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Heavy metal pollution is one of the most serious risks to sustainable agriculture in China. Among them, mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb) are two of the most hazardous heavy metals. Typically, Hg2+ and Pb2+ are believed to threaten the growth of crops and the quality of agricultural products, when entering the farmland via atmospheric sedimentation and irrigation. As a result, it is urgent to develop efficient devices for the accurate, rapid and on-site detection of Hg2+ and Pb2+ in farmland. In this work, a functional nucleic acid (FNA)-based ratiometric and electrochemical device was developed to couple the microcontroller unit (MCU) voltage application and laser-induced graphene (LIG) electrode array. A series of experiments were carried out to verify the feasibility of this device for the Hg2+ and Pb2+ detection in farmland. The electric field was designed to improve the analytical performance. Briefly, the 3.0V electric field was applied to push the Hg2+ and Pb2+ approaching FNA, while retaining the orientation of FNA at the surface of the LIG electrode; The 2.5 V electric field was also used to collect the signals, where the FNA orientation was remained to provide a constant current as a reference signal. The single-chip microcomputer (AT89S52) was selected as the main control chip on the applied voltage, while the DAC0832 was the output port of voltage. The electric field generator was developed to control the output voltage using a single-chip microcomputer. The programmable output of voltage was realized to verify the stability of voltage signal output by oscilloscope. The electric field was utilized to enhance the preconcentration of heavy metals. The output voltage and time were directly displayed on the LCM display. LIG electrode array was applied to fabricate the FNA-based biosensor. The CO2 laser direct writing was utilized to prepare the LIG electrode. One step free of any treatment was realized to prepare the working, reference, and counter electrodes. The large surface area and high conductivity of graphene allowed for the high performance of the as-prepared sensor. The epoxy resin transfer was also developed to efficiently fabricate the LIG electrode array. The LIGbased reference electrode showed higher stability and reliability, compared with the commercial Ag/AgCl ones. The ferrocene (Fc)-labeled FNA for Hg2+, and methylene blue (MB)-labeled FNA for Pb2+ were bound to the anthraquinone-2-carboxylic acid (AQ)-labeled complementary DNA (cDNA), in order to assemble the sensing interface at the LIG electrode array. Doublestranded DNA (dsDNA) was obtained to assemble on the LIG electrode array. Then, the MCU voltage module and LIG electrode array were combined to assemble the detection device. And the currents of MB (IMB), Fc (IFc), and AQ (IAQ) were recorded by the electrochemical workstation. The ratios of IAQ/IFc and IAQ/IMB increased at the higher concentration of Hg2+ and Pb2+, thus representing the response signal for the detection of Hg2+ and Pb2+, respectively. Consequently, the higher limits of detection were achieved in 8.5×10-12 mol/L (4.25×10-11 mg/L) and 4.6×10-13 mol/L (2.22×10-12 mg/L) (S/N=3) for Hg2+ and Pb2+, respectively. The linear ranges of this device were 1.0×10-11 -1.0×10-8 mol/L (5×10-11 -5×10-8 mg/L), 1.0×10-12 -1.0×10-9 mol/L (4.8×10-12 -4.8×10-9 mg/L) for the detection of Hg2+ and Pb2+, respectively. Moreover, the high selectivity was realized in the field of accurate detection of Hg2+ and Pb2+. This device was successfully used to analyze the water for agricultural irrigation. At last, the reliability of the detection was also validated by the gold standard of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The findings can offer scientific information to monitor and remediate heavy metal pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Technologies that provides safe and effective decontamination of surfaces and equipment between episodes of manual cleaning could be an important advance in efforts to prevent transmission of the emerging fungal pathogen Candida auris. Methods: We tested the efficacy of a novel wall-mounted far ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light technology that delivers far UV-C, when people are not detected within the field of illumination, against C. auris isolates from clades I, II, III, and IV using a quantitative disk carrier test method. In an equipment room, we examined the efficacy of the technology in reducing an isolate of C. auris from clade IV inoculated on multiple sites on portable devices. Results: The far UV-C technology reduced isolates from all 4 clades of C. auris by >3 log10 colony-forming units (CFU) after an 8-hour exposure on steel disks. For the clade IV isolate, similar reductions were achieved on glass and plastic carriers. In the equipment room, the technology reduced C. auris inoculated on multiple sites on portable equipment by >2 log10 CFU in 4 hours. Conclusions: The far UV-C technology could be useful for decontamination of surfaces and equipment between episodes of manual cleaning. Additional studies are needed to evaluate the use of the technology in clinical settings.

