Increase In Reaction Time Research Articles

Obstructive sleep apnea risk is associated with decreased executive processing speed in older women but not in men: A longitudinal analysis of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging

AbstractBackgroundStudies investigating the possible links between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and cognitive dysfunction have yet led to heterogenous results. Individual characteristics, such as sex and age, could moderate this association and explain part of this heterogeneity. Here, we characterized the sex‐ and age‐specific association between OSA risk and cognitive performance using longitudinal data from the community‐based Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) comprehensive cohort.MethodOur sample included 25,393 participants aged 45 to 85 years at baseline (mean = 63 years; 51% women; 78% with post‐secondary degree), recruited between 2011 and 2015 across Canada. Participants with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diagnosis or with history of stroke and of traumatic brain injury were excluded. Participants’ risk for OSA was measured at baseline using the STOP‐B questionnaire, based on risk factors and symptoms of OSA. Participants scoring ³ 3/5 were classified as being at high‐risk for OSA. Neuropsychological tests assessed memory (Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test), executive functioning (Mental Alternation, Animal Fluency, Controlled Oral Word Association and Stroop tests) and psychomotor speed (Choice Reaction Time) at baseline and at 3‐year follow‐up. We calculated changes (follow‐up – baseline) in each cognitive continuous score and conducted sex‐specific age‐stratified (45‐59; 60–69; 70–85 years) analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs) to estimate the predictive role of baseline OSA risk, adjusting for socio‐demographic, lifestyle and medical comorbidities. The level of significance was set at p<0.05, after false‐discovery rate correction.ResultsIn the whole sample, results show a decline over time only for executive functioning (Mental Alternation, Animal Fluency and Stroop) at 3‐year follow‐up. When analyses were performed according to age and sex, being at high‐risk for OSA was associated with increased reaction times only in women aged 70–85 years (Stroop word: [F = 12.486; 95%CI ‐5.440 to ‐1.554]; Stroop color: [F = 7,870; 95%CI ‐9.843 to ‐1.738]).ConclusionAlthough changes in executive functioning were noted over time in the whole sample, being at high‐risk for OSA only increased the risk of slower processing speed for older women. These findings suggest that the possible detrimental effects of OSA on cognitive health depend on participants’ age and sex.

Đánh giá biến động trạng thái chức năng cơ thể trước và sau khi bay của phi công quân sự lái máy bay phản lực SU-30

The aim of this study is to analyze the measurement data on the Ritm - MET system at the time right before and after flight of 30 military pilots flying the Sukhoi Su-30 aircraft in Vietnam to evaluate the fluctuations in the functional state of the body. The pilots were tested for the following parameters: changes in cardiovascular function indicators; results of performing neuromotor tests; level of body function status. The results showed that the functional state of military pilots after flying had a strong fluctuation reflected in the increase of indicators: heart rate intensity, blood pressure, and TI-regulatory stress index and Hildebrandt index. In addition, the functional state of the sensory and motor systems under the control of the central nervous system of the pilots after flying was also impaired as shown by the increase in average reaction time and false reflex rate, decreased hit rate in tests as well as increased fatigue index.

Dissociating the pro‐cognitive effects of donepezil and an M1 PAM

AbstractBackgroundDonepezil, an FDA approved drug for dementia in Alzheimer’s disease, increases the extracellular concentration of acetylcholine non‐selectively stimulating cholinergic receptors indiscriminately leading to dose‐limiting side effects. Muscarinic M1 sub‐receptor specific positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) have shown promise in addressing symptoms in Alzheimer’s disease, Schizophrenia and more1. M1 PAMs have little to no agonistic properties, avoiding peripheral side effects, and are mostly centrally located allowing for the modulation of endogenous signaling of the brain2.MethodWe tested non‐human primates in two tasks measuring cognitive flexibility and attentional control3 at varying doses of donepezil and an M1 PAM (VU0453595). Attentional control was measured with a visual search task requiring animals to search for a learned target object among distractors of variable number and similarity to the target object. Cognitive flexibility was measured with a feature‐reward learning task that required animals to learn the value of objects of varying feature complexity by trial and error. Flexibility was indexed as the speed of learning, the degree of latent inhibition and the amount of target perseveration after switching the rewarded feature.ResultDonepezil enhanced attention control at a high dose (0.3 mg/kg) but enhance flexibility only moderately at a lower dose (0.06 mg/kg). In contrast, VU0453595 did not modulate attention, but at 0.1 mg/kg enhanced flexible learning, reduced target perseverations, and increased reaction time measures of decision confidence. At the dose with the most pronounced cognitive benefits donepezil resulted in gastrointestinal side effects, while VU0453595 did not cause side effects.ConclusionThese results suggest that donepezil engages the brain networks underlying cognitive flexibility and interference control at different doses4, while the M1 receptor plays a major role in facilitating flexible behavioral adaptation but with no role in controlling interference. Such receptor specific results can be used to better curate to patient‐specific needs in order to address the most debilitating symptoms with the highest efficacy.1. Melancon, B. J. et al. (2013) Drug Discovery Today https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drudis.2013.09.005.2. Ghoshal, A. et al. (2016) Neuropsychopharmacology doi:10.1038npp.2015.189 3. Womelsdorf, T. et al. (2021) Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2021.721069 4. Hassani, S.A. et al. (2021) Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsgos.2021.11.012.

