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Background: Few multi-ethnic dietary culture-sensitive food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) have been developed due to the complexity and diversity of cooking methods and styles. This study aimed to develop and validate a specific FFQ among multi-ethnic groups in Northwest China. Methods: In the reliability study, 139 participants aged 20–65 completed two identical FFQs separated by 3 months. The relative validation of the FFQ was assessed by three 24-h recalls (24HR) employed in the interval of two FFQs, as a reference. Stratified analyses were also conducted by the major ethnic groups (Han nationality or Ethnic minority). Results: For reproducibility, the median (range) of Spearman's correlation coefficients (SCC) was 0.71 (0.43–0.84) for nutrients. The intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) covered a spectrum from 0.39 to 0.78 (median: 0.64). Meanwhile, the weighted kappa values ranged from 0.11 to 0.64. For validity, the median (range) of Pearson's correlation coefficients derived from the energy unadjusted and the adjusted values between FFQ and 24HR were 0.61 (0.12–0.79) and 0.56 (0.12–0.77), respectively. The results of correlation coefficients were similar between the two ethnic groups. Moreover, the Bland–Altman plots likewise demonstrated a satisfactory level of agreement between the two methods. Conclusions: The FFQ showed acceptable reproducibility and moderate relative validity for evaluating dietary intake among multi-ethnic groups in northwest China. It could be a credible nutritional screening tool for forthcoming epidemiological surveys of these populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was to evaluate the reproducibility and validity of the FFQ for residents of northeast China. A total of 131 participants completed two FFQ (FFQ1 and FFQ2) within a 3-month period, 125 participants completed 8-d weighed diet records (WDR) and 112 participants completed blood biomarker testing. Reproducibility was measured by comparing nutrient and food intake between FFQ1 and FFQ2. The validity of the FFQ was assessed by WDR and the triad method. The Spearman correlation coefficients (SCC) and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) for reproducibility ranged from 0·41 to 0·69 (median = 0·53) and from 0·18 to 0·68 (median = 0·53) for energy and nutrients and from 0·37 to 0·73 (median = 0·59) and from 0·33 to 0·86 (median = 0·60) for food groups, respectively. The classifications of same or adjacent quartiles ranged from 73·64 to 93·80 % for both FFQ. The crude SCC between the FFQ and WDR ranged from 0·27 to 0·55 (median = 0·46) for the energy and nutrients and from 0·26 to 0·70 (median = 0·52) for food groups, and classifications of the same or adjacent quartiles ranged from 65·32 to 86·29 %. The triad method indicated that validation coefficients for the FFQ were above 0·3 for most nutrients, which indicated a moderate or high level of validity. The FFQ that was developed for residents of northeast China for the Northeast Cohort Study of China is reliable and valid for assessing the intake of most foods and nutrients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For on-orbit radiometric calibration of infrared (IR) satellite instruments, we have developed a blackbody source whose temperature can be accurately determined by use of miniature phase change cells to provide fixed points. The temperatures and reproducibility of six phase change cells containing H2O, Ga–Sn alloy, Ga–Zn alloy, phenyl salicylate (PS), succinonitrile, and Ga were accurately determined by the measurement of the phase change plateaux. The points were measured using the quasiadiabatic vacuum measurement system, which was developed by the National Institute of Metrology, China. The reproducibility time span of the Ga fixed point was as long as six years. Results indicated that the reproducibility values of multiple phase-change run-off point temperatures of H2O, Ga–Sn alloy, Ga–Zn alloy, PS, succinonitrile, and Ga were 2.0, 3.6, 1.5, 3.5, 2.9, and 3.1 mK, respectively. Furthermore, a strong linear relation was observed between the heating power and the run-off temperature. With decreasing heating power, the temperature of the plateau decreased and approached the defined fixed-point value. All simulation results of the miniature fixed points were consistent with the experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Contact heat evoked potentials (CHEPs) is used to diagnose small fiber neuropathy (SFN). We established the normal values of CHEPs parameters in Chinese adults, optimized the test technique, and determined its reproducibility. Methods: We recruited 151 healthy adults (80 men; mean age, 37 ± 14 years). CHEPs was performed on the right forearm to determine the optimal number of stimuli, and then conducted at different sites to establish normal values, determine the effects of demographic characteristics and baseline temperature, and assess the short- (30 min) and long-term (1 year) reproducibility. N2 latency/height varied with age and sex, while P2 latency/height and N2–P2 amplitude varied with age. The optimal number of stimuli was three. Results: N2 latency/height (t = 5.45, P < 0.001) and P2 latency/height (χ2 = −4.06, P < 0.001) decreased and N2–P2 amplitude (t = −5.01, P < 0.001) and visual analog scale score (χ2 = −5.84, P < 0.001) increased with increased baseline temperature (35 vs. 32°C). CHEPs parameters did not differ with time (baseline vs. 30 min vs. 1 year). Conclusion: We established normal CHEPs values in Chinese adults. We found that CHEPs parameters changed with baseline temperature and that the short- and long-term test reproducibility were satisfactory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study is to compare the short- and long-term reproducibility of verbal and nonverbal facial expressions of normal people using dynamic 3-dimensional (3-D) imaging. Design: Prospective, cross-sectional, controlled study. Setting: Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, China. Patients and Participants: Twenty-seven participants, 12 males and 15 females, were