Present Research Articles

Chewing ability and its associated factors among community-dwelling older adults in Chengdu, China: A cross-sectional study.

To investigate the current status of chewing ability and analyze the risk factors among Chinese community-dwelling older adults. In this cross-sectional study, color-changeable gum and a color difference meter were used to assess chewing ability in the population. The statistical analysis employed multivariate logistic regression models to identify and quantify the factors influencing chewing ability. A total of 373 community-dwelling adults aged 65 and older in Chengdu, in the west of China, were included in this study; 64 individuals (17.2%) exhibited signs of poor chewing ability. Female (odds ratio [OR]: 0.124, 95% CI: 0.057-0.268, p < .001), education level with college degree and above (OR: 0.114, 95% CI: 0.030-0.434, p = .001), number of teeth less than 20 (OR: 5.401, 95% CI: 2.509-11.626, p < .001), and decreased oral diadochokinesis (OR: 4.445, 95% CI: 1.775-11.132, p = .001) were significant factors in chewing ability in this study, after adjustment for potential variables. The prevalence of decreased chewing ability among Chinese community-dwelling older adults was 17.2% and decreased chewing ability was associated with men, lower education level, less than 20 teeth and decreased oral diadochokinesis.

Analysis of current technology status for the industrialization of cultured meat.

Cultured meat is expected to become an important material for future food production; however, contrary to initial expectations, the full-scale industrialization of cultured meat is slow and the actual level and opened technology amount is very limited. This study reviews the publicly available technologies of cultured meat and suggests future developmental directions and research agenda. As a result of analyzing papers, patents, and press releases published over the past 10 years, it was found that cultured meat production technology is still at the prototype production level. This is because most papers published are about culture medium and scaffold development, culture conditions, and there is almost no research on finished cultured meat products. Worldwide, most of the filed patents are for producing cultured meat principles; most of them do not use food-grade materials and are not economically feasible for industrialization. Therefore, future research on the industrialization of cultured meat should focus on effective acquisition technologies for satellite cells; cell lineage and undifferentiated state maintenance technologies; the development of serum-free media and culture devices; the prevention of genetic modification, safety verification, and mass production. Furthermore, basic research on mechanisms and influencing factors related to cultured meat production is warranted.

Application of extra- and intracochlear electrocochleography during and after cochlear implantation

Electrocochleography (ECochG) represents apromising approach for monitoring cochlear function during cochlear implantation and for investigating the causes of residual cochlear function loss after implantation. This paper provides an overview of the current research and application status of ECochG, both during and after cochlear implantation. Intraoperative ECochG can be conducted either via the implant itself or an extracochlear measuring electrode. Postoperative ECochG recordings are also feasible via the implant. Various studies have demonstrated that asignificant decrease in ECochG amplitude during electrode insertion correlates with an increased risk of losing residual cochlear function, with critical cochlear events occurring primarily towards the end of the insertion. Postoperative data suggest that the loss of cochlear function mainly occurs in the early postoperative phase. Future research directions include the automation and objectification of signal analysis, as well as amore in-depth investigation into the underlying mechanisms of these signal changes.

Contribution of Millets in food and nutritional security to human being: Current status and future perspectives

Contribution of Millets in food and nutritional security to human being: Current status and future perspectives

Integrated framework to assess soil potentially toxic element contamination through 3D pollution analysis in a typical mining city.

Soil potentially toxic elements (PTEs) pollution of contaminated sites has become a global environmental issue. However, given that previous studies mostly focused on pollution assessment in surface soils, the current status and environmental risks of potentially toxic elements in deeper soils remain unclear. The present study aims to cognize distribution characteristics and spatial autocorrelation, pollution levels, and risk assessment in a stereoscopic environment for soil PTEs through 3D visualization techniques. Pollution levels were assessed in an integrated manner by combining the geoaccumulation index (Igeo), the integrated influence index of soil quality (IICQs), and potential ecological hazard index. Results showed that soil environment at the site was seriously threatened by PTEs, and Cu and Cd were ubiquitous and the predominant pollutants in the study area. The stratigraphic models and pollution plume simulation revealed that pollutants show a decreasing trend with the deepening of the soil layer. The ranking of contamination soil volume is as follows: Cu > Cd > Zn > As > Pb > Cr > Ni. According to the IICQs evaluation, this region was subject to multiple PTE contamination, with more than 60% of the area becoming seriously and highly polluted. In addition, the ecological hazard model revealed the existence of substantial ecological hazards in the soils of the site. The integrated potential ecological risk index (RI) indicated that 45.7%, 10.13%, and 4.15% of the stereoscopic areas were in considerable, high, and very high risks, respectively. The findings could be used as a theoretical reference for applying multiple methods to integrate evaluation through 3D visualization analysis in the assessment and remediation of PTE-contaminated soils.

A Transformer Approach for Cognitive Impairment Classification and Prediction.