Catalytic reduction of organic pollutants, antibacterial and antifungal activities of AgNPs@CuO nanoparticles-loaded mesoporous silica.

In this work, the mesoporous silica MCM-41 was prepared by a hydrothermal method and then modified using silver and copper. The obtained samples were used as antibacterial/antifungal agents and as catalysts for the reduction of the following dyes: Methylene Blue (MB), Congo Red (CR), Methyl Orange (MO), and Orange G (OG). Several parameters affecting the reduction of dyes were investigated and discussed such as the catalyst nature, the initial concentration of the dye, the dye nature, the selectivity of the catalyst in a binary system as well as the catalyst reuse. The catalysts were characterized using XRD, nitrogen sorption measurements, XRF, FTIR, XPS, SEM/EDS, and TEM. XRD, XPS, and TEM analysis clearly showed that the calcination of copper- and silver-modified silica leads to the formation of well-dispersed CuO and AgNPs having sizes between 5 and 10nm. As determined by XRF analysis, the content of silver nanoparticles was higher compared to CuO in all samples. It has been shown that the dye reduction is influenced by the size and the content of nanoparticles as well as by their dispersions. The catalytic activity was shown to be the highest for the Ag-Cu-MCM(0.05) catalyst with a rate constant of 0.114, 0.102, 0.093, and 0.056s-1 for MO, MB, CR, and OG dyes in the single-dye system, respectively. In the binary system containing MB/OG or MB/MO, the catalyst Ag-Cu-MCM(0.05) was more selective toward the MB dye. The reuse of the catalyst for three consecutive cycles showed higher MB conversion in a single system with an increase in reaction time. For antifungal and antibacterial properties, the application of calcined and uncalcined materials toward six different strains showed good results, but uncalcined materials showed the best results due to the synergistic effect between CuO and unreduced species Ag+ which are considered responsible for the antibacterial and antifungal action.

Synthesis, characterization, and in vivo safety evaluation of propylated Dioscorea abyssinica starch.

The use of starch, a natural polymeric material, and derivatives thereof is based on its adhesive, thickening, gelling, swelling, and film-forming properties, as well as its ready availability. The objective of this research work is to develop an effective propylated Dioscorea abyssinica starch (PDAS) as a hydrophobic excipient for pharmaceutical applications with a reasonable price. This paper reports on the synthesis, characterization, and in vivo safety evaluation of PDAS. Native Dioscorea abyssinica starch (NDAS) was modified to its propylated form with propionic anhydride and characterized. Crystallinity, morphological structure, thermal behavior, solubility, and safety of PDAS were evaluated using x-ray diffraction, SEM, thermogravimetric, gravimetric, and toxicity studies, respectively. Propionyl content and degree of substitution (DS) of starch increased significantly (p < 0.05) with an increase in reaction time and temperature. Propionyl content and DS of starch increased significantly (p < 0.05) with a decrease in the ratio of starch to pyridine and starch to propionic anhydride in the reaction medium. FTIR spectra of PDAS indicated that hydroxyl groups participated in the propylation reaction. X-ray diffraction results showed that the chemical modification destroyed the crystalline structure of the NDAS. SEM of NDAS showed a rounded shape which became irregular after propylation. Thermogravimetric curves revealed that all the PDAS samples decomposed at higher temperatures than their native counterparts. At higher DS, swelling power and solubility in an aqueous environment significantly (p < 0.05) decreased below that of the native starch. PDAS with high DS, were soluble in organic solvents at room temperature. But PDAS with lower DS didn't dissolve in all types of organic solvents used. PDAS (DS = 2.842) in distilled water did not produce adverse effects in rats. Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that PDAS can be considered as a generally safe excipient and fulfills the physicochemical properties of a hydrophobic excipient.

