the control group (p = 0.012). There was no significant difference in the Schirmer 1 test, meibomian gland expressibility, eyelid margin abnormality score or total meibography score between the two groups. Morphologic changes in the meibomian glands in the upper eyelids (38.18%) were more common than those in the lower eyelids (20%) (p = 0.036) in the epiblepharon group, and the meibography score was higher in the upper eyelids than in the lower eyelids (p = 0.001).ConclusionThere are morphological and functional changes in meibomian glands in pediatric patients with lower eyelid epiblepharon. Although the inverted eyelashes were located in the lower eyelid, morphological changes in the meibomian glands were more common in the upper eyelid.

A quality grade classification method for fresh tea leaves based on an improved YOLOv8x-SPPCSPC-CBAM model

In light of the prevalent issues concerning the mechanical grading of fresh tea leaves, characterized by high damage rates and poor accuracy, as well as the limited grading precision through the integration of machine vision and machine learning (ML) algorithms, this study presents an innovative approach for classifying the quality grade of fresh tea leaves. This approach leverages an integration of image recognition and deep learning (DL) algorithm to accurately classify tea leaves’ grades by identifying distinct bud and leaf combinations. The method begins by acquiring separate images of orderly scattered and randomly stacked fresh tea leaves. These images undergo data augmentation techniques, such as rotation, flipping, and contrast adjustment, to form the scattered and stacked tea leaves datasets. Subsequently, the YOLOv8x model was enhanced by Space pyramid pooling improvements (SPPCSPC) and the concentration-based attention module (CBAM). The established YOLOv8x-SPPCSPC-CBAM model is evaluated by comparing it with popular DL models, including Faster R-CNN, YOLOv5x, and YOLOv8x. The experimental findings reveal that the YOLOv8x-SPPCSPC-CBAM model delivers the most impressive results. For the scattered tea leaves, the mean average precision, precision, recall, and number of images processed per second rates of 98.2%, 95.8%, 96.7%, and 2.77, respectively, while for stacked tea leaves, they are 99.1%, 99.1%, 97.7% and 2.35, respectively. This study provides a robust framework for accurately classifying the quality grade of fresh tea leaves.