The Madonna with Child by Andrea Mantegna owned by the Museo Poldi Pezzoli in Milan is painted on canvas with an unusual distemper technique. During the period of 1863–1865, the painting was restored by Giuseppe Molteni. The identification of potential retouchings by Molteni, possibly covering part of the original layer, was the object of this work carried at the Opificio delle Pietre Dure. To evaluate the extent of both Molteni's intervention and Mantegna's original layer, the MA-XRF spectrometer developed by CHNet-INFN was used to discriminate between the two paint layers and identify the materials and the extension of both "artists". Indeed, the elemental maps showed that Molteni's work entirely covered the mantle of the Virgin, even changing the fold of the draperies and enriching the red robe with shell gold highlights, giving a different appearance to the painting. Moreover, MA-XRF also revealed that the original Mantegna was still mostly intact underneath Molteni's layer, thereby providing a decisive guide for conservation works. These results indeed formed the basis for the technical decision to remove the varnish and Molteni's version, unveiling the original Mantegna. A second MA-XRF campaign was then carried out to fully characterise the materials of this unusual painting technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Raffaello is renowned as one of the Old Renaissance Masters and his paintings and painting technique are famous for the details and naturality of the characters. Raffaello is famous in particular for the then-new technique of oil painting, which he mastered and perfected. On the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the death of Raffaello (2020), there was a large exhibition at the Scuderie del Quirinale in Rome, where many paintings and drawings by the Old Master were on show. One of these paintings was the portrait of Leo X with two cardinals belonging to the collection of the Uffizi galleries in Florence. Before going to Rome, the painting underwent conservation treatments at the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, where a comprehensive diagnostic campaign was carried out with the aim of understanding the painting materials and technique of the Old Master. In this paper, the results of macro X-ray fluorescence (MA-XRF) analysis, carried out exploiting the instrument developed by INFN-CHNet, are shown. Among the results, “bismuth black” and the likely use of glass powders in lakes are discussed.

Copyright of Cotton Textile Technology is the property of Cotton Textile Technology Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Raffaello is renowned as one of the Old Renaissance Masters and his paintings and painting technique are famous for the details and naturality of the characters. Raffaello is famous in particular for the then-new technique of oil painting, which he mastered and perfected. On the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the death of Raffaello (2020), there was a large exhibition at the Scuderie del Quirinale in Rome, where many paintings and drawings by the Old Master were on show. One of these paintings was the portrait of Leo X with two cardinals belonging to the collection of the Uffizi galleries in Florence. Before going to Rome, the painting underwent conservation treatments at the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, where a comprehensive diagnostic campaign was carried out with the aim of understanding the painting materials and technique of the Old Master. In this paper, the results of macro X-ray fluorescence (MA-XRF) analysis, carried out exploiting the instrument developed by INFN-CHNet, are shown. Among the results, "bismuth black" and the likely use of glass powders in lakes are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly realistic 3-D displays that can reproduce object images to look like physical objects are utilized for natural and correct remote operation in industrial scenes. Therefore, we developed a visually equivalent light field 3-D (VELF3D) display that can produce highly realistic, accurate images with a high resolution and a smooth, accurate motion parallax. However, the observation distance is slightly long, and users cannot reach the displayed images. Therefore, we aim to develop a tablet-computer-type VELF3D display that enables users to touch the displayed objects. The display viewpoint density has been increased to achieve a shorter observation distance, while maintaining the display depth range. Because higher resolutions are required for a close observation distance and increased display viewpoints, we aimed to improve the effective resolution using almost the same pixel pitch display panel. Therefore, we built a prototype that combines a vertical red, green, blue stripe display panel and a parallax barrier with subpixel width slits. We confirmed effective resolution improvement by tiny subjective tests. This method also helps increase the depth range of the display when it is observed from a normal distance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The 1 m2 quadrat is a standard field survey tool in ecology. Traditionally, a researcher places a square frame on the ground and manually records data about organisms (typically plants) within that quadrat. Collecting data through this method can require a great deal of time on‐site. For some studies, it would be more efficient to collect data as images in the field, and then extract desired data from the images later. Equipment currently available for precise aerial imaging of plants is most applicable to large‐scale settings (e.g. entire fields) or controlled environments (e.g. greenhouses or growth chambers). There is a lack of technology suited to 1 × 1 m quadrat surveys of natural communities. To satisfy this need, we developed a portable, low‐cost platform (‘Robotany’) that automatically takes a set of data samples to precisely cover a 1 m2 field plot. The current design is optimized for taking aerial photographs of short herbaceous plants in mowed or grazed habitats, at a spatial resolution of 24 non‐overlapping photographs per 1 m2, using a digital single‐lens reflex (DSLR) camera with the lens 55 cm above the ground. Novel attachment and actuation methods allow for fast, convenient assembly and disassembly, and the waterproof frame can be disinfected with ethanol. The device was reliable and precise in its initial two summers of field testing (ca. 200 plots imaged). These images were of sufficient resolution to identify common plant taxa, and to collect information on plant size, flowering status, and damage by foliar pathogens and herbivores. The apparatus was robust to frequent disassembly, transport and reassembly. The on‐site time and labour of quadrat‐based field surveys can be greatly reduced with this device. For some applications, images may replace on‐site (manual) data collection from quadrats. For other applications, the images may complement on‐site data collection, as a digital back‐up and source of additional data (e.g. high‐resolution spatial mapping of plant species or traits, or types of ground cover). The Robotany is modular and can be adapted to different research needs, including replacement of the camera with a different type of sampler.

