An assessment of the sensory drivers influencing consumer preference in infant formula, assessed via sensory evaluation and GC-O-MS.

Consumer partiality for food products is related to purchase and consumption behavior, and are influenced by sensory preferences. The sensory and chemical drivers behind consumer preference in the infant formula (IF) were analyzed. A total of 31 aroma-active compounds were identified, playing an important role in the production of off-flavors (especially fishy). Combined with the correlation analysis, the key aroma substances affecting the sensory attributes of IF were initially identified. A21, A22, B9 represented the key substances responsible for producing milky and creamy, while A2, A5, A11, A12, B5, C15, H5 primarily produced fishy. In addition, the two sensory attributes namely milky and creamy, and the T-sweet were more strongly correlated with consumer preference. Therefore, it can be concluded that consumers are more interested in the main flavor of the product than the off-flavor. These findings will inform the quality control of IF and the maintenance of sensory quality.

Enhancing saltiness perception in bone broth: the additive effect of oil and optimization of sodium-reduction formula for consumer acceptability.

BACKGROUND: Excessive NaCl intake in liquid and semi-solid food (e.g. soup, hot pot base, sauce) poses a high risk to human health, and reducing NaCl intake is a major concern for global health. RESULTS: Using the generalized Labeled Magnitude Scale (gLMS) method, the study verified the possibility of sodium reduction through oil addition. The compromised acceptance threshold (CAT) and hedonic rejection threshold (HRT) were determined. The gLMS results showed that the saltiness intensity of samples containing 0.36% NaCl and 2.29% sunflower seed oil was significantly higher than that of samples containing only 0.36% NaCl (P < 0.05). CAT and HRT results indicated that by adding 3.59% sunflower oil, the NaCl content could be reduced to a minimum of 0.14% without causing sensory rejection in bone broth samples. The quantitative descriptive analysis method was used to determine the effects of NaCl and oil concentrations on the sensory attributes of bone broth samples. Furthermore, it was used to analyze the consumer acceptability drivers in combination with the hedonic scale to optimize the formulation of reduced-salt bone broth products. Notably, sample E (0.36% NaCl, 2.29% fat) not only had a significant salt reduction effect with a 20% decrease in NaCl, but also had improved overall acceptability. CONCLUSION: This study provides theoretical guidance for designing salt-reduction cuisine within the catering and food industries, including bone broth and hot pot bases. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Aroma Characteristics of Green Huajiao in Sichuan and Chongqing Area Using Sensory Analysis Combined with GC-MS.

Green huajiao has a unique flavor and is widely used in cooking as an edible spice. In this study, the intensity of overall aroma and aroma attributes of seven green huajiao samples from the Sichuan and Chongqing regions were evaluated using a dynamic dilution olfactometer and ranking descriptive analysis (RDA) technology. The volatile compounds and major aroma components were determined by GC-MS in combination with odor activity value (OAV) analysis. The partial least squares regression (PLSR) model was further used to identify the key aromas contributing to the aroma sensory attributes. Seven green huajiao samples were categorized into three groups: (1) huajiao samples from Liangshan have a strong intensity of pungent, floral and herbal aromas and a medium-high intensity of sweet aroma, and the key contributing aroma compounds were α-pinene, sabinene, ß-pinene, myrcene, ocimene and linalool; (2) huajiao samples from Panzhihua and Hongya have a strong intensity of citrusy, lemony and minty aromas, and the key contributing aroma compound was linalool; and (3) the huajiao sample from the Chongqing region was categorized into a separate group and was characterized by a medium-high intensity of green, minty and sweet aromas, and the main aroma compounds are ocimene, citronellal and α-terpineol. These results provide useful basic data for evaluating the aroma quality and analyzing the key aroma characteristics of green huajiao in the Sichuan and Chongqing regions.

Monitoring volatile changes in infant formula during long-term storage at room temperature.

