Brain networks in newborns and infants with and without sensorineural hearing loss:A functional near-infrared spectroscopy study

BACKGROUND Understanding the impact of early sensory deficits on brain development is essential for understanding developmental processes and developing potential interventions.While previous studies have looked into the impact of prenatal experiences on language development,there is a lack of research on how these experiences affect early language and brain function development in individuals with sensorineural hearing loss(SNHL).AIM To investigate SNHL effects on early brain development and connectivity in 4-month-olds vs healthy newborns and controls.METHODS The research involved analyzing the functional brain networks of 65 infants,categorized into three groups:28 healthy newborns,224-month-old participants with SNHL,and 15 age-matched healthy participants.The resting-state functional connectivity was measured and compared between the groups using functional near-infrared spectroscopy and graph theory to assess the brain network properties.RESULTS Significant differences were found in resting-state functional connectivity between participants with SNHL and age-matched controls,indicating a developmental lag in brain connectivity for those with SNHL.Surprisingly,SNHL participants showed better connectivity development compared to healthy newborns,with connectivity strengths of 0.13±0.04 for SNHL,0.16±0.08 for controls,and 0.098±0.04 for newborns.Graph theory analysis revealed enhanced global brain network properties for the SNHL group,suggesting higher communication efficiency at 4 months.No significant differences were noted in network properties between 4-month-old SNHL participants and neonates.A unique pattern of central hubs was observed in the SNHL group,with 2 hubs in the left hemisphere compared to 6 in controls.CONCLUSION 4-month-old infants with SNHL have a distinct brain network pattern with efficient long-distance information transmission but less effective local communication compared to age-matched controls.

Assessment of Balance and Vestibular Functions in Patients with Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss

This study investigated the relationship among the severity of hearing impairment,vestibular function and balance function in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss（ISSNHL）.A total of 35 ISSNHL patients（including 21 patients with vertigo） were enrolled.All of the patients underwent audiometry,sensory organization test（SOT）,caloric test,cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potential（cV EMP） test and ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potential（o VEMP） test.Significant relationship was found between vertigo and hearing loss grade（P=0.009）,and between SOT VEST grade and hearing loss grade（P=0.001）.The abnormal rate of o VEMP test was the highest,followed by the abnormal rates of caloric and c VEMP tests,not only in patients with vertigo but also in those without vertigo.The vestibular end organs were more susceptible to damage in patients with vertigo（compared with patients without vertigo）.Significant relationship was found between presence of vertigo and SOT VEST grade（P=0.010）.We demonstrated that vestibular end organs may be impaired not only in patients with vertigo but also in patients without vertigo.The cochlear and vestibular impairment could be more serious in patients with vertigo than in those without vertigo.Vertigo does not necessarily bear a causal relationship with the impairment of the vestibular end organs.SOT VEST grade could be used to reflect the presence of vertigo state in the ISSNHL patients.Apart from audiometry,the function of peripheral vestibular end organs and balance function should be evaluated to comprehensively understand ISSNHL.Better assessment of the condition will help us in clinical diagnosis,treatment and prognosis evaluation of ISSNHL.

Changes in sensorimotor regions of the cerebral cortex in congenital amusia:a case-control study

Perceiving pitch is a central function of the human auditory system;congenital amusia is a disorder of pitch perception.The underlying neural mechanisms of congenital amusia have been actively discussed.However,little attention has been paid to the changes in the motor rain within congenital amusia.In this case-control study,17 participants with congenital amusia and 14 healthy controls underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while resting with their eyes closed.A voxel-based degree centrality method was used to identify abnormal functional network centrality by comparing degree centrality values between the congenital amusia group and the healthy control group.We found decreased degree centrality values in the right primary sensorimotor areas in participants with congenital amusia relative to controls,indicating potentially decreased centrality of the corresponding brain regions in the auditory-sensory motor feedback network.We found a significant positive correlation between the degree centrality values and the Montreal Battery of Evaluation of Amusia scores.In conclusion,our study identified novel,hitherto undiscussed candidate brain regions that may partly contribute to or be modulated by congenital amusia.Our evidence supports the view that sensorimotor coupling plays an important role in memory and musical discrimination.The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Second Xiangya Hospital,Central South University,China(No.WDX20180101GZ01)on February 9,2019.