Early classification and prediction of Alzheimer disease (AD) and amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) with noninvasive approaches is a long-standing challenge. This challenge is further exacerbated by the sparsity of data needed for modeling. Deep learning methods offer a novel method to help address these challenging multiclass classification and prediction problems. We analyzed 3 target feature-sets from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center (NACC) dataset: (1) neuropsychological (cognitive) data; (2) patient health history data; and (3) the combination of both sets. We used a masked Transformer-encoder without further feature selection to classify the samples on cognitive status (no cognitive impairment, aMCI, AD)-dynamically ignoring unavailable features. We then fine-tuned the model to predict the participants' future diagnosis in 1 to 3 years. We analyzed the sensitivity of the model to input features via Feature Permutation Importance. We demonstrated (1) the masked Transformer-encoder was able to perform prediction with sparse input data; (2) high multiclass current cognitive status classification accuracy (87% control, 79% aMCI, 89% AD); (3) acceptable results for 1- to 3-year multiclass future cognitive status prediction (83% control, 77% aMCI, 91% AD). The flexibility of our methods in handling inconsistent data provides a new venue for the analysis of cognitive status data.

Evolution and global research trends of immunity in diabetic nephropathy: a bibliometric and visual analysis from 2004 to 2023.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease, with an increasing prevalence worldwide, but its pathomechanisms remain incompletely understood. Accumulatingevidence suggests that immunity plays an important role in the development of DN. Many papers have been published in the field over the last 20years, but there has been no bibliometric review of the research hotspots and trends in the field. This study aimed to assess the current research status and future trends of the link between immune and DN using bibliometric analysis. Publications on the association between immunity and DN from 2004 to 2023 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database and screened according to inclusion criteria. VOSviewer and CiteSpace software were employed to visualize research trends and hotspots in the field. Data including author, institution, country, journal, reference, and keyword were analyzed. Ultimately 1246 publications meeting the criteria were included in the bibliometric analysis, involving 838 articles (84.96%) and 408 reviews (15.04%). The literature covered 81 countries and regions, 1751 institutions, and 6584 authors. The top 2 countries in terms of the number of publications were China (435) and the United States (318), and they collaborated most frequently. The United States had the highest number of citations for published papers (18,161), far exceeding the other countries. England had 38 publications but had the highest average number of citations (92.32). The University of California system was the most prolific institution (25 papers, 1062 citations, 42.48 citations per paper). Frontiers in Immunology was the most prolific journal in the field (30 papers). The most cited journal was Kidney International (863 citations). The analysis of keywords and references showed that inflammation, ferroptosis, and lipid metabolism may be future research hotspots in this field. The number of publications related to immunity and DN has increased annually over the past 20years, with a significant increase in the last 3years especially. Our results identified research hotspots and trends in the field. These findings provide valuable perspectives for future research, enhancing our understanding of the immune-related mechanisms of DN and exploring potential therapeutic strategies.

Application of ultrasound in early prediction of delayed graft function after renal transplantation.

Kidney transplantation is currently the most effective treatment for end-stage renal disease. Delayed graft function (DGF) is one of the most common complications after renal transplantation and is a significant complication affecting graft function and the survival time of transplanted kidneys. Therefore, early diagnosis of DGF is crucial for guiding post-transplant care and improving long-term patient survival. This article will summarize the pathological basis and clinical characteristics of DGF after kidney transplantation, with a focus on contrast-enhanced ultrasound. It will analyze the current application status of ultrasound technology in DGF diagnosis and provide a comprehensive review of the clinical applications of ultrasound technology in this field, serving as a reference for the further application of ultrasound technology in kidney transplantation.

An Overview Analysis of Current Research Status in Iron Oxides Reduction by Hydrogen

An Overview Analysis of Current Research Status in Iron Oxides Reduction by Hydrogen

The relationship between polysaccharide structure and its antioxidant activity needs to be systematically elucidated.

Polysaccharides have a wide range of applications due to their excellent antioxidant activity. However, the low purity and unclear structure of polysaccharides have led some researchers to be skeptical about the antioxidant activity of polysaccharides. The current reports on the structure-activity relationship of polysaccharides are sporadic, so there is an urgent need to systematically summarize the antioxidant effects of polysaccharides with clear structures and the relationships between the structures to provide a scientific basis for the development and application of polysaccharides. This paper will systematically elucidate the structure-activity relationship of antioxidant polysaccharides, including the molecular weight, monosaccharide composition, glycosidic linkage, degree of branching, advanced conformation and chemical modification. For the first time, the antioxidant activity of polysaccharides is related to their chemical structure through histogram and radar map, and further studies using principal component analysis and cluster analysis. We critically discussed how the source, chemical structure and chemically modified groups of polysaccharides significantly contribute to their antioxidant activity and summarized the current research status and shortcomings of the structure-activity relationship of antioxidant polysaccharides. This review provides a theoretical basis and new perspective for further research on the structure-activity relationship of antioxidant polysaccharides and the development of natural antioxidants.