This study combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and odor activity value (OAV) assessments to analyze the volatile ingredient changes in formula powder during 11 months of storage at room temperature. Orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) and variable importance in projection (VIP) were also used to assess the potential indicators of aroma changes during storage. The aim was to expose the possible changes in the aroma profile and the substances that alter infant formula (IF) aroma during storage. The results showed that the aldehyde and ketone content in the milk formula increased as the storage time was extended, while the lactone and terpenoid levels decreased significantly. The OAV indicated the presence of various major aromatic substances at different storage times. Considering consumer concern regarding product flavor, this study ascertained that monitoring substance changes during storage showed that 2-heptanone was a good indicator of milk flavor, dimethyl disulfide was a suitable indicator of protein degradation, and 3-methylbutanal, heptanal, hexanal, pentanal, and octanal were all good indicators of fat oxidation. The results of previous related studies were used to supplement the data in this work regarding the changes in IF during product shelf life and to provide support for controlling the flavor substances and quality during new product development.

Saltiness enhancement by "má là" umami flavor in NaCl model aqueous and oil-added systems.

The health concerns associated with high dietary sodium and the quest for a sensory experience have prompted the need for new strategies that can reduce the salt content of foods and have good acceptability. To investigate the cross-modal interaction effects of "má là" umami flavor (total of eight carriers) on the saltiness perception and effective sodium reduction in low-to-strong NaCl aqueous solutions (0.203 %-1.39 %) and oil-added systems (5 %, 10 %, 15 %, 20 %, 25 % canola oil, wt%), sixteen assessors were selected and two methods including saltiness intensity comparison with a category scale and rating with a generalized Labeled Magnitude Scale (gLMS) were used. The results showed PnSnUn carriers significantly enhance saltiness at moderate-to-strong NaCl solutions, and higher saltiness intensity with the addition of canola oil, especially at 25 % oil level. In addition, based on the developed Stevens' power function the sodium reduction was calculated, it was evident that two "má là" umami flavor combinations (one flavor combination was low "má", low "là" and moderate umami, and the other flavor combination with moderate "má", low "là" and moderate umami) were found to perform best with maximum sodium reduction of 18.88 % and 18 %, respectively, and when incorporating 25 % canola oil, the maximum sodium reduction raised by approximately 10 % (to 28.00 % and 28.42 %). This research not only confirmed the positive modulating effect of the "má là" umami flavor on saltiness perception in NaCl solutions, but also showed that the presence of oil further enhanced this effect. This work offered a new and promising insight into the development of foods with reduced sodium content while maintaining the saltiness properties.

Survival of a patient with five recurrences of retroperitoneal liposarcoma over a period of 13 years: A case report and review.

Retroperitoneal liposarcoma (RPLS) is a rare tumor that occurs in the retroperitoneal region and accounts for ~0.2% of all malignant tumor incidence. The present study describes the treatment of a surviving patient with RPLS that recurred five times in 13 years. This case has a long survival time and numerous relapses, which is a rare occurrence. The 40-year-old female patient was admitted to Shaoxing Second Hospital (Shaoxing, China) with an abdominal mass. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan revealed multiple liposarcoma recurrences in the abdominal, pelvic and retroperitoneal areas. As the diagnosis of RPLS was the fifth recurrence, cytoreductive surgery was performed and post-operative pathology suggested mixed liposarcoma. The patient underwent six cycles of doxorubicin and ifosfamide regimen chemotherapy and targeted therapy with anlotinib following surgery; no evidence of disease progression was found on abdominal CT scan during follow-up. The present study also reviewed the literature in terms of the clinical diagnosis, treatment, pathological characteristics and similar cases of liposarcoma with the aim of improving diagnosis and treatment.