Hygienic problems of LED lighting

The work is devoted to the physiological and hygienic safety of the use of LED light sources, the analysis of domestic and foreign materials, the analysis of working conditions and training when using LED lamps. The literature was searched in the databases Scopus, Web of Science, etc. The study of the biological effect of light on humans remains an urgent problem of lighting hygiene. The authors of the article outlined their attitude to a number of scientific papers on this issue, choosing the most significant ones. The authors of the article studied over 23 works on the scientific study of the effect of LED lighting on the human body in comparison with fluorescent and incandescent paws. The studies carried out to assess the impact of LED lighting on the functional state and performance of railway workers using approved professional selection methods revealed negative changes. This was expressed in a slight decrease in the functional resistance to color discrimination of green and red signals, as well as in an increase in the response time of a complex visual-motor reaction and a significant decrease in the readiness for emergency action of the examined persons. Studies have shown that LED lighting affects not only the eyes, but also the human hormonal system, its psychophysiological state, performance and fatigue. Ethics. This study did not require an ethics committee opinion.

Stress-induced impairment reveals the stage and features of post-error adaptive adjustment.

An increased reaction time often occurs after error responses (post-error slowing, PES). However, the role of top-down regulation in post-error processing remains to be debated. Impairing cognitive control function through acute stress would help to investigate the role and stage of top-down adaptive regulation in post-error processing. Here, we recruited 50 healthy male participants who were randomly assigned to either a stress condition (Trier Social Stress Task, TSST) or a control condition (control version of the TSST). A color-word Stroop task with different response stimulus intervals (RSIs) was used to investigate the effects of acute stress on different stages of post-error processing. The results showed that cortisol, heart rate, perceived stress level, and negative affect were higher in the stress group (n = 24) than in the control group (n = 26), indicating successful stress induction. The accuracy of post-error response in the control group increased with the extension of RSI, and the reaction time decreased. However, the accuracy of 1,200 ms RSI was close to that of 700 ms RSI in the stress group but was significantly lower than that in the control group. The results suggested that acute stress caused the impairment of top-down adaptive regulation after error. Furthermore, our study manifested adaptive adjustment only in the late stages of post-error processing, indicating the phasic and adaptive features of post-error adjustment.

Two-Dimensional Amorphous Cobalt Oxide Nanosheets/N-Doped Carbon Composites for Efficient Water Splitting in Alkaline Medium

The development of earth-abundant, inexpensive, and durable noble-metal-free bifunctional electrocatalysts is important to design anion exchange membrane water electrolyzers (AEMWEs). In recent years, tremendous efforts have been carried out to prepare two-dimensional (2D) amorphous noble-metal-free catalysts for alkaline water splitting as they have unique characteristics in catalysis. In this report, a 2D amorphous cobalt oxide nanosheet/nitrogen-doped carbon composite (CoOx/CNx) was prepared for water splitting in the base. The catalyst displays excellent oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity with 310 mV overpotential at 10 mA/cm2 current density and 60.7 mV/dec Tafel slope value. The CoOx/CNx also shows very good long-term OER stability in the base. The CoOx/CNx composite also shows moderate hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity, and the activity increases with increasing reaction time. We demonstrate that the HER activity increases with increasing HER cycle because of the surface modification of the catalyst. The CoOx/CNx also shows excellent overall water-splitting activity as well as durability. The catalyst possesses high catalytic activity because of its 2D, amorphous sheetlike morphology, strong synergistic interactions, porosity, large electrochemical surface area, and easy access to abundant active sites. Thus, this result may offer a prospect to design a noble metal-free electrocatalyst for AEMWEs and other renewable energy-based devices.