Production of Dietetic Jam of Umbu-Caja (<i>Spondias</i>sp.): Physical, Physicochemical and Sensorial Evaluations

The umbucajazeira is specie native to the Brazilian Northeast semiarid areas, which is economically explored based on the fruit. The fruit has a high agroindustrial potential, mainly for jam production. The aim of this study was to evaluate through sensorial analysis, two formulations of umbu-caja jams: a dietetic one with xylitol, used as an option for substitution of the sugars, and a conventional one. The proportion of 50:50:0.5 (pulp/sugar/pectin or pulp/xylitol/pectin) was used for jam processing. The mixture was concentrated up to reach 65°Brix. The jams were evaluated by 50 non-trained tasters, through a hedonic scale of nine points, whereas the following attributes were used: appearance, color, flavor, aroma and texture. The results of the physical and physicochemical analysis showed that the characteristics of jams prepared with sucrose are close to the ones made with xylitol, except for the total sugars and the energetic value. The jams had pH values ranging between 2.37 and 2.92;titratable acidity varying between 0.56 and 0.78 g citric acid/100 g pulp;soluble solids ranging between 60.92°and 65.08°Brix, respectively. A tendency for yellow color was noticed by the color analysis. Jam diet had the highest scores for appearance (7.4 - 7.7). No significant differences (p > 0.05) were obtained to flavor and texture. The fruit of the umbucajazeira showed to be adequate for jam manufature since they had good sensorial acceptance. The use of xylitol was satisfactory for obtaining a product with jam characteristics similar to the conventional jam, but with lower energetic value.

The Impact of Sweet Potato Flour Supplementation on Functional and Sensorial Properties of Yoghurt

Sweet potatoes have become a research focus in recent years, due to their particular nutritional and functional qualities. Considering yoghurt is one of the most popular dairy products, sweet potato supplementation will play a significant impact on the produced yoghurt texture it will also add attractive orange colour to the final product. The article focused on the replacement of the stabilizers used in the manufacture of yoghurt with sweet potato flour dehydrated in a lab (SPFL) due to its functional features and a less expensive alternative and the improvement of yoghurt colour due to the presence of anthocyanin pigment. In order to reach these goals, experimental yoghurt was fortified with 0, 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 g SPFL/100g cow milk (%) and stored at 4&degC for 14 days. The obtained data were then compared with commercial yoghurt samples (CS1, CS2, CS3, and CS4). Sensory evaluation revealed that the 2% SPFL, CS1, and CS3 obtained higher scores than the other treatments. The fat content of the yoghurts was identical whereas, the other physicochemical parameters and water holding capacity (WHC %) levels varied. SPFL supplementation had a significant impact on the rheological properties of yoghurt production, allowing sweet potato flour to replace the industrial stabiliser. Scanning Electron Micrograph (SEM) of yoghurt enriched with SPFL revealed denser and smaller gaps, as well as the presence of sweet potato globules embedded in and attached to the gel matrix. The results obtained in the present research imply that sweet potatoes can be used to produce a kind of cohesive and gummy yoghurt that can be used instead of industrial stabilizers.