The efficacy and safety of cupping as complementary and alternative therapy for metabolic syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of cupping therapy in patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS). METHODS: This systematic review focused on patients with MetS and included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared the effects of cupping therapy with control groups. A total of 12 electronic databases were searched from inception until February 03, 2023. The main outcome after the meta-analysis was waist circumference; the others included anthropometric variables, blood pressure, lipid profile, fasting blood glucose level, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level. The incidence of adverse events and the follow-up courses were also evaluated. Risk of bias (ROB) was evaluated using ROB 2.0 from the Cochrane Handbook. RESULTS: This systematic review included five studies involving 489 patients. Some risks of bias were also identified. The meta-analysis revealed a statistically significance in waist circumference (MD = -6.07, 95% CI: -8.44 to -3.71, P < .001, I2 = 61%, τ2 = 3.4), body weight (MD = -2.46, 95% CI: -4.25 to -0.68, P = .007, I2 = 0%, τ2 = 0) and body mass index (MD = -1.26, 95% CI: -2.11 to -0.40, P = .004, I2 = 0%, τ2 = 0) between the cupping therapy and control groups. However, there were no significant results in total fat percentage and blood pressure values. Regarding biochemical markers, cupping significantly lowered the concentration of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (MD = -3.98, 95% CI: -6.99 to -0.96, P = .010, I2 = 0%, τ2 = 0) but had no significant effect on total cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting blood glucose, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. 3 RCTs reported no adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: Despite some ROB and low to substantial heterogeneity of the included studies, cupping therapy can be considered a safe and effective complementary intervention for reducing waist circumference, body weight, body mass index, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in patients with MetS. In the future, well-designed, high-quality, rigorous methodology, and long-term RCTs in this population are required to assess the efficacy and safety of cupping therapy.

Occurrence and Pathogenicity of Hop Stunt Viroid Infecting Mulberry (Morus alba) Plants in China.

To investigate the presence of hop stunt viroid (HSVd) in mulberry (Morus alba) plants in China, HSVd was detected by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR using dsRNAs extracted from symptomatic or asymptomatic mulberry leaf samples collected from a mulberry field located in Zhenjiang, China, as a template and the primer pairs for HSVd detection. The primer pairs were designed based on the conserved sequence of 25 HSVd variants deposited in the GenBank database. Four out of a total of 53 samples were HSVd-positive, confirming that HSVd is present in mulberry plants in China. The consensus full-length nucleotide (nt) sequence of two HSVd variants determined by sequencing the HSVd variants in these four HSVd-positive samples consisted of 296 nt and shared the highest nt identity of 96.8% with that from plum in Turkey but relatively low identity with those from mulberry in Iran (87.3 to 90.8%). Phylogenetic analysis showed that these HSVd variants clustered together with those of the HSVd-hop group. Analysis of the infectivity and pathogenicity to hosts by the constructed Agrobacterium-mediated dimeric head-to-tail HSVd cDNA infectious clones demonstrated that one of the HSVd variants identified in this study infects the natural host, mulberry plants, and also infects experimental plants, cucumber, and tomato. It probably induces stunting symptoms in HSVd-infected tomatoes but does not induce symptoms on mulberry leaves or in cucumbers. Although HSVd infecting mulberry has been found in Iran, Italy, and Lebanon, this is the first study to report this viroid in naturally infected mulberry plants in China.

The contribution of subliminal perceptions, dietary habits, and psychological traits to the perception of oral tingling and burning sensations.

The tingling evoked by Sichuan pepper and the burning elicited by chili pepper constitutes the typical flavor of Sichuan cuisine and is a component of leisure food. Although factors affecting the burning sensation have extensively been studied, few studies have examined the factors of individual sensitivity, personality traits, and dietary habits that contribute to the perception of oral tingling sensation, which hinders the formulation of tingling products and the development of new products. In contrast, many studies have examined the factors influencing the burning sensation. In this web-based survey, 68 participants disclosed their dietary habits, liking for tingling and hot foods, and psychological traits. Individual sensitivity to the tingling and burning sensation produced by a range of Sichuan pepper oleoresin and capsaicin solutions was determined using rated differences from control, generalized labeled magnitude scale method and ranking test. The consistency score indicated the accuracy of individual ranking results while also providing an indirect response to the sensitivity of the participant to supra-threshold for burning or tingling. Individual ratings for medium Sichuan pepper oleoresin concentrations significantly correlated with the just noticeable difference (p < 0.01), and ratings for medium and high capsaicin concentrations correlated significantly with 6-n-propylthiouracil ratings (p < 0.01). Notably, the power exponent of burning was significantly correlated with the burning recognition threshold (p < 0.01), and the power exponent of tingling and burning were significantly correlated (r = 0.340, p < 0.05). There was a negative correlation between supra-threshold tingling and burning sensation perceptions and life satisfaction ratings. Further, intensity ratings for oral tingling and burning sensation did not always correspond with individual sensitivity indicators (e.g., recognition threshold, 6-n-propylthiouracil, just noticeable difference, and consistency score). Thus, this study provides new insight into establishing a sensory selection method for chemesthetic sensation panelists and theoretical guidelines for formulation design and in-depth analysis of popular tingling dishes and foods.