Pramipexole modulates fronto-subthalamic pathway in sequential working memory

Brain dopamine may regulate the ability to maintain and manipulate sequential information online. However, the precise role of dopamine remains unclear. This pharmacological fMRI study examined whether and how the dopamine D2/3 receptor agonist pramipexole modulates fronto-subthalamic or fronto-striatal pathways during sequential working memory. This study used a double-blind, randomized crossover design. Twenty-two healthy male volunteers completed a digit ordering task during fMRI scanning after receiving a single oral dose of 0.5-mg pramipexole or placebo. The pramipexole effects on task performance, regional activity, activity pattern similarity, and functional connectivity were analyzed. Pramipexole impaired task performance, leading to less accurate and slower responses in the digit ordering task. Also, it downregulated the maintenance-related subthalamic and dorsolateral prefrontal activity, increasing reaction times for maintaining sequences. In contrast, pramipexole upregulated the manipulation-related subthalamic and dorsolateral prefrontal activity, increasing reaction time costs for manipulating sequences. In addition, it altered the dorsolateral prefrontal activity pattern similarity and fronto-subthalamic functional connectivity. Finally, pramipexole reduced maintenance-related striatal activity, which did not affect the behavior. This study confirms the role of the fronto-subthalamic pathway in sequential working memory. Furthermore, it shows that D2 transmission can regulate sequential working memory by modulating the fronto-subthalamic pathway.

Experimental Study of Oil Non-Condensable Gas Pyrolysis in a Stirred-Tank Reactor for Catalysis of Hydrogen and Hydrogen-Containing Mixtures Production

The present study is focused on improving the technology for deep oil sludge processing by pyrolysis methods, considered to be the most promising technology for their environmentally friendly utilization, in which a significant yield of fuel products is expected. The technology developed by the authors of this study is a two-stage process. The first stage, pyrolysis of oil sludge, was investigated in previous papers. A significant yield of non-condensable gases was obtained. This paper presents a study of the second stage of complex deep processing technology—pyrolysis of non-condensable gases (purified propane) using a stirrer with the help of the developed experimental setup. The expected benefit of using the stirrer is improved heat transfer due to circumferential and radial-axial circulation of the gas flow. The effect of a stirrer on the yield of final target decomposition products—H2-containing mixtures and H2 generated during non-catalytic (medium-temperature) and catalytic pyrolysis of non-condensable gases obtained by pyrolysis of oil sludge are estimated. Ni catalyst was used for catalytic pyrolysis. The study shows that the application of the stirrer leads to increasing in H2-containing mixtures and H2 concentrations. In particular, during the whole reaction time (10 h), the average H2 concentration in pyrolysis gas during catalytic pyrolysis increased by ~5.3%. In this case, the optimum reaction time to produce H2 was 4 h. The peak H2 concentration in the pyrolysis gas at reaction temperature 590 ± 10 °C was: 66.5 vol. % with the stirrer versus 62 vol. % without the stirrer with an error of ±0.4 %. A further increase in reaction time is cost-effective in order to obtain H2-containing mixtures.

Tracing the composition and structure evolution of oxygen-enriched asphaltenes during the hydrotreating of middle-low temperature coal tar

Inefficient conversion of structure-complicated and oxygen-enriched asphaltenes is found as the major challenge facing coal tar in achieving high value-added utilization. Hydrogenation technology is the primary way to achieve the impurity removal and lightweight of coal tar asphaltenes (CTAS). In this study, the evolution laws of functional groups and structural parameters at different reaction times, and pyrolysis behavior at different temperatures of coal tar asphaltenes (CTAS) during the hydrotreating (HDT) process were investigated using the methods of FT-IR, XPS, 1H NMR, 13C NMR and Py-GC/MS. It was found that the increase of the reaction time significantly affected CTAS hydrodeoxygenation (HDO), and most of nitrogen-containing compounds (NCs) and sulfur-containing compounds (SCs) could be removed in a shorter reaction time. However, the increase of the reaction time has a limited effect on the removal of NCs and SCs embedded in polycyclic aromatic compounds. The average alkyl chain length (L) decreased with the increase of the reaction time, and the degree of branching for alkyl side chains (B) increased after HDT. The aromatic ring substitution degree (σ) and alkyl substituents number (n) of CTAS increased after HDT. The OH-OH and OH-ether O were found as the major hydrogen bonds in asphaltene feed (Asp-feed) and asphaltene product (Asp-product), followed by OH-π and cyclic OH. With the increase of reaction time, the molar fraction of the OH-ether O hydrogen bonds increased, while OH-π hydrogen bonds decreased. C-O group was found as the critical oxygen-containing functional group in Asp-feed and Asp-product, primarily existing in the form of aromatic ether groups and C-O of phenols. With the increase of reaction time, the molar fraction of aromatic ether groups in CTAS increased significantly, while that of the C-O of phenols decreased. The pyrolysis fragments of Asp-feed and Asp-product were largely 1–3 ring aromatic hydrocarbons or heteroatoms compounds. Heteroatoms compounds primarily consisted of phenols and furans, whose alkyl side chains were short and few, mainly existing in the form of multiple methyl groups. The Asp-product produced smaller aromatic ring fragments, more aromatic hydrocarbons and less phenolic and non-phenolic oxygenated compounds than Asp-feed at the same pyrolysis temperatures