The Madonna with Child by Andrea Mantegna owned by the Museo Poldi Pezzoli in Milan is painted on canvas with an unusual distemper technique. During the period of 1863–1865, the painting was restored by Giuseppe Molteni. The identification of potential retouchings by Molteni, possibly covering part of the original layer, was the object of this work carried at the Opificio delle Pietre Dure. To evaluate the extent of both Molteni’s intervention and Mantegna’s original layer, the MA-XRF spectrometer developed by CHNet-INFN was used to discriminate between the two paint layers and identify the materials and the extension of both “artists”. Indeed, the elemental maps showed that Molteni’s work entirely covered the mantle of the Virgin, even changing the fold of the draperies and enriching the red robe with shell gold highlights, giving a different appearance to the painting. Moreover, MA-XRF also revealed that the original Mantegna was still mostly intact underneath Molteni’s layer, thereby providing a decisive guide for conservation works. These results indeed formed the basis for the technical decision to remove the varnish and Molteni’s version, unveiling the original Mantegna. A second MA-XRF campaign was then carried out to fully characterise the materials of this unusual painting technique.

Copyright of Biotechnologie, Agronomie, Societe et Environnement is the property of Les Presses Agronomiques de Gembloux and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Pregnancy diagnosis is one of the most important links in the reproductive management of meat rabbits. Especially, the early identification of non-pregnant rabbits can advance the re-insemination time, further improving the service rate of breeding rabbits for a shorter reproductive cycle in commercial productions. However, the manual touch diagnosis can present some stress responses of rabbits at present. A non-invasive approach can be an alternative for the early pregnancy diagnosis in the future large-scale production of rabbits. In this study, a non-invasive portable diagnosis device was developed to rapidly and accurately identify the early pregnancy of rabbits using spatial diffuse light. The optical characteristics also presented differently from the gestational sac tissue in the abdomen of pregnant and non-pregnant rabbits. The portable diagnostic device consisted of a sensing probe and a signal processing host with two infrared LEDs (the light-emitting wavelengths of 850 and 930 nm), three silicon-based photodiodes, and peripheral circuits. 130 rabbits were selected to test after 14 days of artificial insemination, including 63 pregnant rabbits and 67 non-pregnant rabbits. The collected data was then divided into the training set and test set, according to the ratio of 7:3. Specifically, the training set was used to establish the partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and support vector machine (SVM) classification model. The test set was used to evaluate the classification performance of the established model. At the same time, the PLS-DA was conducted for the supervised principal component analysis (PCA) and variable importance analysis (VIA) on the sampling data. The results showed that there were great differences between the sampling datasets of pregnant and non-pregnant rabbits, indicating a better classification. Furthermore, it was found that the SVM presented a better classification performance than that of the PLS-DA for the pregnant and non-pregnant rabbits, where the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the test set data were 80.95%, 83.33%, and 82.05%, respectively. Consequently, the developed diagnosis device can be widely expected to rapidly identify the pregnancy of rabbits within 14 days after insemination, indicating a feasible optical pregnancy diagnosis. The finding can provide a strong reference to the early pregnancy diagnosis of rabbits, further enhancing the intelligent level of industrial equipment in rabbit production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A point‐of‐care device that can provide immediate and reliable hemoglobin (Hb) concentrations and packed cell volumes (PCVs) would be useful in veterinary medicine. Objectives: We aimed to compare the use of a human device (Mission Plus; MP) with a gold standard (GS) method for measuring Hb concentrations and PCVs in cattle blood. Methods: Blood samples from clinically healthy cattle (n = 122) were collected with or without an anticoagulant (K2EDTA). The GS and MP methods were compared with correlation coefficients. Passing‐Bablok regression analyses were also performed, and the acceptability judgment was completed using Bland‐Altman plots. Results: The CVmax for Hb values obtained using the GS method, the MP device without K2EDTA, and the MP device with K2EDTA were approximately 2.70%, 1.70%, and 2.0%, respectively, whereas the CVmax for PCVs was 0.90%, 1.83%, and 2.05%, respectively. A positive correlation (97.5% confidence interval) was observed between the Hb