Sensory Evaluation and Model Prediction of Vacuum-Packed Fresh Corn during Long-Term Storage.

The postharvest shelf life of fresh corn largely depends on the packaging method and storage temperature. This study investigated the effect of vacuum packaging (VP) with high-barrier (HB) or ordinary (OR) nylon/nylon/polypropylene (PP) composite films and the impact of storage temperature (4, 25, and 38 °C) on the shelf life of fresh corn. The sensory quality and color changes of the corn were evaluated, indicating a significant improvement in the glossiness (GL), sourness (SO), and color changes compared to corn packaged using OR films. The results showed that the HB films preserved corn freshness under refrigerated and normal temperature storage conditions, delaying color changes and SO development. A shelf-life model was established based on the Arrhenius equation. The predicted values of the corn at different temperatures were compared with the experimental data, indicating that the model could accurately predict the shelf life. The shelf life observed via sensory evaluation was more than 50% shorter than the results obtained by instrumental measurements. Therefore, sensory evaluation could be applied to determine shelf life and avoid food waste.

Whole genome sequence of mulberry crinivirus, a new member of the genus Crinivirus.

The whole genome sequence of mulberry crinivirus (MuCV), a novel member of the genus Crinivirus (family Closteroviridae) identified in mulberry (Morus alba L), was determined. The virus possesses a bipartite genome. RNA1 contains 8571 nucleotides (nt) with four open reading frames (ORFs). ORF1a encodes a putative polyprotein with papain-like protease, methyltransferase, and RNA helicase domains. ORF1b putatively encodes an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), which is probably expressed via a + 1 ribosomal frameshift. RNA2 consists of 8082 nt, containing eight ORFs that are similar in size and position to orthologous genes of other criniviruses. Phylogenetic analysis based on RdRp amino acid sequences of criniviruses placed MuCV in group 1.

Apolipoprotein E2 inhibits mitochondrial apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells through ERK1/2/CREB/BCL-2 signaling.

BACKGROUND: Apolipoprotein E2 (ApoE2) is a pleiotropic protein that influences several aspects of cancer metabolism and development. Evading apoptosis is a vital factor for facilitating cancer cell growth. However, the role and mechanism of ApoE2 in regulating cell apoptosis of pancreatic cancer remain unclear. METHODS: In this study, we firstly detected the mRNA and protein expressions of ApoE2 in PANC-1 and Capan-2 cells by real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. We then performed TUNEL and flow cytometric analyses to explore the role of recombinant human ApoE2, pCMV6-ApoE2 and siApoE2 in the apoptosis of PANC-1 and Capan-2 cells. Furthermore, we investigated the molecular mechanism through which ApoE2 affected apoptosis in PANC-1 cells using immunofluorescence, immunoprecipitation, Western blotting and co-immunoprecipitation analysis. RESULTS: ApoE2 phosphorylated ERK1/2 and inhibited pancreatic cancer cell apoptosis. In addition, our data showed that ApoE2/ERK1/2 altered the expression and mitochondrial localization of BCL-2 via activating CREB. ApoE2/ERK1/2/CREB also increased the total BCL-2/BAX ratio, inhibited the opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore and the depolarization of mitochondrial transmembrane potential, blocked the leakage of cytochrome-c and the formation of the apoptosome, and consequently, suppressed mitochondrial apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: ApoE2 regulates the mitochondrial localization and expression of BCL-2 through the activation of the ERK1/2/CREB signaling cascade to evade the mitochondrial apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cells. ApoE2 may be a distinct prognostic marker and a potential therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer.

Understanding Blood versus Blond Orange Consumption: A Cross-Cultural Study in Four Countries.