Bandgap engineering of CdTe/CdSe rod-shaped core/shell and CdTeSe ellipsoidal alloy quantum dots with tunable and intense emission

In this work, core CdTe, core-shell CdTe/CdSe and alloy CdTeSe QDs are synthesized by aqueous solvent. TEM visually shows the rod-shaped core-shell structure with a transverse to longitudinal ratio of 6.5 and the ellipsoidal alloy structure with different crystal planes competing for growth. The XRD and Raman spectra of the three QDs illustrate the characteristics of the internal lattice structure. With the increase of reaction time, CdTe emission maximum (EM) shows a red shift of 84 nm. Stokes shift changes little, and full width half maximum (FWHM) increases slightly. Compared with the CdTe, the red shift of CdTe/CdSe EM is slowly first and then faster, with a total shift of 125 nm. Stokes shift increases obviously. The initial FWHM is larger than CdTe and the widening speed is gradually accelerated. The initial EM of CdTeSe is red shifted compared with CdTe, and the total red shift of EM is 72 nm. Stokes shift increases obviously. The initial FWHM is significantly wider than CdTe. FWHM first decreases and then increases with reaction time. CdTe shows obvious band edge exciton absorbance of photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectrum between 356 nm and 400 nm. CdTe/CdSe shows double band edge exciton absorption at 354–373 nm and 401–436 nm due to wave function separated of core-shell structure. The PLE spectrum of CdTeSe shows an obvious upward trend at 306–373 nm due to high energy level nonradiation. The average lifetime of CdTe/CdSe increases by 53 ns compared with CdTe due to the spatially separated electrons and holes. The defect state of CdTeSe increases the proportion of fast delay, which is 2 ns shorter than the average lifetime of CdTe. The transition mechanism of core-shell indirect band gap and alloy direct band gap is explained according to the valence bands of each element shown by XPS and the simulation of energy band density of states. The thickness shell and the doping elements can be adjusted to provide rich variation in the optical properties. This provides a more definite direction for the applications of cadmium chalcogenide in the fields of photoelectric devices and biology. • Type I and type II transformation through Rod-shaped core/shell and ellipsoidal alloy QDs. • Tunable emission achieved by adjusting morphology, lattice structure and valence bond connection. • Precise and rich regulation of band gap engineering. • Providing a more definite direction for the applications of cadmium chalcogenide QDs.

Effects of a Traction Device for Head Weight Reduction and Neutral Alignment during Sedentary Visual Display Terminal (VDT) Work on Postural Alignment, Muscle Properties, Hemodynamics, Preference, and Working Memory Performance.

The forward head posture of visual display terminal (VDT) users induces various physical and cognitive clinical symptoms. However, few studies have been conducted to identify and solve problems associated with VDT posture. This study aimed to examine the adverse effects of VDT posture and the positive effects of traction-combined workstations by measuring postural alignment, muscle properties, blood velocity, preference, and working memory. Thirty-four healthy VDT users (18 males and 16 females aged 20-30 years) participated in the experiment at three workstations, including conventional (VDT_C), head support (VDT_S), and upright (VDT_U) workstations. They conducted 2-back working memory task. The craniovertebral angle (CVA), muscle tone and stiffness, blood velocity and visual analogue discomfort scale (VADS) were measured to examine the influence of workstations. VDT_C showed increased muscle tone or stiffness in the levator scapulae (LS), suboccipital muscle (SM), and sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM) and an increased reaction time (RT) in working memory. However, VDT_S showed decreased stiffness and tone of SM and improved comfort. In addition, VDT_U showed decreased stiffness or tone of the LS and SCM and improved blood velocity and RT. In conclusion, maintaining neutral alignment significantly improved working memory performance, muscle properties, and blood velocity.