Sensori-Neural Hearing Loss Client’s Performance with Receiver-In-Canal (RIC) Hearing Aids

Background: Individuals fitted with hearing aids complain of the unnatural sound quality of their voice, other internally generated sounds such as chewing and swallowing sounds “hollow”, “muffled” sounds. Receiver-In-Canal hearing aids are favored due to small size, discrete appearance and ability to minimize occlusion. Aim: To compare the performance of Receiver-In-Canal (RIC) to traditional ear tip (ET), ear moulds (EM) fittings using Functional gain measures. Method: Ten subjects with flat moderately severe sensori neural hearing loss participated in the study. Subjective unaided and aided measures for digital BTE hearing aids with ear tip, ear mould or Receiver-In-Canal for pure tones of 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz, 4000 Hz were obtained. Results and Discussion: Higher scores were obtained with Receiver-In-Canal fitting on Functional gain measures. No significant difference between all the three conditions was obtained at low frequencies especially at 500 Hz, as Receiver-In-Canal hearing aids attenuate low frequency sounds automatically when the ear is left open (up to 30 dB less amplification at 500 Hz) especially for hearing in noisy situations. Conclusion: The results suggest that Receiver-In-Canal fittings are an effective means of overcoming the major barriers to the acceptance of amplification and further suggest the clinical importance of subjective measures in measuring aided benefit of open-fit devices in the rehabilitation of person’s with moderately severe to severe SN hearing loss.

Some Fuzzy Logic Based Methods to Deal with Sensorial Information

Sensorial information is very difficult to elicit, to represent and to manage because of its complexity. Fuzzy logic provides an interesting means to deal with such information, since it allows us to represent imprecise, vague or incomplete descriptions, which are very common in the management of subjective information. Aggregation methods proposed by fuzzy logic are further useful to combine the characteristics of the various components of sensorial information.

Progress in sensorimotor rehabilitative physical therapy programs for stroke patients

Impaired motor and functional activity following stroke often has negative impacts on the patient, the family and society. The available rehabilitation programs for stroke patients are reviewed. Conventional rehabilitation strategies(Bobath, Brunnstrom, proprioception neuromuscular facilitation, motor relearning and function-based principles) are the mainstream tactics in clinical practices. Numerous advanced strategies for sensory-motor functional enhancement, including electrical stimulation, electromyographic biofeedback, constraint-induced movement therapy, robotics-aided systems, virtual reality, intermittent compression, partial body weight supported treadmill training and thermal stimulation, are being developed and incorporated into conventional rehabilitation programs. The concept of combining valuable rehabilitative procedures into "a training package", based on the patient's functional status during different recovery phases after stroke is proposed. Integrated sensorimotor rehabilitation programs with appropriate temporal arrangements might provide great functional benefits for stroke patients.

Effect of Castration on Sensorial and Instrumental Characteristics of Longissimus Dorsi Muscle （LDM） of Brahman Cattle

This study aimed to investigate the effect of castration on the sensory and instrumental qualities of the longisssimus dorsi muscle of Brahman. Fifty animals （25 Brahman castrated and 25 uncastrated） were fed with forage and finished with forage and a commercial feed. The sensory analysis was performed by a seven-member sensory panel that had been trained. The panel evaluated the juiciness, myofibril tenderness, overall tenderness, connective tissue amount and flavor intensity of each sample according to an 8-point scale. The steaks that were to be used in the instrumental analysis were frozen, thawed, and cooked just like those used in the sensory analysis test. In order to assess shear force, the steaks were cooled 2 h at room temperature. Each strip was sheared once with a Warner-Bratzler ceil, and an average shear force value was calculated and recorded for each steak. Water retention capacity was measured as weight loss during cooking. Steaks used for shear force analysis were weighted before and after cooking. Significant differences were observed （P 〈 0.05） among sensory attributes, shear force, and cooking loss values in the beef of castrated and uncastrated. Both the panel and the consumers were able to detect differences in sensory characteristics between castrated and uncastrated, with the ratings favoring the castrated. The Warner-Bratzler device was also able to detect differences in tenderness between both groups, with steer beef having lower shear force and cooking loss values.