concentrations and PCV values detected using the MP and GS techniques in blood with and without K2EDTA. Bland‐Altman plots showed agreement between the MP and GS methods. For Hb using blood collected with or without the addition of K2EDTA, the mean differences were −0.87 g/dL (95% CI: 1.35; −3.96) and 0.08 g/dL (95% CI: 2.16, −1.99), respectively. For PCVs using blood collected with or without the addition of K2EDTA, the mean differences were −3.75% (95% CI: 0.61. −8.12) and −0.88% (95% CI: 2.86, −4.62), respectively. Conclusions: The MP device can be used to analyze Hb concentrations and PCVs in bovine blood to assist in field diagnoses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The significant impact brought by a severe nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in Japan in March 2011 has made global regulators to review the requirements against severe accidents. In China, comprehensive safety inspection and external hazard safety margin assessment on NPPs were carried out, regulatory requirements on improvement measures for NPPs based on the inspection were given, the nuclear safety 5-year plan was made and executed, and the safety requirements on the new NPP design were drafted. The Nuclear Safety Law came into effect in 2018. The “Code on the Safety of Nuclear Power Plant Design” (HAF102) was revised in 2016, and relevant safety guides were developed. In this article, improvement actions and requirements about NPP safety in China over the past 10 years were reviewed, and the nuclear safety philosophy and requirements including practical elimination, classification of accident conditions, and defense in depth portable equipment were elaborated. In summary, some suggestions of NPP safety in China in the future were provided.

The 1 m2 quadrat is a standard field survey tool in ecology. Traditionally, a researcher places a square frame on the ground and manually records data about organisms (typically plants) within that quadrat. Collecting data through this method can require a great deal of time on‐site. For some studies, it would be more efficient to collect data as images in the field, and then extract desired data from the images later. Equipment currently available for precise aerial imaging of plants is most applicable to large‐scale settings (e.g. entire fields) or controlled environments (e.g. greenhouses or growth chambers). There is a lack of technology suited to 1 × 1 m quadrat surveys of natural communities.To satisfy this need, we developed a portable, low‐cost platform ('Robotany') that automatically takes a set of data samples to precisely cover a 1 m2 field plot. The current design is optimized for taking aerial photographs of short herbaceous plants in mowed or grazed habitats, at a spatial resolution of 24 non‐overlapping photographs per 1 m2, using a digital single‐lens reflex (DSLR) camera with the lens 55 cm above the ground. Novel attachment and actuation methods allow for fast, convenient assembly and disassembly, and the waterproof frame can be disinfected with ethanol.The device was reliable and precise in its initial two summers of field testing (ca. 200 plots imaged). These images were of sufficient resolution to identify common plant taxa, and to collect information on plant size, flowering status, and damage by foliar pathogens and herbivores. The apparatus was robust to frequent disassembly, transport and reassembly.The on‐site time and labour of quadrat‐based field surveys can be greatly reduced with this device. For some applications, images may replace on‐site (manual) data collection from quadrats. For other applications, the images may complement on‐site data collection, as a digital back‐up and source of additional data (e.g. high‐resolution spatial mapping of plant species or traits, or types of ground cover). The Robotany is modular and can be adapted to different research needs, including replacement of the camera with a different type of sampler. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global pandemic outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has put the world in a panic situation. It has been evident that the geriatric population is more susceptible to acquire this infection. Thus, due to this ongoing crisis, geriatric individuals cannot visit a dental operatory, and there is the possibility of their dental needs and emergencies to remain unattended. Partial or complete edentulism is very prevalent among the geriatric population, and prosthodontic management of these patients is essential for their well-being. However, the prosthesis can lead to various emergencies of the oral and its supporting structures. There are currently no available recommendations to address these prosthodontic emergencies in geriatric individuals during this pandemic period. Hence, the aims of this minireview were to discuss the common prosthodontic emergencies in the geriatric population and provide recommendations to manage these issues during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak.

