Notes

Detection regarding Functionally Linked Digestive enzymes through Learning-to-Rank Strategies.
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) were not new to the tropical semi-enclosed Johor Strait, with incident records that could trace back to the 1980s. HAB monitoring in the area, often, is reactive, focusing only on HAB taxa previously causing problems but neglecting potential emerging HABs. To develop datasets on HABs that can better inform and improve management practices, monitoring should expand to sample whole microphytoplankton communities. In this study, microphytoplankton community structure across the Strait was investigated. Abundances of microphytoplankton and a suite of in situ water parameters of temperatures, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen levels, macronutrients, and chlorophyll-a contents were collected at ten sites across the Strait at monthly intervals from January 2017 to December 2018. A total of 48 genera (51 taxa) microphytoplankton were identified microscopically. Diatom was the most diverse group (32 genera), followed by dinophyte (15 genera). Bloom-forming species included diatoms Chaetoceros, Coscinodiscus, Eucampia, Pseudo-nitzschia, Rhizosolenia, Skeletonema, Thalassiosira, and dinophytes Blixaea quinquecornis and Scrippsiella. Diatom taxa that exhibit high in situ growth rates were predominant in the low-nutrient marine-influenced environment. Bloom-forming taxa including HAB taxa were found dominant in the environment with high nutrient levels and mesohaline, salinity-stratified conditions. This study provides valuable baseline data that could assist in monitoring and prediction of HABs in the Johor Strait and could be of reference to other similar tropical coastal systems.Turquoise covered mosaic objects - especially masks - were attractive components of treasures transported to Europe from Mexico after the fall of the Aztec Empire in the 1500s. According to our present knowledge, the mosaic masks were manufactured for ritual purpose. The main material of mosaics, the turquoise was a high-prestige semi-precious stone among Mexican native people. During the 20th century, such objects derived both from illegal treasure hunting and documented archaeological excavations. The aim of our research was the authentication of a turquoise covered Aztec wooden mask, which presumably originates from the Tehuacán Valley, Mexico and exchanged by the Museum of Ethnography, Budapest, in 1973. The detailed and complex analytical investigation of the mask is a curiosity. To reveal the origin of the object, UV photographs were taken, the wooden base was subjected to biological studies and C-14 dating, the organic glue fixing the tesserae and the inorganic mosaic tesserae were investigated by non-destructive chemical, FT-IR and Raman spectroscopic methods. Our investigations determined that the mask of the Museum of Ethnography was made of an alder species of tree and its age is AD 1492-1653. The light-coloured covering mosaic lamellae were identified as alabaster and claystone. Comparing the turquoise tesserae cover with reference materials, their chemical composition has been clearly differentiated from most of the well-known turquoise sources of the US Southwest. Based on our results, the Aztec mask of the Museum of Ethnography proved to be an original piece of art from the 15th-17th century.The abuse of narcotics and psychotropic substances using e-cigarettes has recently become an international trend. This indicates a need to monitor the distribution and marketing of such tools. This study provides insight regarding the presence of controlled substances in e-cigarette seized in Dubai between 2016 and 2020. GC-MS in combination with DART Q-TOF MS/MS were used to investigate 188 e-cigarette samples. The findings show that 159 (84%) of samples tested positive for illicit substances. The majority (98%) of positive samples contained THC and the remaining samples (4 samples only) contained Mephedrone, Fluromethamphetamine, Ethyl 6-APB, 5-MeO DALT and Ethylphenidate, Cumy-PeGaClone and Methamphetamine.Cannabis products rich in cannabidiol (CBD) and low in Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (e.g., light cannabis in Italy) are becoming widely popular and available on the market as replacements for THC preparations and tobacco for their recreational and/or therapeutic benefits. In this paper, which aims to establish alternative discrimination parameters between hair samples from CBD-rich and THC-prevalent cannabis users, cannabinoid concentrations, such as THC, CBD, 11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC-COOH) and 11-hydroxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (11-OH-THC) were quantified in 127 hair samples by a GC-MS/MS technique. Initially, this analysis was able to discriminate two cohorts cohort 1 (individuals with THC values ≥ 0.05 ng/mg and THC-COOH ≥ 0.2 pg/mg or THC-positive users, n = 60) and cohort 2 (individuals with THC values ranging between 0.01 and 0.05 ng/mg and THC-COOH or 11-OH-THC ≥ LOQs, n = 67). The evaluation of CBD/THC ratio in cohort 2 identified two further sub-cohorts 2a (CBD/THC1, suspected CBD-rich and THC-low cannabis users). The latter showed unusual profiles for THC metabolites, in particular for 11-OH-THC. Statistical evaluation of the data of cohort 1, cohort 2a and cohort 2b yielded significant differences in CBD/THC and THC/11-OH-THC. Based on the analysis of 337 seized cannabis samples and 630 CBD-rich/light cannabis samples by GC-FID and GC-MS, respectively, we also evaluated statistical differences in the CBD/THC ratio between biological (hair) and plant-derived samples. Considering the legal implications of a positive result, the obtained findings could be relevant for the interpretation of cannabinoid concentrations in hair. Further studies are necessary to elucidate the reason behind the unusual metabolic ratios.The effects of non-thermal, high-hydrostatic-pressure processing (HPP) and its combination with sous vide cooking technique (HPP-SVCOOK) on physicochemical traits of veal patties elaborated with top sirloin caps (Biceps femoris) derived from local Pyrenean bullocks, were investigated. The patties were subjected to 13 treatment combinations of three HPP pressures (350, 475, or 600 MPa) for 5, 10, or 15 min, followed by 20 treatment combinations with subsequent SVCOOK at three cooking temperatures (55, 60 or 65 °C). Significant changes in color and texture parameters were observed in HPP and HPP-SVCOOK patties. Also, there was a significant effect of processing parameters on cooking loss. HPP-SVCOOK processing conditions dealt with several changes in texture and color of patties. For yielding the optimum processing results in terms of reduced hardness and cooking loss, veal patties should be HPP-treated at 350 MPa for 10 min., and sous-vide cooked at 55 °C.Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is a promising technique that can replace the time-consuming and destructive plate count method. In this study, growth models of Pseudomonas fluorescens (P. fluorescens) in pork using the plate count method and HSI were established. Hyperspectral information extracted by three different methods was used for the growth simulation of P. fluorescens. The Baranyi model in combination with the Ratkowsky square-root model (BRSR model) and the Huang model in combination with the Ratkowsky square-root model (HRSR model) for P. fluorescens in pork were directly constructed using a one-step method. Results showed that the correlation coefficients between the growth models established using HSI and the plate count method were high, ranging from 0.952-0.999. The adjusted coefficient of determination (Ra2) of simulation models reached 0.974, and the growth parameters obtained were consistent with those obtained using the plate count method. This study demonstrated that HSI may be potentially used as a new predictive microbial modeling technique in the future.
Heart rate variability (HRV) is a widely utilized biomarker of autonomic regulatory functioning, and concomitant health and pathological states. A growing body of work is exploring HRV under sleeping conditions. Most of this literature utilizes either averaged HRV indices calculated from multiple sleep stage epochs, or averaged HRV throughout the night. Both approaches implicitly assume that HRV within sleep epoch types is consistent throughout the night. Given the robust literature indicating the existence of an endogenous cardiovascular circadian rhythm as well as the potential for effects for cumulative time asleep, we hypothesized that HRV would vary across distinct sleep epochs.