recruited for this study. Methods: A 3-D dynamic system was applied to capture the process of 4 nonverbal facial expressions (smile lips closed, smile lips open, lip purse, cheek puff) and 2 verbal facial expressions (/i:/, /u:/) at an initial time point, 15 minutes later, and 1 week later. Key frames were selected from each expression recording sequence. Main Outcome Measures: The root mean square (RMS) between each key frame and its corresponding frame at rest was calculated. ΔRMS reflected the difference of the same key frames between the different sessions of the same expression of the same participant. The reproducibility of different facial expressions at different time intervals were analyzed. Results: There was no significant difference in verbal and nonverbal expression repeatability during a 15-minute interval, except for cheek puff motion. Following a 1-week interval, verbal expression repeatability was superior to that of nonverbal expressions (P <.01). Compared with nonverbal expressions, the repeatability of verbal expressions did not obviously decrease with the increase in recording interval. Conclusions: Dynamic 3-D imaging is a useful technique for facial expression analysis. Verbal expressions showed greater reproducibility than nonverbal expressions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The dietary nutritional status of the lactating mothers is related to maternal health and has a significant impact on the growth and development of infants through the secretion of breast milk. The food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) is the most cost-effective dietary assessment method that can help obtain information on the usual dietary pattern of participants. Until now, the FFQs have been used for different populations in China, but there are few FFQs available for the lactating mothers. We aimed to develop a semi-quantitative, 156-item FFQ for the Chinese lactating mothers, and evaluate its reproducibility and relative validity.Methods: A total of 112 lactating mothers completed two FFQs and one 3-d dietary record (3DR). The first FFQ (FFQ1) was conducted during postpartum at 60-65 days and the second FFQ (FFQ2) during subsequent follow-up at 5 weeks. The 3DR was completed with portion sizes assessed using photographs taken by the respondent before and after eating (instant photography) 1 week after FFQ1.Results: For reproducibility, the Spearman's correlation coefficients for food ranged from 0.34 to 0.68, and for nutrients from 0.25 to 0.61. Meanwhile, the intra-class correlation coefficients for food ranged from 0.48 to 0.87, and for nutrients from 0.27 to 0.70. For relative validity, the Spearman's correlation coefficients for food ranged from 0.32 to 0.56, and for nutrients from 0.23 to 0.72. The energy-adjusted coefficients for food ranged from 0.26 to 0.55, and for nutrients from 0.22 to 0.47. Moreover, the de-attenuation coefficients for food ranged from 0.34 to 0.67, and for nutrients from 0.28 to 0.77. The Bland-Altman plots also showed reasonably acceptable agreement between the two methods.Conclusions: This FFQ is a reasonably reproducible and a relative valid tool for assessing dietary intake of the Chinese lactating mothers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The present study aimed to evaluate the validity and reproducibility of a thirteen-item FFQ regarding identification of dietary conditions in a rural population in China.Design: A reproducibility study repeated the first FFQ (FFQ1) approximately 4 weeks later (FFQ2). A validity study evaluated the mean of three consecutive 24 h diet recalls as the reference measure.Setting: Cross-sectional study.Participants: Residents of a rural area in Henan Province, which is located in the central region of China.Results: A total of 295 individuals participated in the reproducibility study. In addition, 123 people agreed to participate in the validity study. Spearman's correlation coefficients between the two FFQ ranged from 0·06 (vegetables) to 0·58 (eggs). Spearman's correlation coefficients between the two methods of collection ranged from 0·01 for cereal to 0·49 for staple foods. The mean of the intraclass correlation coefficients of the two FFQ (FFQ1 v. FFQ2) was 0·19. Bland-Altman analysis indicated good agreement for most food groups across the range of intake for the two studies.Conclusions: The study demonstrated that our FFQ design could be used as a representative tool to conduct a dietary evaluation of a rural population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To investigate the validation of phenol red thread (PRT) test in a Chinese population by evaluating the intraobserver repeatability and interobserver reproducibility, determining correlations between the PRT test and other dry eye disease (DED) parameters including tear meniscus height (TMH) and Schirmer I test, and testing the accuracy of diagnosing DED when using the PRT test alone., Methods: A total of 108 eyes were involved in this prospective and diagnostic study, and were divided into two groups (with and without DED). Each subject underwent a series of ocular surface examinations, including Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire, non-invasive tear breakup time (NIBUT), tear meniscus height (TMH) assessment, PRT test, fluorescein tear breakup time (FBUT), corneal fluorescein staining and Schirmer I test., Results: In the experimental group and the control group, the intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) of the repeatability were 0.747 and 0.723, respectively (all P < 0.05). The ICCs of the reproducibility in both groups were 0.588 and 0.610, respectively (all P < 0.05). The PRT test correlated weakly with the Schirmer I test and the tear meniscus height, with Spearman coefficients of 0.385 and 0.306, respectively (all P < 0.05). The PRT test is available to diagnose DED, with an area under the curve of 0.806 and a Youden index of 0.556 at the cutoff point of 8.83 mm., Conclusions: The PRT test can provide patients a comfortable, timesaving and less irritating approach to screening and diagnosing DED compared to Schirmer I test., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Evaluation of Cr, Mn, Fe, Zn and Se in humans is challenged by the potentially high within-individual variability of these elements in biological specimens, which are poorly characterised. This study aimed to evaluate their within-day, between-day and between-month variability in spot samples, first-morning voids and 24-h collections. A total of 529 spot urine samples (including eighty-eight first-morning voids and 24-h collections) were collected from eleven Chinese adult men on days 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 30, 60 and 90 and analysed for these five elements using inductively coupled plasma-MS. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were utilised to characterise the reproducibility, and their sensitivity and specificity were analysed to assess how well a single measurement classified individuals' 3-month average exposures. Serial measurements of Zn in spot samples exhibited fair to good reproducibility (creatinine-adjusted ICC = 0·47) over five consecutive days, which became poor when the samples were gathered months apart (creatinine-adjusted ICC = 0·33). The reproducibility of Cr, Mn, Fe and Se in spot samples was poor over periods ranging from days to months (creatinine-adjusted ICC = 0·01–0·12). Two spot samples were sufficient for classifying 60 % of the men who truly had the highest (top 33 %) 3-month average Zn concentrations; for Cr, Mn, Fe and Se, however, at least three specimens were required to achieve similar sensitivities. In conclusion, urinary Cr, Mn, Fe, Zn and Se concentrations showed a strong within-individual variability, and a single measurement is not enough to efficiently characterise individuals' long-term exposures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The objective of this study was to analyze the interobserver reliability and intraobserver reproducibility of the new AOSpine thoracolumbar spine injury classification system in young Chinese orthopedic surgeons with different levels of experience in spinal trauma. Previous reports suggest that the new AOSpine thoracolumbar spine injury classification system demonstrates acceptable interobserver reliability and intraobserver reproducibility. However, there are few studies in Asia, especially in China.Methods: The AOSpine thoracolumbar spine injury classification system was applied to 109 patients with acute, traumatic thoracolumbar spinal injuries by two groups of spinal surgeons with different levels of clinical experience. The Kappa coefficient was used to determine interobserver reliability and intraobserver reproducibility.Results: The overall Kappa coefficient for all cases was 0.362, which represents fair reliability. The Kappa statistic was 0.385 for A-type injuries and 0.292 for B-type injuries, which represents fair reliability, and 0.552 for C-type injuries, which represents moderate reliability. The Kappa coefficient for intraobserver reproducibility was 0.442 for A-type injuries, 0.485 for B-type injuries, and 0.412 for C-type injuries. These values represent moderate reproducibility for all injury types. The raters in Group A provided significantly better interobserver reliability than Group B (P < 0.05). There were no between-group differences in intraobserver reproducibility.Conclusions: This study suggests that the new AO spine injury classification system may be applied in day-to-day clinical practice in China following extensive training of healthcare providers. Further prospective studies in different healthcare providers and clinical settings are essential for validation of this classification system and to assess its utility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated the reproducibility and validity of an FFQ used in a Chinese community-based nutrition and health survey. A total of ninety-nine males and 104 females aged 31-80 years completed four three consecutive 24-h dietary recalls (24-HDR, served as a reference method, one three consecutive 24-HDR for each season) and two FFQ (FFQ1 and FFQ2) over a 1-year interval. The reproducibility of the FFQ was estimated with correlation coefficients, misclassification and weighted ? statistic. The validity was evaluated by comparing the data obtained from FFQ2 with the mean 24-HDR (m24-HDR). Compared with the m24-HDR, the FFQ tended to underestimate intake of most nutrients and food groups. For all nutrients and food groups, the Spearman's and intra-class correlation coefficients between FFQ1 and FFQ2 ranged from 0·66 to 0·88 and from 0·65 to 0·87, respectively. Most correlation coefficients decreased after adjusting for energy. More than 90% of the subjects were classified into the same or adjacent categories by both FFQ. For all nutrients and food groups, the crude, energy-adjusted and de-attenuated Spearman's correlation coefficients between FFQ2 and the m24-HDR ranged from 0·21 to 0·69, 0·19 to 0·58 and 0·25 to 0·71, respectively. More than 70% of the subjects were classified into the same and adjacent categories by both instruments. Both weighted ? statistic and the Bland-Altman plots showed reasonably acceptable agreement between the FFQ2 and the m24-HDR. The FFQ developed for adults in the Nanjing area can be used to reliably and validly measure usual intake of major nutrients and food groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Accurate quantitative detection of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA is critical for diagnosis of acute or chronic HCV infection, and for follow-up of virologic response during HCV targeted therapy. In the present study, traceability and reproducibility of a novel China-certified domestic Sansure HCV RNA diagnostic assay (Sansure, Changsha, Hunan, China) was evaluated and the clinical performance of this assay was also analyzed.Methods: Traceability of the Sansure HCV RNA assay to the WHO international standard for HCV (genotype 1a) was detected across multiple centers. Reproducibility, accuracy (the differences of observed average concentrations and expected concentrations) and precision were assessed using series dilutions of World HCV RNA performance panel WWHV303-02 (HCV-1b), WWHV303-04(HCV-2a), WWHV303-11(HCV-3a) and