At present, macro X-ray fluorescence (MA-XRF) is one of the most essential analytical methods exploited by heritage science. By providing spatial distribution elemental maps, not only does it allow for material characterisation but also to understand, or at least to have a likely idea of, the production techniques of an analysed object. INFN-CHNet, the Cultural Heritage Network of the Italian National Institute of Nuclear Physics, designed and developed a MA-XRF scanner aiming to be a lightweight, easy to transport piece of equipment for use in in situ measurements. In this study, the INFN-CHNet MA-XRF scanner was employed for the analysis of a painting by the Flemish artist Rogier van der Weyden. The painting belongs to the collection of the Uffizi gallery in Florence and was analysed during conservation treatments at the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, one of the main conservation centres in Italy. The research aims were to characterise the materials employed by the artist and to possibly understand his painting technique. Although MA-XRF alone cannot provide a comprehensive characterisation, it nonetheless proved to be an invaluable tool for providing an initial overview or hypothesis of the painting materials and techniques used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Consistent disinfection between wheelchair rides can protect future riders. • Efficacy of disinfection intervention depends on contamination magnitude. • Higher exposure reductions are seen when less patients are infected. Contributions of contaminated wheelchairs to nosocomial pathogen transmission are relatively unknown. Our aim was to develop a model predicting pathogen exposures for patients utilizing wheelchairs and estimate exposure reduction potential of wheelchair disinfection between rides. An agent-based model was informed by wheelchair location data from a connected 215-bed acute care and 250-bed long-term care facility. Simulated scenarios varied in frequencies of patient wheelchair contamination and wheelchair disinfection in between trips. Clostridioides difficile and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus concentrations on patient hands at the end of wheelchair trips were estimated. Exposure reductions due to disinfection, assuming low real-world efficacies (50%, 70%, and 90%), were compared. In the simulation, when few patients introduced contamination to wheelchairs, disinfection in between patients 50% of the time decreased baseline (no disinfection) estimated exposures for the 50th wheelchair rider by >99.999%. When patients had a 50% chance of being contaminated before the wheelchair ride, disinfection did not reduce exposures consistently. The efficacy of disinfection in between patient rides as an exposure mitigation strategy likely depends on the frequency of infected patient wheelchair use. During outbreak, high contamination conditions, disinfection, alone, is not enough to protect patients from wheelchair-mediated exposures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Technologies that provides safe and effective decontamination of surfaces and equipment between episodes of manual cleaning could be an important advance in efforts to prevent transmission of the emerging fungal pathogen Candida auris ., Methods: We tested the efficacy of a novel wall-mounted far ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light technology that delivers far UV-C, when people are not detected within the field of illumination, against C. auris isolates from clades I, II, III, and IV using a quantitative disk carrier test method. In an equipment room, we examined the efficacy of the technology in reducing an isolate of C. auris from clade IV inoculated on multiple sites on portable devices., Results: The far UV-C technology reduced isolates from all 4 clades of C. auris by >3 log 10 colony-forming units (CFU) aſter an 8-hour exposure on steel disks. For the clade IV isolate, similar reductions were achieved on glass and plastic carriers. In the equipment room, the technology reduced C. auris inoculated on multiple sites on portable equipment by >2 log 10 CFU in 4 hours., Conclusions: The far UV-C technology could be useful for decontamination of surfaces and equipment between episodes of manual cleaning. Additional studies are needed to evaluate the use of the technology in clinical settings., Competing Interests: C.J.D has received research grants from Clorox and Pfizer. All other authors report no conflicts of interest relevant to this article., (Copyright © 2024 Pathogens and Immunity.)