Evaluation of the ＂Harmony/Balance Value＂ on the Development of the Sensorial Quality of EVOOmExperiences in Germany and Europe

Since 2015 the methodology of the harmony value in the framework of the official organoleptic assessment has been accredited by the German authorities. It initiated additional background for this parameter which is set on top of the Official Paneltest （Standard IOC/T15/Reg. （EWG） 2568/91 in its actual version） which classifies Olive oil in the relevant classifications ＂extra virgin＂, ＂virgin＂ or ＂virgin lampante＂. This study will proof the possible accuracy of this additional parameter ＂harmony/balance＂ and the benefits which arise with this additional parameter for all stakeholders. The German Olive Oil Panel （DOP） is practicing this extended methodology for the sensory evaluation of extra virgin olive oil since 2003. In addition to the verification of the category ＂extra virgin＂ the Panel is continuously training for additional descriptors used to appraise the quality-discrimination for this category. But in case the panel decides for a valid median of a defect the panel supervisor （PSV） will set the harmony level to zero. In the focus is the additional attribute called ＂harmony＂ （in some world areas called ＂balance＂--both mean a quantification of the specific overall quality with one single parameter） which is responsible for this advancement in the methodological approach. Using ＂harmony/balance＂ （H/B） as a quality-factor, the discrimination between bad, average, good, very good and premium quality within the category of EVOO became possible. ＂Harmony＂ includes olfactory, tactile and kinesthetic stimuli and is evaluated on a bipolar 100 mm scale, which leads to this parameter from ＂average＂ in the center to ＂complex/harmonious＂ on one side or to ＂totally disharmonious＂ on the other side. In the study at hand we are able to prove the development of qualities in the framework of the accredited Panel in German speaking countries over more than 10 years. In this study the development of the increasing quality can be proved in yearly figures of the DOP. The trend could be disturbed however in case of climatological circumstances or orders from outside Germany with over proportional low qualities. The official organoleptic assessment method of IOC/EC separates defect free from defected olive oils and is marking the olive oils with a relevant label of classification （EV, V, Lampant）. The additional step to evaluate the harmony value----carried out by the same panel during the same procedure--is quantifying the category of EVOO in relevant quality sectors. This study shows on one side the progress of this method in German speaking countries and their supporting companies. On the other side it revealed the quality problems which arise in markets like the private label/low price （PL/LP） sections in other countries of the European Union. This important market segment covers today about 75%-80% of the market. The IGO study （2015） proved that from 70 samples out of 16 European countries 58.5% （41 samples） have been analyzed as defect; only 41.5% （29 samples） matched the classification EVOO. And from these 29 samples 18 have been evaluated with the additional parameter ＂harmony/balance＂ as ＂lower standard＂ or ＂not sufficient＂. The long experience with this additional parameter is able to stabilize and quantify the quality of EVOO in favor of all stakeholders.

Improvement of the Quality of Brazilian Conilon through Wet Processing: A Sensorial Perspective

Conilon coffee represents almost 20% of all coffee production in the Brazilian territory;however, it is inexpressive in relation to the sensory quality when compared to Arabica coffee. It is noteworthy that the coffee from the species Coffea canephora PIERRE has a denser sensorial profile, is less sweet, less acidic and with strong pronunciation of the body at the time of tasting. This study has unprecedentedly applied the use of starter cultures (yeast) to optimize and modify the metabolic pathways and consequently the sensorial quality perceived by Q-graders. The experiments were conducted in a randomized block design with five replicates, in the 3 × 4 factorial scheme, with three fermentation times—24, 48 and 72 hours and four wet processing tests—Washed, Yeast fermentation, Fully washed without yeast and Fully washed with yeast. The sensorial results indicate a new perspective for the application of wet processing with starter cultures for Conilon coffee. They indicate gains in sensory scale, opening a new phase of studies on spontaneous and induced fermentation for Conilon coffee in Brazil and worldwide.