WWHV303-19 (HCV-6a). In addition, both Sansure HCV RNA and CAP/CTM HCV (Roche, Branchburg, NJ, USA) assays were used to detect HCV RNA in 346 EDTA anti-coagulated plasma samples from previous HCV-infected patients, during and after antiviral therapy.Results: The Sansure assay showed good traceability by agreeing with the HCV-1a WHO standard across all five concentrations tested (25, 50, 100, 1000, 10,000 IU/ml). The differences between observed average concentrations and expected concentrations were all within 0.2 log10 IU/ml. HCV WWHV303 standards across 4 HCV genotypes (1b, 2a, 3a and 6a) were used for evaluation of reproducibility and the accuracy of the test were all within 0.2 log10 IU/ml. The inter-assay variations across the above 4 HCV genotypes were all less than 0.03 on each evaluated concentration, indicating good precision of Sansure HCV RNA assay. In clinical practice, concordant results were determined in 99.42% (344/346) samples (215 positive and 129 negative samples). Two specimens with negative HCV RNA results by Sansure assay were detected positive by CAP/CTM HCV test. Correlation analysis indicated a significantly positive correlation in detected HCV RNA concentrations (r = 0.9439, P < 0.0001). HCV RNA levels in 95.35% (205/215) specimens were within mean difference ± 1.96 SD as tested by both assays.Conclusions: With the advantages of traceability, reproducibility and lower price, Sansure HCV RNA assay represented an alternative option for HCV RNA detection in hospital and medical institution in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) is often used to assess dietary intake in large-scale epidemiological studies. This study aimed to evaluate the reproducibility and validity of the FFQ newly developed for children aged 6 to 12 in western China. A total of 133 children were included in the analysis, and all the children and their caregivers completed the FFQs twice with a three-month interval period, and three 24 h recalls were carried out one month after the first FFQ. We assessed the relative validity and reproducibility using various methods, such as the Spearman correlation coefficient, intra-class correlation coefficient, weighed Kappa, quartile agreement, and Bland-Altman analysis. The Spearman correlation coefficients for food ranged from 0.30 to 0.84, and for nutrients from 0.46 to 0.82 regarding reproducibility. The food intra-class correlation coefficients ranged from 0.20 to 0.85, while nutrients' ranged from 0.37 to 0.75. In terms of relative validity, the average Spearman correlation coefficients for food were 0.20, and 0.30 for energy and nutrients. The energy-adjusted and de-attenuation coefficients were calculated. Moreover, the average percentage of participants misclassified into the extreme quartile for food and nutrients was 8.0% and 7.0%, respectively. Weighted Kappa values indicated acceptable agreement between the FFQs and 24 h recalls. Furthermore, the percentage of results in the limits of agreement (LOA) were all above 93.0%. In conclusion, The FFQ showed good reproducibility and acceptable relative validity for assessing the dietary intake of children aged 6-12 in western China.

Caregiving stress and burden are universal phenomena among family caregivers of people with dementia. Family caregivers who adopted adaptive management strategies in dementia care could alleviate their own distress and the progression of neuropsychiatric symptoms in people with dementia. An understanding about the management strategies used by these caregivers in caring for their relatives with dementia would be crucial to family services in dementia care. This study aimed to validate a Chinese version of Dementia Management Strategies Scale (DMSS) in family caregivers of Hong Kong Chinese people with dementia. Face and content validity, semantic equivalence, and test-retest reliability of the translated Chinese version of 34-item DMSS were examined. A random sample of 211 family caregivers and their relatives with dementia were then recruited to identify the factor structure of the Chinese version by exploratory factor analysis followed by varimax rotation and assess its internal consistency. Reproductibility and responsiveness of the scale to changes in neuropsychiatric symptoms were also examined over a 6-month interval. Results indicated that the Chinese version of DMSS indicated very satisfactory content validity, semantic equivalence with the original English version, and test-retest reliability. Factor analysis showed that 32 items of the Chinese version had substantial loadings on one of the three identified factors ("Criticism toward older relative", "Showing encouragement", and "Active management strategies"), explaining 72.4% of the total variance. The three-factor Chinese version also indicated good internal consistency of its three subscales (Cronbach's α=0.86-0.90) and satisfactory reproducibility over 6 months (intraclass correlation coefficients =0.85-0.89). Furthermore, the Chinese version demonstrated moderate effect sizes for detecting changes in symptom severity of dementia (Cohen's d=0.50-0.60). This study provides evidence on the sound psychometric properties of the Chinese version of DMSS to measure the levels of management strategies in family caregivers of people with dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Food frequency questionnaires are relatively inexpensive, easy and quick to administer, but the construction of a food frequency questionnaire that can capture Chinese food habits is challenging given the diverse lifestyle and eating habits in different parts of the country. The aim of this study was to assess the validity and reproducibility of a self-administered food frequency questionnaire against a 3-day dietary recall in a rural region of western China. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Chinese maternal and child healthcare hospital. Population A total of 168 healthy pregnant women. Methods Pregnant women completed a food frequency questionnaire at 16-24 weeks gestation, and again at 29-31 weeks; during weeks 26-27 they completed a 3-day dietary recall. Results In general, mean intake was higher when assessed with food frequency questionnaires compared with dietary recall. Spearman and intra-class correlation coefficients between the two food frequency questionnaires ranged from 0.31 to 0.69 and from 0.27 to 0.79, respectively. For the second food frequency questionnaire and the dietary recall, the crude and de-attenuated Spearman correlations ranged from 0.12 to 0.55 and 0.14 to 0.58, respectively. The correlation both between the two food frequency questionnaires and between the second food frequency questionnaire and the dietary recall decreased after adjustment for energy. Ranking women, 31-57% and 1-8% were classified into the same and the opposite quartile, respectively, by both food frequency questionnaires; 30-45% and 1-11% were classified into the same and the opposite quartile respectively for the second food frequency questionnaire and dietary recall. Conclusion The food frequency questionnaire showed good reproducibility and correlations with dietary recall; it is useful for ranking study participants according to dietary intake, which is of great importance to future etiological studies in this cohort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to evaluate the reproducibility and validity of a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (SQFFQ) developed for vegetarians and omnivores in Harbin, China. Participants (36 vegetarians and 64 omnivores) administered SQFFQ at baseline (SQFFQ1) and six months later (SQFFQ2) to assess the reproducibility. The 24 h recalls (24 HRs) for three consecutive days were completed between the administrations of two SQFFQs to determine the validity. For reproducibility, Pearson correlation coefficients between SQFFQ1 and SQFFQ2 for vegetarians and omnivores were 0.45~0.88 and 0.44~0.84, respectively. For validity, unadjusted Pearson correlation coefficients were 0.46~0.83 with an average of 0.63 and 0.43~0.86 with an average of 0.61, respectively; energy-adjusted Pearson correlation coefficients were 0.43~0.82 with an average of 0.61 and 0.40~0.85 with an average of 0.59, respectively. Majority of the correlation coefficients for food groups and macronutrients decreased or remained unchanged after energy adjustment. Furthermore, all correlations were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Bland−Altman plots also showed reasonably acceptable agreement between the two methods. In conclusion, the SQFFQ developed in this study has reasonably acceptable reproducibility and validity.

• Synthesis of novel switchable surfactants using carbon dioxide as a "switch". • CO 2 /N 2 switchable Gemini surfactants had excellent reversibility and reproducibility. • Tertiary amine structure compounds are easy to recover from water. • Understanding the "on-off" process of synthetic surfactants through DPD simulations. Conventional surfactants have excellent performance but not easily recycled and sustainable. The CO 2 /N 2 switchable Gemini surfactants can be reused while maintaining performance and can also effectively utilize greenhouse gas CO 2 , thereby reducing carbon emissions. In our work, three tertiary amines N, N'-dimethyl N, N'-dialkyl ethylenediamine with different hydrophobic chain lengths (C n DEs, n = 12, 14, and 16) were fabricated by a two-step process using alkyl bromide, ethylenediamine, formic acid, and formaldehyde as raw materials. Structures of intermediates and end products were characterized by FTIR and 1H NMR. The Gemini surfactants such as N,N′-dimethyl N,N′-bis (dodecane, tetradecane, and hexadecane) alkylethylenediamine bicarbonates (C n DBs, n = 12, 14, and 16) were generated by the synthetic corresponding tertiary amines after bubbling CO 2. After bubbling N 2 , the bicarbonate surfactants were converted into tertiary amine non-surfactants again. The reversibility of the switching of three surfactants was verified by measuring the changes in surface tension, zeta potential, particle size distribution, and foaming volume before and after CO 2 /N 2 bubbled into the tertiary amine solutions. The physicochemical properties of C n DBs were studied by thermogravimetric analysis, surface tension measurement, cation content measurement, and dissipative particle dynamics (DPD). The results demonstrated that the synthesized CO 2 /N 2 switchable Gemini surfactants had excellent reversibility and reproducibility. The application properties indicated that the Gemini surfactants could reduce interfacial tension of oil/water to ultra-low value; possessed good cation conversion rate and decent foaming properties. Furthermore, the surfactant performances were verified through DPD simulation experiments. With the industrialization of synthetic technology, the costs of CO 2 /N 2 switchable Gemini surfactants will effectively decrease. Storage and utilization of considerable quantities carbon dioxide promote our green low-carbon life, which are conducive to the achievement of the national strategic goal of China's carbon peak in 2035 and carbon neutralization in 2050. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Epidemiologic studies have shown that populations that consume more fruits and vegetables have lower incidences of some diseases. These health effects have largely been attributed to flavonoid intake and bioavailability. However, no published data on the estimated flavonol and flavone intake of Chinese adults are currently available. Considering reports that food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) have been shown to provide good measurements of energy, macronutrient, and micronutrient intakes, we hypothesized that FFQ may be used to estimate intake of dietary flavonol and flavone. The two 7-day 24-hour dietary recalls (24-HDRs) and plasma levels were used as reference criteria. A total of 128 subjects each completed two 7-day 24-HDR and 2 FFQs, and 92 subjects donated 2 plasma samples. Pearson correlation coefficients and the agreement of quartile categorization between the FFQ and each reference instrument were conducted. Pearson correlation coefficients between 2 FFQs were 0.62 for flavonol and 0.65 for flavone and ranged from 0.48 (quercetin) to 0.63 (luteolin) (all P < .05). Pearson correlation