Parallel factor analysis for multidimensional decomposition of functional near-infrared spectroscopy data

Trends in authentication of edible oils using vibrational spectroscopic techniques

The authentication of edible oils has become increasingly important for ensuring product quality, safety, and compliance with regulatory standards. Some prevalent authenticity issues found in edible oils include blending expensive oils with cheaper substitutes or lower-grade oils, incorrect labeling regarding the oil's source or type, and falsely stating the oil's origin. Vibrational spectroscopy techniques, such as infrared (IR) and Raman spectroscopy, have emerged as effective tools for rapidly and non-destructively analyzing edible oils. This review paper offers a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in using vibrational spectroscopy for authenticating edible oils. The fundamental principles underlying vibrational spectroscopy are introduced and chemometric approaches that enhance the accuracy and reliability of edible oil authentication are summarized. Recent research trends highlighted in the review include authenticating newly introduced oils, identifying oils based on their specific origins, adopting handheld/portable spectrometers and hyperspectral imaging, and integrating modern data handling techniques into the use of vibrational spectroscopic techniques for edible oil authentication. Overall, this review provides insights into the current state-of-the-art techniques and prospects for utilizing vibrational spectroscopy in the authentication of edible oils, thereby facilitating quality control and consumer protection in the food industry.

Language brain responses and neurodevelopmental outcome in preschoolers with congenital heart disease: A fNIRS study

Neurodevelopmental disabilities affect up to 50% of survivors of congenital heart disease (CHD). Language difficulties are frequently identified during preschool period and can lead to academic, social, behavioral, and emotional difficulties. Structural brain alterations are associated with poorer neurodevelopmental outcomes in patients with CHD during infancy, childhood, and adolescence. However, evidence is lacking about the functional brain activity in children with CHD and its relationship with neurodevelopment. This study therefore aimed to characterize brain responses during a passive story-listening task in 3-year-old children with CHD, and to investigate the relationship between functional brain patterns of language processing and neurodevelopmental outcomes. To do so, we assessed hemodynamic concentration changes, using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), and neurodevelopmental outcomes, using the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence - 4th Edition (WPPSI-IV), in children with CHD (n = 19) and healthy controls (n = 23). Compared to their healthy peers, children with CHD had significantly lower scores on the Verbal comprehension index (VCI), the Vocabulary acquisition index (VAI), the General ability index (GAI), and the Information and the Picture Naming subtests of the WPPSI-IV. During the passive story-listening task, healthy controls showed significant hemodynamic brain responses in the temporal and the temporal posterior regions, with stronger activation in the temporal posterior than in the temporal regions. In contrast, children with CHD showed reduced activation in the temporal posterior regions compared to controls, with no difference of activation between regions. Reduced brain responses in the temporal posterior regions were also correlated with lower neurodevelopmental outcomes in both groups. This is the first study that reveals reduced brain functional responses in preschoolers with CHD during a receptive language task. It also suggests that the temporal posterior activation could be a potential brain marker of cognitive development. These findings provide support for the feasibility of identifying brain correlates of neurodevelopmental vulnerabilities in children with CHD.

Brain language networks and cognitive outcomes in children with frontotemporal lobe epilepsy

Introduction

Pediatric frontal and temporal lobe epilepsies (FLE, TLE) have been associated with language impairments and structural and functional brain alterations. However, there is no clear consensus regarding the specific patterns of cerebral reorganization of language networks in these patients. The current study aims at characterizing the cerebral language networks in children with FLE or TLE, and the association between brain network characteristics and cognitive abilities.

Methods

Twenty (20) children with FLE or TLE aged between 6 and 18 years and 29 age- and sex-matched healthy controls underwent a neuropsychological evaluation and a simultaneous functional near-infrared spectroscopy and electroencephalography (fNIRS-EEG) recording at rest and during a receptive language task. EEG was used to identify potential subclinical seizures in patients. We removed these time intervals from the fNIRS signal to investigate language brain networks and not epileptogenic networks. Functional connectivity matrices on fNIRS oxy-hemoglobin concentration changes were computed using cross-correlations between all channels.

Results and discussion

Group comparisons of residual matrices (=individual task-based matrix minus individual resting-state matrix) revealed significantly reduced connectivity within the left and between hemispheres, increased connectivity within the right hemisphere and higher right hemispheric local efficiency for the epilepsy group compared to the control group. The epilepsy group had significantly lower cognitive performance in all domains compared to their healthy peers. Epilepsy patients' local network efficiency in the left hemisphere was negatively associated with the estimated IQ (p = 0.014), suggesting that brain reorganization in response to FLE and TLE does not allow for an optimal cognitive development.