Understanding consumer perceptions and attitudes to specific fruit is key information for not only increasing fruit consumption, but also for marketing reasons. It may also give clues to breeders to set quality objectives. This study explores different aspects that help to explain blood vs. blond orange consumption: availability and consumption habit, satisfaction attributes, facilitators and consumption barriers, consumption contexts, expectations and purchase intention. The study was conducted in China, Mexico, Spain and Italy, where citrus fruit consumers were invited to respond an online questionnaire. Our results revealed Italy as the country with the highest availability and consumption of blood oranges, followed by China, Mexico and Spain. "Liking" and "healthy properties" were the most important reasons for consumption irrespectively of orange type, but certain differences among countries were detected in secondary reasons. In all the countries, "juicy" was the most relevant attribute for consumer satisfaction, followed by flavour/taste attributes. "Aromatic" and "unfibrous" were substantial requirements for Italians and Chinese, while Spaniards attached importance to the blood oranges colour. Regarding consumption contexts, "eat with salt or chilly powder" was specific for Mexico, while "to improve health", "as a gift" or "at a restaurant" were contexts mainly cited in China. Despite taste preferences for other fruit being the main consumption barrier in all the countries for both orange types, the relevance of other barriers depended on culture and orange type. Mexican participants seemed to take a more neophobic attitude to blood oranges, while "inconvenient" was reported as a barrier for consuming blond ones in Spain and China. We conclude that blond and blood oranges can co-exist on markets at a high consumption rate, as in Italy. Specific interventions are needed in other countries because consumer attitudes to oranges, mainly blood ones, depend on culture.

Time-Dependent Seismic Performance of Coastal Bridges Reinforced with Hybrid FRP and Steel Bars.

To increase the durability and seismic resilience of coastal bridges, a hybrid reinforced concrete (HRC) bridge that incorporates both glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars and steel bars is proposed. The time-dependent seismic performance of the HRC bridge is comprehensively investigated at three levels, namely the material, bridge column and bridge structure levels. First, the decrease of tensile strength of GFRP bars over time is analyzed based on the Arrhenius theory, and corrosion initiation time and performance deterioration of steel bars are determined by Fick's second law and an empirical formula. Second, an efficient finite element modeling method for aging HRC bridge columns is proposed. Simulation of the compression/tension behavior and the fracture failure of the GFRP bar is described. Hysteretic analysis is further conducted to investigate the time-dependent energy dissipation, ductility, residual displacement, bearing capacity and post-yield stiffness ratio. Meanwhile, comparisons of HRC bridge columns to reinforced concrete (RC) references are provided. Third, the seismic demand and damage evolution of deteriorated HRC bridge structures are investigated through dynamic time-history analysis. The results indicate that the corrosion-resistant GFRP bars contribute to improving the bearing capacity and to reducing the residual displacement of the HRC bridge. With an increase in service time, the seismic damage to the bridge column, abutment and expansion bearing increases, but the damage to fixed bearing decreases. Research results presented herein show that the HRC bridge is a promising alternative structure scheme in the marine environment.

The enhancement of the perception of saltiness by umami sensation elicited by flavor enhancers in salt solutions.

Health concerns related to the intake of salt have encouraged the investigation into sodium reduction by examining the taste-taste interaction between the perception of saltiness and umami. The effect of saltiness enhancement and sodium reduction of four kinds of umami carrier (WSA, MSG, IMP, and I + G) in a salt model solution with different salt concentrations (2.03-13.94 g/L) were investigated using the two-alternative forced-choice (2-AFC) and generalized Labeled Magnitude Scale (gLMS). The saltiness difference thresholds (DT) under different umami carrier were further explored using the constant stimuli method. The results showed that umami carriers had effective effects of saliness enhancement in the salt solutions with different concentrations, and higher enhancemen levels were obtained at larger salt concentrations. The level of saltiness enhancement were varied between the different umami intensity and carriers, and WSA carrier with moderate intensity had the maximum sodium reduction percentages which reached to 24.25%. Besides, the DT values of saltiness taste were increased under umami carrier, which means that more salt can be reduced without evoking a variation in saltiness. The present work not only provided insight into the effect of umami chemicals on the saltiness perception and saltiness DT values but also presented valuable information regarding flavor when developing low sodium foods and contributing to the development of more healthful products that meet current nutritional recommendations.

