Diabetes Distal Peripheral Neuropathy: Subtypes and Diagnostic and Screening Technologies

Diabetes distal symmetrical peripheral neuropathy (DSPN) is the most prevalent form of neuropathy in industrialized countries, substantially increasing risk for morbidity and pre-mature mortality. DSPN may manifest with small-fiber disease, large-fiber disease, or a combination of both. This review summarizes: (1) DSPN subtypes (small- and large-fiber disease) with attention to clinical signs and patient symptoms; and (2) technological diagnosis and screening for large- and small-fiber disease with inclusion of a comprehensive literature review of published studies from 2015-present ( N = 66). Review findings, informed by the most up-to-date research, advance critical understanding of DSPN large- and small-fiber screening technologies, including those designed for point-of-care use in primary care and endocrinology practices.

Research advance in optic disc tilt and rotation in high myopia and its implications for glaucoma and visual field defects

High myopia is of worldwide concern due to its high prevalence, and myopia is an independent risk factor for glaucoma. The purpose of this paper is to review the mechanism and clinical manifestations of optic disc tilt and rotation in high myopia and its relationship with glaucoma, to provide clues for monitoring fundus changes in high myopia and the early diagnosis of high myopia with glaucoma.

Abnormal Airway Mucus Secretion Induced by Virus Infection

The airway mucus barrier is a primary defensive layer at the airway surface. Mucins are the major structural components of airway mucus that protect the respiratory tract. Respiratory viruses invade human airways and often induce abnormal mucin overproduction and airway mucus secretion, leading to airway obstruction and disease. The mechanism underlying the virus-induced abnormal airway mucus secretion has not been fully studied so far. Understanding the mechanisms by which viruses induce airway mucus hypersecretion may open new avenues to treatment. In this article, we elaborate the clinical and experimental evidence that respiratory viruses cause abnormal airway mucus secretion, review the underlying mechanisms, and also discuss the current research advance as well as potential strategies to treat the abnormal airway mucus secretion caused by SARS-CoV-2.

Neurocomputational modeling of the basal ganglia in motor learning at mesoscopic scale: an overview

The first model of the basal ganglia (BG) was conceived almost half a century ago. Since then, extensive research efforts have been carried out to further refine and understand the physiological and pathological BG behaviour and role. Currently, it is well-known that the BG are crucial in motor learning and motor diseases are associated to dysfunction of the nuclei, such as the parkinsonian syndrome, dystonia, chorea, etc. We are still a long way from giving an answer to all the questions, but advances in technology are making research advance significantly in recent years. Computational modeling is one of these methodologies and allows to evaluate the interactions within and among multiple neural systems. The development and analysis of the behaviour of computational models, in concert with multimodal analysis and in vivo experiments, leads to new scientific results. This review provides a critical synopsis of the evolution of thought regarding the physiological model of the BG with respect to motor learning, revisiting past theories and summarizing the main recent findings to this field of research, to highlight their innovative contribution to knowledge of the functioning of the nuclei and formulate a state-of-art hypothesis of BG modeling.

Research Advance on the Sensing Characteristics of Refractive Index Sensors Based on Electromagnetic Metamaterials

Among different sensing platforms, metamaterials composed of subwavelength or deep subwavelength sized metal resonance elements arrays that are etched on semiconductor substrates or dielectric substrates exhibit excellent characteristics due to the strong localization and enhancement of resonance electromagnetic fields. As a new type of detection method, metamaterial sensors can break through the resolution limit of traditional sensors for a small amount of substance and have the advantages of high sensitivity, fast response, and simple measurement. Significant enhancement of the sensing characteristics of metamaterial sensors was realized by optimizing microstructures (single split-ring, double split-ring, nested split-ring, asymmetric split-ring, three-dimensional split-ring, etc.), using ultrathin substrates or low-index substrate materials, etching away local substrate, and integrating microfluidic channel, etc. This paper mainly reviews the research advance on the improvement of sensing characteristics from optimizing resonance structures and changing substrate materials and morphology. Furthermore, the sensing mechanism and main characteristic parameters of metamaterial sensors are introduced in detail, and the development trend and challenge of metamaterial sensing applications are prospected. It is believed that metamaterial sensors will have potential broader application prospects in environmental monitoring, food safety control, and biosensing in the future.