鸡品种和饲养日龄对鸡汤滋味性状的影响

为研究品种和饲养日龄对优质地方鸡鸡汤滋味性状的影响,筛选出适合炖汤的品种和日龄的鸡。试验采用人工感官评价、电子舌测定及呈味物质含量测定的方法对比大宁河鸡(DN)和青脚麻鸡(QM)2个优质鸡在不同饲养时间(120日龄和150日龄)下鸡汤滋味的差异,找出品种和饲养日龄影响鸡汤滋味的原因。结果表明:同一饲养日龄青脚麻鸡的鸡汤滋味好于大宁河鸡。150日龄大宁河鸡的鸡汤滋味优于120日龄;120日龄青脚麻鸡的鸡汤滋味好于150日龄。品种对鸡汤的涩味、涩味回味和鲜味都有显著影响(P<0.05),饲养日龄对鸡汤的苦味回味有显著影响(P<0.05)。大多数游离氨基酸和核苷酸含量都对人工感官评定结果呈正效应。研究表明,品种和饲养日龄通过影响鸡汤中的游离氨基酸和核苷酸的含量和比例来影响鸡汤的总体滋味。

剁辣椒源益生菌筛选及其在发酵剁辣椒中的应用

为开发风味优良且具有一定营养健康功效的益生菌发酵剁辣椒,本研究以湖南传统发酵剁辣椒为原料,筛选耐受胃肠消化的益生菌进行剁辣椒发酵,通过理化分析、感官评价及非靶向代谢组学技术,探究益生菌发酵对剁辣椒理化性质、安全性和感官特性的影响。结果表明,筛选得到3株耐受胃肠消化菌株,鉴定为植物乳植杆菌(Lactiplantibacillus plantarumJEB2)、短乳杆菌(Lactobacillus brevisJEB7)和酿酒酵母(Saccharomyces cerevisiae JEE2)。其中L.plantarum JEB2和L.brevis JEB7在24 h内将0.25 mg/mL亚硝酸钠全部降解,S.cerevisiae JEE2在24 h内胆固醇同化率达50.79%;筛选菌种发酵制备的剁辣椒pH<4.2、滴定酸度>0.6%,样品亚硝酸盐含量及大肠菌群明显低于自然发酵剁辣椒;L.plantarum JEB2和L.brevis JEB7复配发酵制备的剁辣椒样品感官得分最高为19.50(满分20),非靶向代谢组学结果显示该剁辣椒样品刺激性物质(4-乙酰氨基-2-氨基丁酸和巴豆苷)表达量下调,芳香物质(4-甲基苯甲醛、黄铜酸乙烯酯、D-山梨醇等)和活性物质(笑脸素、鹅膏苷F5、白花丹等)表达量上调。因此,利用L.plantarum JEB2和L.brevis JEB7发酵剁辣椒,可以降低产品刺激性、增加风味,并提高产品安全性和益生特性,可进一步开发利用作为发酵产品的生产发酵剂。

带感觉神经游离股前外侧皮瓣在口腔癌术后缺损修复重建中的临床应用

目的:探讨带感觉神经游离股前外侧皮瓣在口腔癌术后缺损修复重建中的临床效果。方法:选取南充市中心医院口腔颌面外科2020年9月-2022年9月采用带感觉神经的游离股前外侧皮瓣修复重建口腔癌扩大切除后组织缺损的患者16例,根据原发灶切除后组织缺损的大小并结合皮瓣收缩率设计皮瓣,长5~10 cm,宽4~8 cm。皮瓣制备的同时携带股外侧皮神经,待供、受区动静脉吻合完成后再行股外侧皮神经与受区感觉神经端端吻合,供瓣区创面减张后直接拉拢缝合。术后随访12~24个月,对术后效果进行评价。结果:16例口腔癌缺损采用带感觉神经游离股前外侧皮瓣修复术后均成活,皮瓣色泽、形态、质地优良,咀嚼、吞咽、言语功能良好,感觉功能恢复S0级2例,S1级4例,S2级6例,S3级2例,S3+级2例,游离皮瓣无1例发生溃疡。其中1例右舌中-高分化鳞癌(T3N1M0),术后13个月发生全身远处转移后死亡。结论:带感觉神经的游离股前外侧皮瓣修复重建口腔癌术后缺损,其外形及功能恢复良好,在一定程度上能恢复皮瓣感觉功能。