Sensory Description and Consumer Hedonic Perception of Ultra-High Temperature (UHT) Milk.

Sensory characteristics of products play an essential role on the consumer' s acceptability, preference and consuming behavior choice. The sensory profiles and consumer hedonic perception for 14 UHT milk products using sensory quantitatively descriptive analysis and a 9-point hedonic scale were investigated in this study. There were significant differences in the sensory attributes intensity and liking scores among the organic whole milk, ordinary whole milk, low-fat milk, and skimmed milk (p < 0.05). Skimmed milk samples had lowest intensity scores of typical milk aroma, taste flavor and texture attributes, as well as had the lowest overall liking scores. Whole milk samples had higher sensory intensity scores than low-fat milk samples, even though no significant differences of overall liking scores were observed between whole milk and low-fat milk. Furthermore, the relationship between the sensory attribute and overall liking was demonstrated according to correlation analysis and partial least squares regression (PLSR) analysis. Overall liking increased significantly with the increasing of sweet, after milk aroma, protein-like, mellow and thick, while decreased significantly with the enhancement of cowy, cooked and whey (p < 0.05). These findings presented a potential strategy for identifying the key sensory attributes responsible for liking score differences among different kinds of UHT milk products.

Comparison of the Effects of High Pressure Processing, Pasteurization and High Temperature Short Time on the Physicochemical Attributes, Nutritional Quality, Aroma Profile and Sensory Characteristics of Passion Fruit Purée.

The study investigated the effects of high-pressure processing (HPP) (600 MPa/5 min), pasteurization (PT) (85 °C/30 s), and high-temperature short time (HTST) (110 °C/8.6 s) on physicochemical parameters (sugar, acid, pH, TSS), sensory-related attributes (color, aroma compounds), antioxidants (phenolics, vitamin C, carotenoids, antioxidant capacity), and sensory attributes of yellow passion fruit purée (PFP). Compared to the PT and HTST, HPP obtained the PFP with better color, sugar, and organic acid profiles. Although PT was equally effective preservation of antioxidants and antioxidant capacity of PFP compared to HPP, high temperature inevitable resulted in the greater degradation of the aroma profile. The amounts of esters, alcohols, and hydrocarbon in PFP were significantly increased by 11.3%, 21.3%, and 30.0% after HPP, respectively. All samples were evaluated by a panel comprising 30 panelists according to standard QDA (quantitative descriptive analysis) procedure, and the result showed that HPP-treated PFP was rated the highest overall intensity score with 7.06 for its sensory attributes, followed by control (6.96), HTST (6.17), and PT (6.16). Thus, HPP is a suitable alternative technology for achieving the good sensory quality of PFP without compromising their nutritional properties.

Efficacy of Acupuncture Treatment for Incidence of Poststroke Comorbidities: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Nationalized Cohort Studies.

Acupuncture has been applied as a complementary therapy in stroke survivors worldwide and approved to be beneficial to stroke recovery. However, there is little medical evidence regarding the association between acupuncture and the risk of poststroke comorbidities. We reviewed big data studies from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database to investigate the risk of poststroke comorbidities after acupuncture treatment in a real-world situation. Ten English (PubMed, Embase, Medline, Cochrane, Alt HealthWatch, CINAHL, Health Source, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, and Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection) and two Chinese (AiritiLibray and Visualizing Health Data) electronic databases were searched from inception until December 2020 for nationalized cohort studies comparing the effects of acupuncture treatment with a nonacupuncture control group among stroke patients. Eight nationalized cohort studies were included. Six of eight studies showed a moderate overall risk of bias, while two studies showed a serious overall risk of bias. Included studies have investigated the effect of acupuncture in reducing the risk of seven medical conditions after stroke, including stroke recurrence, new-onset acute myocardial infarction (AMI), pneumonia, dementia, epilepsy, urinary tract infection (UTI), and depression. The meta-analysis showed clinically significant reductions in the risk of poststroke comorbidities in the acupuncture group compared to the nonacupuncture group (HR, 0.776; 95% CI, 0.719-0.838; p < 0.0001). In this systematic review and meta-analysis of nationalized cohort studies, acupuncture showed clinically relevant benefits in reducing the incidence of poststroke comorbidities, such as stroke recurrence, new-onset acute myocardial infarction (AMI), pneumonia, dementia, epilepsy, and UTI.