Participants underwent at least one night of home polysomnography that included electroencephalogram, electromyogram, and electrocardiogram (N=73). All rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM stage 2 (N2) sleep epochs with a duration greater than or equal to 5min were identified for HRV analysis. Kaempferide molecular weight Time and frequency domain indices of HRV were calculated for each sleep stage epoch. Linear mixed models were used to examine main effects of time on HRV indices for N2 and REM sleeps epochs respectively.

Main effects of time were observed for all models. Patterns emerged for both the N2 and REM epochs, suggesting HRV indices are non-stationary (ievariable) across distinct sleep epochs through the course of the night.

The present findings indicate HRV is non-stationary across sleep stage epochs. Aggregating HRV indices across sleep stage epochs likely obscures important transient effects and increases risk of type-I and type-II errors.
The present findings indicate HRV is non-stationary across sleep stage epochs. Aggregating HRV indices across sleep stage epochs likely obscures important transient effects and increases risk of type-I and type-II errors.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) exacerbates Parkinson's disease (PD) manifestations including cognitive dysfunction. Both OSA and PD have been associated with inflammation. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been implicated in cognitive function. We aimed to investigate inflammatory cytokines and BDNF in relation to OSA and PD symptoms.

In a prospective observational study, patients with PD underwent overnight polysomnography. Morning serum levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, TNFα, and BDNF were quantified at baseline (n=64) and 6 months (n=38). Outcomes included non-motor and motor standard scores; Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA); and Epworth Sleepiness scale (ESS). Associations were assessed using linear regression, adjusting for age, sex and body mass index.

At baseline, IL-6 was associated with the Apnea-Hypopnea Index (β=0.013, p=0.03), and the Oxygen Desaturation Index (β=0.028, p=0.002). No other associations between cytokines and sleep parameters were found. Motor dysfunction is needed, but our results support the hypothesis that OSA-related inflammation plays a role in PD manifestations and progression.This paper presents the results of a long experimental work carried out to study the influence of the heating rate (H.R.) on thermally stimulated light emission phenomenon, well known as thermoluminescence (TL) of MgB4O7 activated by Tm and Dy ions (MgB4O7Tm.Dy) in pellet form. The kinetics parameters, i.e. the activation energy, E, the frequency factor, s, the kinetics order, b and the number of trapped electrons, n0, were determined using the algorithm of sequential quadratic programming glow curve deconvolution (SQPGCD). The results obtained for the kinetics parameters, were compared with those obtained by other methods like Initial Rise (IR), Chen General-Order Kinetics (PS-GOK) and variable heating rate (VHR). These results suggest that SQPGCD method gives more accurate kinetics parameters values for the experimental glow curves.
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