coefficients between FFQ and 24-HDR were 0.62 for flavonol and 0.68 for flavone and ranged from 0.36 (quercetin) to 0.63 (luteolin) (all P < .05). Between the FFQ and plasma samples, Pearson correlation coefficients were 0.52 for flavonol and 0.41 for flavone and ranged from 0.32 (quercetin) to 0.44 (kaempferol) (all P < .05). The complete and partial agreement by quartiles ranged from 70% to 89%. The findings indicate that administering FFQ is a reliable and accurate method of assessing dietary intake of flavonol and flavone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Expressed emotion is a construct that has been used for the past three decades to describe family members’ criticism, hostility and emotional involvement with a mentally ill relative within the context of family interactions and caregiving. In Western countries this construct is used as an outcome measure of interventions for families of people with schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders, but the use of this construct in Chinese populations is somewhat limited. Objective: To test the reliability and validity of a refined Chinese version of the 52-item Level of Expressed Emotion Scale (LEE). Methods: A convenience sample of 405 outpatients with psychotic disorders in Hong Kong and one of their family caregivers were recruited. Patients were asked to complete a set of questionnaires twice over a 6-month period, including the Chinese version of the LEE, the Specific Level of Functioning scale and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale; while their caregivers completed the Family Assessment Device twice and a demographic data sheet at recruitment. This study was aimed at establishing the internal consistency, reproducibility, responsiveness, and construct validity of the LEE. Results: Results indicated that the refined 50-item Chinese version of the LEE and its subscales demonstrated a high internal consistency and satisfactory correlations with patient and family functioning scores. Principal component analysis revealed the presence of four factors, explaining 70.8% of total variance and indicating high factor loadings as well as item-factor inter-correlations. The Chinese version not only indicated a satisfactory reproducibility in assessing change in patients’ symptom severity and family functioning but also showed an adequate responsiveness to the changes in patients’ symptoms over 6 months, especially for detecting symptom improvement. Discussion: The findings of the psychometric evaluation of the Chinese version of the LEE established its potential as a research instrument in measuring the level of expressed emotion of family members as perceived by Chinese patients with psychotic disorders. Further testing of its psychometric properties is recommended, using larger samples from diverse socio-economic backgrounds and mental illnesses. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: To evaluate the validity and reproducibility of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) developed for assessing the association between dietary factors and breast cancer risk among Chinese women in Guangdong. Methods: 61 women (24-64 years) were recruited from the community in Guangzhou city. An 81-item FFQ was administered twice, one year apart (FFQ1, FFQ2). In the mean time, six 3-day dietary records (DRs) were collected at two month intervals within the year. Daily consumption of nutrients and foods from the FFQs and DRs, correlation coefficients between the two FFQs and the FFQ with DRs were calculated. Results: Median intakes of nutrients and food group items are higher in FFQ1 than FFQ2. The energy-adjusted Pearson correlation coefficients between the FFQ1 and FFQ2 ranged from 0.46 to 0.71 for nutrients and 0.36 to 0.66 for food group items, respectively. In the validation study, energy-adjusted correlation coefficients were 0.25 to 0.65 for nutrients and 0.30 to 0.68 for food groups. Mean proportion of subjects being classified into the same quartile of nutrients and foods intake from the FFQ and DRs was 36% and 43%, respectively. Mean misclassification of subjects into opposite quartiles was 5% for nutrients and 3% for foods. Bland-Altman analysis showed that no linear trend existed between the differences and means for nutrients. Conclusions: The 81-item FFQ has satisfactory reproducibility and reasonable validity, and is useful in assessing the usual consumption of major nutrients and food groups among Chinese women in Guangdong. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the validity of a Xi'an food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) designed for application in an international case-control colorectal cancer study. The FFQ was administered to 125 participants twice over 1-year interval. Four 24-hour dietary recalls (24-HDRs) were conducted with the same participants in each season of the year. Comparative validation was assessed by comparing the nutrient intakes derived from the 24-HDRs and the FFQ-2, and reproducibility was estimated by comparing the nutrient intakes from two FFQs. In the validation study, the mean deattenuated correlation coefficients for nutrients between the 24-HDRs and the FFQ-2 ranged from 0.35 to 0.84 in the males. The female results were slightly lower than the male's. The mean percentage of classification into the same quartile was 38% for the males and 35% for the females. In the reproducibility study, the mean crude correlation coefficients between the two FFQs were from 0.41 to 0.68 in the males and from 0.36 to 0.66 in the females. The newly developed Xi'an FFQ appears to be reasonably valid and reliable for most nutrients but would benefit from the addition of nutritional supplements and seasonings for assessing dietary intake in older persons in Xi'an, China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents abstracts of several studies on environmental geochemistry. Some of the abstracts presented include "Biogeochemical Cycling of Nutrients in Karstic Catchments, Southwestern China: Linkages to Changes of Eco-Environments," by Congqiang Liu and "Emerging Organic Contamination in China," by Guibin Jiang and colleagues.