Wearing a back-support exoskeleton impairs single-step balance recovery performance following a forward loss of balance – An exploratory study

Back-support exoskeletons (BSEs) are a promising ergonomic intervention for reducing physical demands on the low-back, but little is known regarding whether BSE use alters balance recovery following external perturbations. Hence, we investigated the effects of wearing a BSE on single-step balance recovery following a forward loss of balance. Sixteen (8 M, 8F) young, healthy participants were released from static forward-leaning postures and attempted to recover their balance with a single step while wearing a BSE (backXTM) with three different levels of support torque (i.e., no torque, low, and high) and in a control condition (no exoskeleton). Lean angle was increased until they failed in two consecutive trials to recover their balance with a single step. The maximum lean angle from which individuals could successfully recover was not significantly altered when wearing the BSE. However, wearing the BSE under all torque conditions increased reaction times. The BSE also impeded hip flexion (i.e., decrease in both peak hip flexion angle and angular velocity), resulting in decreased peak knee flexion velocity, knee range of motion, and step length. Measures of the margin of stability decreased significantly in the high-torque BSE condition. Overall, our results suggest that use of a BSE that provides external hip extension torque impairs balance recovery responses. Future work extending kinetic analyses to recovery responses, as well as a study of recovery when responding to slips and trips while walking, would offer a more complete picture of how a BSE may impact balance recovery following a loss of balance.

Foam Glass Preparation from Waste Diatomite: Assessment of High Temperature Behaviour and Foaming Ability

This paper explores the possibilities of utilization of waste diatomite in foam glass production. Chemical and mineralogical composition, granulometry and high temperature behaviour of waste diatomite were characterized. Different possibilities of waste diatomite utilization in foam glass production were explored mainly via means of thermal analysis and hot stage microscopy. The effects of diatomite addition to waste glass were evaluated. Possibility of using NaOH as a foaming agent for foam glass production from waste diatomite and the effects of NaOH amount and reaction time on waste diatomite were investigated. Partial conversion of diatomite and clay to hydrates due to the reaction with NaOH lead to the decrease of the melting temperature and foaming of the melt was observed via hot stage microscopy. 30 wt. % NaOH addition allowed foaming of waste diatomite in the temperature ranges typical for foam glass production. Increased reaction time led to the intensification of the foaming process.

Hypertension Status Moderated the Relationship between the Hippocampal Subregion of the Left GC-ML-DG and Cognitive Performance in Subjective Cognitive Decline

Background To investigate the relationship between hypertension status, hippocampus/hippocampal subregion structural alteration, and cognitive performance in subjective cognitive decline (SCD). Methods All participants were divided into two groups according to blood pressure status: SCD without hypertension and SCD with hypertension. The cognitive assessments and T1-MPRAGE brain MRI were performed to measure the cognitive function and the volume of the hippocampus and hippocampal subregions. Association and mediating/moderating effects were analyzed between the volume of hippocampus/hippocampal subregions and cognitive scores. Results Compared to the SCD without hypertension, we found (1) increased reaction time (RT) of the Go/No go test, compatible test, and divided attention visual task and (2) decreased volume of the left whole hippocampal/left subiculum/left CA1/left presubiculum/left parasubiculum/left molecular layer HP/left GC-ML-DG/left HATA in SCD with hypertension. There was a significant negative association between the volume of the left GC-ML-DG and Go/No go test RT in SCD without hypertension. A significant moderating effect of hypertension status on the relationship between the volume of the left GC-ML-DG and Go/No go test RT was found. Conclusion The results suggested that hypertension status affects inhibitory control function and visual divided attention which may be related to the reduction of hippocampus/hippocampal subregion volume in SCD. Limitations. The study has several limitations. First, this study does not include a healthy control group. In further studies, healthy controls may need to assess the interaction between hypertension status and disease status on cognitive function. Second, we defined the hypertension status using with or without hypertension disease. More detailed parameters of hypertension status need to be further studied. Third, our study was a small number of participants/single-center and cross-sectional study, which may hinder its generalization. A large-sample/multicenter, longitudinal study is helpful to comprehensively understand the relationship between hypertension status and cognitive function in SCD patients.

Hazardous or harmful alcohol use and reward processing in people with HIV.