The influence of NaCl on the dynamic perception of the pungency sensation elicited by Sichuan pepper oleoresins.

A cross-modal interaction may exist between the perception of saltiness and the pungency elicited by Sichuan pepper oleoresin (Spo). Thirty-one hypersensitive panelists were selected to participate in this study. Spo solutions dissolved in different NaCl concentrations, ranging from 1.25 g/L to 167.9 g/L, were used as the test samples. The rated difference from control, the generalized labeled magnitude scale (gLMS), and the time-intensity (TI) method were used to determine the detection threshold (DT), the recognition threshold (RT), the intensity, and the dynamic perception of pungent sensation. The results revealed that the pungency thresholds increased significantly (p < 0.01) in the solution with a high NaCl (167.9 g/L) concentration. Furthermore, high NaCl solutions suppressed the pungency intensity at all Spo concentrations except for 0.02 g Spo/L in water (p < 0.05). The TI and principal component analysis (PCA) results showed that an increase in the Spo concentration prolonged the duration of the pungency sensation. However, the maximum intensity, the time to reach maximum intensity, the decay time of perception, and the end time of perception of the Spo solutions ranging from 2.13 g/L to 4.69 g/L were significantly reduced at medium (42.95 g/L) and high NaCl concentrations. Since the salty and pungency sensations exhibited by NaCl and Spo are common flavor combinations in food products and dishes, studying the influence of saltiness on the dynamic perception of pungent sensation not only aids the development of oral cleaners during pungency evaluation but also presents significant theoretical and practical value in creating pungent food and cuisine based on consumer preferences.

[Influence of Precipitation Change on Soil Respiration in Desert Grassland].

Global climate change has significantly changed precipitation patterns. Soil respiration (SR), as an important pathway through which CO2 is released from the soil carbon pool into the atmosphere, may affect the carbon cycle process of terrestrial ecosystems and have a feedback effect on global climate change in response to precipitation change. However, at present there is limited understanding of how SR is affected by precipitation change. Field precipitation control experiments were conducted (with -40%, -20%, natural, 20%, and 40% precipitation) on desert grassland in the west of the Loess Plateau, to investigate the influence of precipitation change on SR dynamics and its relationship with soil water content, soil temperature, aboveground biomass, soil organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon, carbon-nitrogen ratio, and other factors. The results show that the diurnal variations of SR under different precipitation treatments were consistent in unimodal and bimodal models over three years. SR showed an increasing trend with added precipitation, relative to the control, and significant differences were observed between the second year (wetter) and the third year (drier) of the precipitation-manipulation experiment, indicating that precipitation changes had a legacy effect on SR. At the same time, SR was lowest under the -40% treatment and highest under the 40% treatment during the wetter year. The negative response of SR to precipitation exclusion treatments was stronger than the positive response to precipitation addition treatments. SR in drier years was significantly higher under precipitation addition treatments than the control, and the positive response of SR to increased precipitation treatment was significantly stronger than that under decreased precipitation treatment. In addition, soil water content, aboveground biomass, soil organic carbon, and carbon-nitrogen ratio were the environmental factors that obviously affected SR and increased with additional precipitation. SR increased with increases in soil water content, aboveground biomass, soil organic carbon, and carbon-nitrogen ratio, but decreased with increases in microbial biomass carbon. Among these factors, soil water content had the highest interpretation rate for SR, indicating that soil water content was the main environmental factor controlling SR in desert grassland. In both wetter and drier years, the amplitude of plant biomass input was lower than the amplitude of SR output under precipitation change, indicating that precipitation change may be unfavorable to soil carbon sequestration, especially in drier years, when precipitation change has a stronger influence on carbon pool output. Therefore, precipitation changes on SR in desert grassland in various dry and wet years may have different influences on the carbon cycle process of ecosystems, thus providing a reference for regional carbon budget assessment.