LVAD as a Bridge to Transplantation—Current Status and Future Perspectives

LVAD as a Bridge to Transplantation—Current Status and Future Perspectives

Current status of immunodeficient mouse models as substitutes to reduce cat and dog use in heartworm preclinical research

Current status of immunodeficient mouse models as substitutes to reduce cat and dog use in heartworm preclinical research

Review of the Development of Meniscus Centralization.

With an aging population, extending healthy life expectancy is a global challenge. Maintaining healthy knee joint function is one of the essential factors to preserve the ability to walk and extend healthy life expectancy. Meniscus centralization was introduced in 2012 as a procedure for meniscus extrusion, one of the causes of knee osteoarthritis (OA). Initially, it was performed only for lateral meniscus (LM) extrusion, and favorable 2-year results were reported in 2016. Gradually, basic studies supporting the effectiveness of meniscus centralization have been reported, and it has also been performed for medial meniscus (MM) extrusion, with some positive results reported. Although the surgical procedures vary among the institutions, the basic concept is to reattach the loosened meniscotibial ligament to the edge of the tibial plateau to re-tension it. This review will discuss the history of development and the current status of meniscus centralization. Current research shows that meniscus centralization is not performed in isolation but is often used as an augmentation along with the conventional repair of meniscus injuries, particularly posterior root tears. Biomechanical studies demonstrated that MM centralization with a posteromedial anchor can better restore meniscus function. Despite its relatively short publication history of just over ten years, meniscus centralization has shown potential as a treatment to curb the progression of knee OA and extend a healthy life. While more evidence is needed, this conclusion underscores the promising role for meniscus centralization, making it a topic of significant interest for knee surgeons and researchers.

Magnetic Resonance Elastography of Liver: Current Status and Future Directions

Magnetic Resonance Elastography of Liver: Current Status and Future Directions

Harnessing the role of microneedles as sensors: current status and future perspectives.

In recent years, microneedles (MNs) have been transformed to serve a wide range of applications in the biomedical field. Their role as sensors in wearable devices has provided an alternative to blood-based monitoring of health and diagnostic methods. Hence, they have become a topic of research interest for several scientists working in the biomedical field. These MNs as sensors offer the continuous monitoring of biomarkers like glucose, nucleic acids, proteins, polysaccharides and electrolyte ions, which can therefore screen for and diagnose disease conditions in humans. The present review focuses on types of MN sensors and their applications. Various clinical trials and bottlenecks of MN R&D are also discussed.

Chemical and Physical Architecture of Macromolecular Gels for Fracturing Fluid Applications in the Oil and Gas Industry; Current Status, Challenges, and Prospects

Chemical and Physical Architecture of Macromolecular Gels for Fracturing Fluid Applications in the Oil and Gas Industry; Current Status, Challenges, and Prospects

Retrieval practice effect and individual differences: current status and future directions

Retrieval practice effect and individual differences: current status and future directions

Current Status and Barriers of Exercise in Individuals with Spinal Cord Injuries in Korea: A Survey

Current Status and Barriers of Exercise in Individuals with Spinal Cord Injuries in Korea: A Survey

Research on high sensitivity piezoresistive sensor based on structural design.

With the popularity of smart terminals, wearable electronic devices have shown great market prospects, especially high-sensitivity pressure sensors, which can monitor micro-stimuli and high-precision dynamic external stimuli, and will have an important impact on future functional development. Compressible flexible sensors have attracted wide attention due to their simple sensing mechanism and the advantages of light weight and convenience. Sensors with high sensitivity are very sensitive to pressure and can detect resistance/current changes under pressure, which has been widely studied. On this basis, this review focuses on analyzing the performance impact of device structure design strategies on high sensitivity pressure sensors. The design of structures can be divided into interface microstructures and three-dimensional framework structures. The preparation methods of various structures are introduced in detail, and the current research status and future development challenges are summarized.

Results of round robin form measurements of optical aspheres and freeform surfaces

High-quality aspherical and freeform surfaces are in high demand, and the high-accuracy form measurement of such surfaces is a challenging task. To explore the current status of form measurement systems for complex surfaces such as aspheres and freeforms, interlaboratory comparison measurements are performed. This study presents the pseudonymized results obtained using three different surfaces (metal asphere, glass asphere, toroidal surface) in a total of six different round robins. These results were taken from a total of 13 different measurement instruments based on 9 different measurement principles and operated at 12 different laboratories. They were analyzed using a sophisticated procedure that was first developed in 2018 and then refined and tested on simulated data in 2022 to address the challenges of such a comparison at this level of accuracy. In the current study, we applied these refined methods todata acquired from tactile and optical point measurements as well as from optical areal measurements. As there are no absolutely measured and very well characterized reference standard aspherical and freeform surfaces available at the accuracy level of a few tens of nanometers root-mean-square, the approximated true forms of the surfaces were derived from the measurements and indicate the manufacturing accuracy of the surface forms. Then, the measurement’s differences to the approximated true forms were analyzed, which directly indicate the systematic measurement errors of the instruments. By also comparing the approximated true forms from the two different round robins for each surface, additional insights into the reliability and stability of these so-called virtual reference topographies were gained.