Fresh tea leaves are mainly composed of water, total sugar, tea polyphenols, caffeine, and protein. The water (dry matter) content and extract are important indicators to monitor the plant irrigation and freshness of tea, particularly on evaluating tea brewing. Tea polyphenols are one of the most important healthy components in fresh tea leaves. Chemical analysis and sensory evaluation are two traditional ways of tea quality evaluation. The chemical analysis process is cumbersome and time-consuming, while the sensory evaluation is subject to the subjective influence. Both are destructive testing. The Visible-Near-Infrared(VIS-NIR) spectroscopy can characterize the data related to sample character, providing the possibility of non-destructive testing of tea quality. This study aims to explore the rapid detection for muti-quality of fresh tea leaves using the VIS-NIR spectroscopy, and thereby a portable device was developed suitable for the tea leaves. The self-developed portable equipment was composed of the host and handle parts. The host part included a spectrometer, light source, rechargeable battery, voltage regulator board, and cooling fan, with the approximately size of 240 mm×250 mm×240 mm. The size of the handle part was approximately 130 mm×100 mm×30 mm. In the core component of handle part, the gear-rack drive system ensured manually opening the blade clamp by pulling the button, and then automatically reset under the traction of the spring. In addition, the reference boards were designed to collect the black and white reference for the real-time correction of working state in the portable equipment. The raw VIS-NIR diffuses reflectance spectra of tea were collected using the portable device and four preprocessing, including the normalization(NOR), First Derivative(FD), Standard Normal Variable transformation(SNV), and Probabilistic Quotient Normalization(PQNOR), aiming to correct the noise and scattering effects in the raw spectra. The quantitative prediction models of Partial Least Squares (PLS) were established for the dry matter, water extract and tea polyphenol content using the different preprocessing. A best accuracy was achieved in the PLS model using the PQNOR preprocessing spectra. The correlation coefficients in the verification set for dry matter, water extract, and tea polyphenol content were 0.905, 0.896 and 0.747, respectively. The Root Mean Square Errors (RMSE) in the verification set were 0.860%, 0.559% and 0.549%, respectively. Furthermore, the established model was written into the software in the device, where verified in the tea garden. The rest of 20 samples without modeling were used as the prediction set to test the stability and accuracy of the device. The stability of the device was evaluated by the relative range of test datum, and the accuracy was assessed by the RMSE of predicted mean and measured value, where the measurement was repeated ten times for each sample. The test results showed that the repeatability of the device was within 5%, and the RMSE of dry matter, water extract and tea polyphenol content in the prediction set were 0.903%, 0.634% and 0.551%, respectively. In each fresh tea leaf, the detection speed of the device was about 1s. The prediction accuracy met the requirements of on-site use. Fresh tea leaves from 4 tea gardens were pictured. The samples from multiple tea gardens effectively expanded the range of dry matter, water extract, and tea polyphenol content, providing the possibility of establishing a highly adaptable predictive model. Nevertheless, this study was conducted in summer and autumn, where the quality of tea varies quite distinctly in different seasons. In the future, the modeling samples can be extended to cover those from the origins, varieties, and seasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Medical procedures may result in shedding of pathogens. • We studied 60 patients colonized with multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacilli. • Shedding of the pathogens occurred frequently during procedures. • Portable devices often became contaminated during procedures. • Improved decontamination of surfaces and equipment is needed. Medical procedures and patient care activities may facilitate environmental shedding of health care-associated pathogens. We conducted a cohort study of hospitalized patients in contact precautions for carriage of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing gram-negative bacilli (N = 38) or carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bacilli (CR-GNB) (N = 22) to determine the frequency of environmental shedding during procedures and care activities. Perirectal, wound, and skin were cultured for ESBL-producing and CR-GNB. High-touch surfaces and portable equipment were disinfected before and cultured after procedures; control cultures were collected in the absence of procedures. Of 60 patients enrolled, 34 (57%) had positive perirectal and/or skin or wound cultures. For these 34 patients, 15 (44%) shed their colonizing organism to surfaces during 1 or more procedures. Patients with shedding had significantly higher concentrations of the pathogens recovered from perirectal swabs than those with no shedding (mean, 3.5 vs 2.2 log 10 colony-forming units per swab; P <.01). Environmental shedding occurred more frequently during procedures and care activities than in the absence of a procedure (21 of 117, 18% vs 1 of 61, 2%; P <.01), and 6 of 56 (10%) portable devices used for procedures became contaminated. Environmental shedding of antibiotic-resistant gram-negative bacilli occurs frequently during medical procedures and patient care activities. Decontamination of surfaces and equipment and approaches that reduce the burden of carriage could reduce the risk for dissemination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]