多感官视角下城市居民滨江空间景观感知偏好

中国城镇化迈入人口城镇化的“下半场”,多感官下的居民景观感知与规划设计是近年空间感知分析与规划设计的热点。然而,现有研究多集中于视觉、听觉单一感官分析或双重感官分析,存在着对嗅觉、触觉等感官缺乏关注,以及对多感官结合分析关注很少的理论不足。本文以多感官感知为视角,以广州市滨江公共空间景观作为研究对象,将其分为“自然、人类/人类活动、人造/机械”3种景观要素及33个景观因素,通过构建感知增长率指数,对视觉、听觉、嗅觉和触觉4种感官下的不同类型滨江空间的居民景观感知特征进行评价。结果表明:不同景观要素下4种感官的感知相对敏感度不同,自然景观中嗅觉敏感,人类活动景观中听觉敏感,人造景观中触觉敏感。相对视觉和触觉而言,听觉和嗅觉下居民景观感知需求更容易被忽视。居民对自然声音和自然气味的景观要素感知期待仍需加强,而人类活动声和机械气味则不受欢迎。多感官下的景观要素感知特征在不同类型的公共空间下存在差异,广场和桥下/码头是重点改造空间,需特别关注避免电子设备声和交通噪声的干扰。最后形成了各滨江空间相应的感知设计指引。本文提出,集成多感官的居民景观感知分析可为城市滨江空间规划和设计提供实质性的参考。

基于正交试验法的甘薯馅制备工艺参数优化的研究

本文以甘薯(新疆产西瓜红)为原料制作甘薯馅,开展单因素试验研究蒸制时间、炒制时间、糖添加量、炒制温度等工艺参数对甘薯馅感观品质的影响,并开展正交试验选出甘薯馅的最佳制作工艺参数。结果表明,甘薯馅的最佳工艺参数为蒸制时间20min、炒制时间9min、糖添加量25%、炒制温度120℃。

青稞品质及其环境因子影响研究进展

该文从感官品质、营养品质、加工品质等方面出发,对青藏高原特有农产品-青稞的品质研究进展进行综述,探讨环境因子对青稞品质影响的研究现状,旨在为青稞品质的保持和提升、青稞品质评价标准的建立以及青稞从“数量安全型”向“品质优良型”的提升转化和高值开发利用等方面提供有效参考。

基于隧道式微波的鱿鱼片干燥动力学及理化感官品质

该文采用隧道式微波技术,探究鱿鱼片的干燥动力学和干燥品质。研究表明,鱿鱼片的含水率随时间延长而逐渐降低,干燥速率呈现先快速上升而后缓慢下降趋势,干燥过程符合Page模型。相较于热风干燥(18 h),鱿鱼片(直径3.0 cm)的微波干燥时间缩短至210 min,色泽、复水比、挥发性化合物种类和感官品质均明显提高,水分含量、挥发性盐基氮值和过氧化值均显著降低,并呈现疏松多孔的微观结构,表明隧道式微波技术能提高鱿鱼片的干燥效率和干燥品质。

两级风选关键参数对叶丝质量的影响研究

目前烟草行业主要从叶丝的净化和误剔率方面研究两级风选的控制技术,但鲜有研究其关键参数对风选后叶丝质量影响的报道。该项目在保证风选稳定性的基础上,从风选风量和除尘风量变化对烟丝感官质量和物理质量的影响程度入手,研究两级风选的控制技术及方法。同时,对比分析风选前不同烟丝来料特性对风选效果的影响。研究结果表明,系统中风选风量的大小、除尘风量的占比对风选后烟丝感官质量影响重大,气流烘后烟丝因温度较高且含有大量蒸汽使其柔韧性及抗造碎性均较薄板烘后烟丝强,故风选后烟丝缠绕率较高。该研究结果可充分发挥两级风选设备对产品质量的贡献度,以及为该设备在工艺控制方面提供理论依据和技术支持。