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Breakage of food influences eating experience and sensory perception. The aims of the study were to identify an appropriate breakage index and to develop an in vitro method for predicting the ease of oral breakage of nuts. Kernels of five types of nuts were fragmented in vitro using a texture analyzer and 12 subjects therefore performed molar bites. In addition, peanuts were differently roasted (over 0, 15, 25, and 35 min) to vary texture within the same nut type. Projected particle areas were determined using imaging. Two Breakage Indices were compared (1) BI‐I, the difference, after and before fragmentation, in square root values of ratios between total projected area and volume [Agrawal et al., 1997, Archives of Oral Biology, 42(1), 1–9], and (2) BI‐II, the ratio of the total projected area after and before fragmentation. BI‐II gives a stronger linear regression than BI‐I between in vivo and in vitro index values for different types of nuts; Pearson's r = 0.834 versus 0.499 (12 subjects with all data pooled). Using BI‐II, a subject's regression result in fragmentation tests with differently roasted peanuts was as strong as when testing different nut types: Pearson's r = 0.984 versus 0.964. Since the range of the in vitro BI‐II values was 5.5 times smaller in the peanut tests, the finding of a similarly strong regression indicates a high sensitivity of BI‐II to detect differences in food texture. BI‐II is useful for food industry to determine how easily solid foods break down and thereby compare the potential of flavor release between foods during chewing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waterborne epoxy resins have been extensively applied to industries as green paints. However, waterborne epoxy resins are affected by several issues. To enhance their mechanical properties and corrosion resistance, we added nanotitanium‐based hybrid materials (NTH), and methyl methacrylate (MMA)/nitrile rubber (NBR)/graphene oxide (GO) to waterborne epoxy resin. The researchers suggest that adding NTH and MMA/NBR/GO can well modify waterborne epoxy resin. Upon addition of 6 wt.% NTH and 1 wt.% MMA/NBR/GO (2‐1 coating), scanning electron microscopy imaging shows that the coating is flat, with no evident crevices. Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy results indicate that compared with the case in which either NTH or MMA/NBR/GO is added, the coating is denser when both fillers are added. The mechanical properties were also investigated, and the results demonstrate that the coating displayed a pencil hardness rating of "2H" and achieved a grade of "0" in terms of adhesion, respectively. Additionally, the coating's anticorrosion performance was evaluated through electrochemical tests. Tafel tests and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy tests reveal that the 2‐1 coating possesses superior corrosion resistance with respect to the other coatings. Additionally, after a neutral salt spray test lasting 1440 h, the surface of the coating showed no signs of corrosion according to salt spray tests. Finally, the anticorrosion mechanism is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To explore the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and male infertility (MI) and evaluate the potential causal effect of OSA on MI through a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. Methods Two-sample MR analysis was conducted using genome-wide association study (GWAS) data, including 25 062 cases of SA, 172 050 cases of snoring, and 313 372 controls, as well as summary data extracted from FinnGen for male infertility (1 271 cases and 119 297 controls). The primary analytical method was the inverse variance-weighted (IVW) approach, supplemented by MR-Egger regression, weighted median, simple mode, and weighted mode to provide additional evidence corroborating the IVW results. Tests for horizontal pleiotropy and heterogeneity were performed to ensure result stability. Results There was no substantial evidence supporting an association between OSA and MI incidence using the IVW method (OR = 1. 617, 95% CI- 0. 823-3. 177, P = 0. 163). The result of MR-Egger, weighted median, simple mode, and weighted mode methods were consistent with the results of the IVW method. Conclusion The large MR analysis indicated that obstructive sleep apnea may not be causally associated with a risk of male infertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To explore medication rules of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of teratozoospermia based on clinical literature data mining for providing guidance methods for teratozoospermia treatment. Methods Clinical literatures on teratozoospermia treatment with traditional Chinese medicine from database establishment to December 31,2022 were retrieved and collected from the database of CNKI, Wanfang and VIP. SPSS and Excel were used for data mining to summarize the clinical medication rules of teratozoospermia. Results A total of 101 related literatures were initially retrieved, and 57 clinical literatures were ultimately obtained, including 64 prescriptions containing 145 kinds of traditional Chinese medicine. Eight syndrome elements were extracted, mainly including essence deficiency, blood stasis, damp-heat and yin deficiency. The disease mainly located in kidney, spleen and liver. Cuscuta chinensis and Lycium barbarum were the most common clinical drugs, and the main drugs were tonic drugs. The property of the drug was warm and mild, the taste of the drug was mainly sweet, and the meridian tropism was mainly in the kidney, liver and spleen. Association rule analysis showed that there were 8 pairs of combinations with high correlation strength, and the results of hierarchical cluster analysis revealed 3 categories. The network visualization of association rules indicated that the core drugs included 16 kinds such as dodder, wolfberry fruit, cornus officinalis, prepared rehmannia root, etc., and the compatibility correlation between drugs was high. Conclusion The basic pathogenesis of teratozoospermia is essence deficiency and kidney deficiency, damp-heat descending and blood stasis blocking collaterals. The main treatment is to tonify deficiency, clear heat, remove dampness and activate blood circulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the elderly population is growing at a fast pace, China has become the top one with the world's largest population of elderly people. Aging is often accompanied by deterioration of the oral physiology and eating capabilities, resulting in loss of appetite and decrease of food intake. As a result, the nutritional, physical and mental health status of these older adults is at stake. Therefore, how to design more age-friendly food products with textural and nutritional improved properties is the key challenge in food industry. However, in China, the food industry focusing on age-friendly food is still in a very early stage and the supply of special food is far from meeting the need of elderly people. The aim of this review was expected to discuss the current research progress of special foods for the elderly and the dietary needs of the elderly, and to propose food design strategies of special foods for the elderly in terms of nutrition, texture, packaging, and labeling. Moreover, this review was focused on the research area of food oral processing and the application of modern new food processing technology to provide potential approaches for better designing special foods for the elderly in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food texture is a collective term for all texture‐related features of a food product. A comprehensive description of food texture is therefore practically challenging due to too many parameters that are associated simultaneously with the food. Using every day, non‐technical (layman's) language, we attempt in this work to rationalize the different dimensions that contribute to the texture of foods, and we explain the rheological reasons behind the concept. For solid foods, three dimensions are identified being the "hard–soft," "strong–weak," and "brittle–plastic." For liquid foods, three further dimensions are suggested, being "elastic–viscous," "thick–thin," and "shear thinning–shear thickening." As these dimensions are bipolar, for foods where any of the dimensions are not relevant, we conceive that dimension takes on a zero value, aligning at the center of the scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current computer simulation based study aims to elucidate the complex role that the state of aggregation and morphology of the food materials plays in determining their transport behaviour. Using Brownian dynamic simulations, applied to colloidal systems, we simulate the compression of two different dense layers of nanoparticles (with reversible and irreversible bonds), at interface, at three different compression rates. We determine the desired transport coefficient for these structures using a novel technique, originally proposed by Torquato and Kim (1990). This method allows us to consider complex structures in our study, for which calculations of effective transport coefficients using conventional methods, like finite elements and finite difference, would be relatively difficult. We first validate our algorithm by comparing its results with those of exact calculations, for different regular lattices. Our results are in excellent agreement with the theory. The variation in the transport coefficient of nano-particle monolayers during the compression, are also correlated with the build up of stress and changes in the structure of the films.