Background: This study aimed to assess the reproducibility and validity of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) developed for diet-related studies in a rural population., Methods: One hundred fifty-four healthy residents were interviewed with a 76-item FFQ at baseline (FFQ1) and 1 month later (FFQ2) to assess reproducibility, and required to complete two three-day dietary recalls (DRs) between two FFQs to determine the validity by comparing DRs with FFQ1., Results: Crude Spearman correlation coefficients between FFQ1 and FFQ2 ranged from 0.58 to 0.92 and energy-adjusted coefficients ranged from 0.62 to 0.92; weighted kappa statistic covered a spectrum from 0.45 to 0.81, depicting moderate to good agreements. For validity, there were moderate to strong associations (0.40-0.68) in most nutrients and food between FFQ1 and DRs; weighted kappa statistic demonstrated fair to moderate agreements for nutrients and food (0.21-0.49)., Conclusions: The results suggest that the FFQ has reasonably reproducibility and validity in measuring most nutrients and food intake, and it can be used to explore the dietary habits in studying the diet-disease relationship in Chinese rural populations., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Short versions of qualitative and quantitative food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) are widely used to assess usual food intake. However, fewer studies evaluated their relative validity and reproducibility in the Chinese population., Methods: This study compared 12-day 24-h dietary recalls with qualitative and quantitative FFQs designed by the China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB) study to assess the relative validity. Two FFQs were administered in the second and third seasons and compared to evaluate the reproducibility. Statistical tests included Spearman correlation coefficients, weighted kappa, and cross-classification., Results: A total of 432 participants were eligible after stratifying by age, sex, and four regions. In the validation of qualitative FFQ, adjusted Spearman coefficients were between 0.23 and 0.59, and weighted kappa coefficients ranged from 0.61 to 0.88, except for fresh vegetables. The percentage of correct classification was highest in fresh vegetables and lowest in fresh fruit, but the percentages of extreme classification were below 3.0%. Corresponding Spearman and kappa coefficients for the reproducibility were 0.17-0.56 and 0.62-0.90. Furthermore, the correct classification constituted between 35.6 and 93.3% of all participants. Regarding the relative validity of the quantitative FFQ, Spearman coefficients ranged from 0.14 to 0.69 in addition to dried vegetables and carbonated soft drinks. For items with more than two-thirds of total participants consumed, weighted kappa coefficients were from 0.57 to 0.79; correct classification percentages were between 34.6% and 67.5%. Spearman and kappa coefficients for the reproducibility of the quantitative FFQ were 0.15-0.71 and 0.60-0.86, respectively; correct classification percentages varied from 47.8% to 71.6%., Conclusion: Most food items from the qualitative FFQ showed acceptable or even good relative validity and reproducibility in the CKB study. Likewise, major food items in the quantitative FFQ were valid and reproducible, but poor performances of dried vegetables and carbonated soft drinks indicated the need for modification and validation in future research.

Background: With a high prevalence of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), the noise survey tools for identifying individuals with high risk of NIHL are still limited. This study was aimed to translate and develop a Chinese version of noise exposure questionnaire (C-NEQ), and validate its reliability and reproducibility., Methods: This study was conducted from May 2020 to March 2021 in China. The questionnaire was translated from the original NEQ and adapted into Chinese culture using the method according to the International Test Committee. Content validity was evaluated by our expert group. Construct validity and reliability of the C-NEQ was determined through estimating the confirmatory factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha in a cross-sectional analysis among 641 Chinese speaking adults, respectively. The retest reproducibility of the C-NEQ was analyzed by using the intra-group correlation coefficient (ICC) in a follow-up analysis among 151 participants., Results: The C-NEQ comprises ten items covering four domains: occupational, housework, transport and recreational noise exposure. The annual noise exposure (ANE) was calculated as the protocol of original NEQ. A total of 641 adult participants (aged 26.9 ± 10.1 years, 53.4% males) completed the C-NEQ. The average time for completing the C-NEQ was 4.4 ± 3.0 min. Content validity indicated high relevance of the C-NEQ. The confirmatory factor analysis indices illustrated that the items of the C-NEQ were suitable with the data in the study. For the internal reliability, the Cronbach's α coefficients of the total items and four domains (occupational, housework, transport, and recreational noise exposure) were 0.799, 0.959, 0.837, 0.825, and 0.803, respectively. Among them, 151 participants (aged 36.1 ± 11.1 years, 65.6% males) completed the retest of the C-NEQ 1 month after the first test. The ICC value of total ANEs between the first test and the second test was 0.911 (P < 0.001)., Conclusions: In this study, we have validated the C-NEQ with adequate reliability and reproducibility for quantifying an individual's annual daily noise exposure, which provides an effective fast-screen tool for researches and clinics to identify those individuals with high risks of NIHL within the short time duration (no more than five minutes) among Chinese population., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Quantitative flow ratio (QFR) is a novel approach to derive fractional flow reserve (FFR) from coronary angiography. This study sought to evaluate the reproducibility of QFR when analyzed in independent core laboratories., Methods: All interrogated vessels in the FAVOR II China Study were separately analyzed using the AngioPlus system (Pulse medical imaging technology, Shanghai) by two independent core laboratories, following the same standard operation procedures. The analysts were blinded to the FFR values and online QFR values. For each interrogated vessel, two identical angiographic image runs were used by two core laboratories for QFR computation. In both core laboratories QFR was successfully obtained in 330 of 332 vessels, in which FFR was available in 328 vessels. Thus, 328 vessels ended in the present statistical analysis., Results: The mean difference in contrast-flow QFR between the two core laboratories was 0.004 ± 0.03 (p = 0.040), which was slightly smaller than that between the online analysis and the two core laboratories (0.01 ± 0.05, p < 0.001 and 0.01 ± 0.05, p = 0.038). The mean difference of QFR with re-spect to FFR were comparable between the two core laboratories (0.002 ± 0.06, p = 0.609, and 0.002 ± 0.06, p = 0.531). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that diagnostic accuracies of QFR analyzed by the two core laboratories were both excellent (area under the curve: 0.970 vs. 0.963, p = 0.142), when using FFR as the reference standard., Conclusions: The present study showed good inter-core laboratory reproducibility of QFR in assessing functionally-significant stenosis. It suggests that QFR analyses can be carried out in different core labo-ratories if, and only if, highly standardized conditions are maintained.

Background: Few localized food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) have been developed and used in Chinese nutrition surveys despite China's large population and diverse dietary habits.Method: We analyzed data collected in two waves (six months apart) of the Shanghai Diet and Health Study in 2012-2013, from 1623 Shanghai residents (798 men and 825 women) older than 18 years. The results of 3-day 24-h dietary recalls (HDR) plus condiment weighing were used to evaluate the validity and reliability of the SDHS FFQ.Results: The median and first and third quartiles for energy intake (in kcal) derived from the FFQ1 and FFQ2 were 1566.5 (1310.1-1869.6) and 1561.9 (1280.2-1838.4), respectively, of which protein (in g) was 54.3 (42.5-65.8) and 52.9 (42.4-64.5), fat (in g) was 49.8 (37.2-64.7) and 47.9 (34.9-61.9), and carbohydrates (in g) was 227.3 (180.8-277.9) and 228.1 (182.2-275.2) in the reliability analysis. The median and first and third quartiles for energy-intake differences between the FFQ1 and the 3-day 24-HDR with condiment weighing was 59.3 (- 255.5-341.6), of which protein was - 5.2 (- 18.7-7.8) and fat was - 11.2 (- 30.8-5.3). The adjusted Spearman's correlations were 0.33-0.77 for validity and 0.46-0.79 for reliability. The intra-class correlation coefficients exceeded 0.46 (validity) and 0.47 (reliability) for macronutrient intake. The consistency between the same and adjacent quartiles was approximately 80% for various nutrients.Conclusion: The reliability and comparative validity of the SDHS FFQ is similar to FFQs that are used worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated the reproducibility and validity of an FFQ used in a Chinese community-based nutrition and health survey. A total of ninety-nine males and 104 females aged 31-80 years completed four three consecutive 24-h dietary recalls (24-HDR, served as a reference method, one three consecutive 24-HDR for each season) and two FFQ (FFQ1 and FFQ2) over a 1-year interval. The reproducibility of the FFQ was estimated with correlation coefficients, misclassification and weighted κ statistic. The validity was evaluated by comparing the data obtained from FFQ2 with the mean 24-HDR (m24-HDR). Compared with the m24-HDR, the FFQ tended to underestimate intake of most nutrients and food groups. For all nutrients and food groups, the Spearman's and intra-class correlation coefficients between FFQ1 and FFQ2 ranged from 0·66 to 0·88 and from 0·65 to 0·87, respectively. Most correlation coefficients decreased after adjusting for energy. More than 90% of the subjects were classified into the same or adjacent categories by both FFQ. For all nutrients and food groups, the crude, energy-adjusted and de-attenuated Spearman's correlation coefficients between FFQ2 and the m24-HDR ranged from 0·21 to 0·69, 0·19 to 0·58 and 0·25 to 0·71, respectively. More than 70% of the subjects were classified into the same and adjacent categories by both instruments. Both weighted κ statistic and the Bland-Altman plots showed reasonably acceptable agreement between the FFQ2 and the m24-HDR. The FFQ developed for adults in the Nanjing area can be used to reliably and validly measure usual intake of major nutrients and food groups.