The intersecting epidemics of HIV and hazardous or harmful alcohol use (HAU) can have significant detrimental consequences. Both HIV and HAU have independent negative influences on executive function. Dysfunction in reward processing may play a role in these co-occurring epidemics. In this cross-sectional case-control study, we investigated the association of HAU with reward processing amongst people with HIV (PWH). We investigated the function of the ventral-striatal reward system using a functional MRI (fMRI) monetary incentive delay (MID) task in a sample of 60 South African adults (mean age 32.7years): 42 living with HIV and on ART (21 with harmful alcohol use [HIV + HAU], 21 without [HIV-HAU]) and 18 healthy controls, matched for age, gender, and resident community. Education significantly influenced task performance, with those with a secondary level of education demonstrating a greater increase in reaction time (p = 0.048) and accuracy (p = 0.002) than those without. There were no significant differences in reward anticipation in the ventral striatum (VS) between HIV + HAU, HIV-HAU, and healthy controls when controlling for level of education. There were also no significant differences in reward outcome in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) between HIV + HAU, HIV-HAU, and healthy controls when controlling for level of education. In a sample of South African adults, we did not demonstrate significant differences in reward anticipation in the VS and reward outcome in the OFC in PWH, with and without HAU, and controls. Factors, such as task performance, education, and depression may have influenced our results. Further studies are needed to better delineate the potential links between HIV, HAU, and depression and reward system function.

Effect of Synthesis Process, Synthesis Temperature, and Reaction Time on Chemical, Morphological, and Quantum Properties of Carbon Dots Derived from Loblolly Pine

In this study, carbon dots are synthesized hydrothermally from loblolly pine using top-down and bottom-up processes. The bottom-up process dialyzed carbon dots from hydrothermally treated process liquid. Meanwhile, hydrochar was oxidized into carbon dots in the top-down method. Carbon dots from top-down and bottom-up processes were compared for their yield, size, functionality, and quantum properties. Furthermore, hydrothermal treatment temperature and residence time were evaluated on the aforementioned properties of carbon dots. The results indicate that the top-down method yields higher carbon dots than bottom-up in any given hydrothermal treatment temperature and residence time. The size of the carbon dots decreases with the increase in reaction time; however, the size remains similar with the increase in hydrothermal treatment temperature. Regarding quantum yield, the carbon dots from the top-down method exhibit higher quantum yields than bottom-up carbon dots where the quantum yield reaches as high as 48%. The only exception of the bottom-up method is the carbon dots prepared at a high hydrothermal treatment temperature (i.e., 260 °C), where relatively higher quantum yield (up to 18.1%) was observed for the shorter reaction time. Overall, this study reveals that the properties of lignocellulosic biomass-derived carbon dots differ with the synthesis process as well as the processing parameters.

Commercial pectin production from dried florida orange peel: Effect of process conditions on pectin structure and function

AbstractTo determine the feasibility of using Florida, USA, oranges for pectin production, we evaluated the effects of time, temperature, and pH on pectin properties extracted from dried Valencia orange peel using a hot acid process. Juice extracted peel was collected weekly, and following pretreatment, the dried peel was pooled and used to extract pectin with time (4, 5, and 6 h), temperature (65 and 75°C), and pH (1.6 and 1.8) as process variables. Pectin properties, including yield, sugar composition, molecular weight, intrinsic viscosity, degree of methylesterification, degree of branching, degree of blockiness, absolute degree of blockiness, and Standard Acid in Glass (SAG), were determined. In addition, we evaluated the response of each variable to the process conditions using response surface methodology. The analysis of variance (anova) models for molecular weight, intrinsic viscosity, and yield were highly significant, with actual values decreasing with increasing temperature. Increasing reaction time also decreased values for molecular weight and intrinsic viscosity.Novelty impact statementThis study indicates that process time and temperature affected pectin quality, functionality, and yield. Increasing temperature had the most detrimental effect on desirability in an optimization analysis.

Dual role of bromide in the degradation of phenolic compounds in peracetic acid process: Promotion of degradation and formation of disinfection byproducts

Peracetic acid (PAA) is a potential disinfectant for water treatment due to its high efficiency and the limited formation of disinfection byproducts (DBPs). In PAA process of this study, bromide (Br−) significantly enhanced the degradation of phenolic compounds, including bisphenol A (BPA), phenol, p-aminophenol, and hydroquinone. The promotion is mainly due to the formation of hypobromous acid (HOBr), which comes from the oxidation of Br− by PAA. A kinetic model of PAA treatment in the presence of Br− was established to explore the degradation mechanism of phenolic compounds with good accuracy. The removal of phenolic compounds is positively related to Br− concentration. The degradation process was pH-dependent and favored at acidic conditions. In the real water matrix, the presence of multiple water matrix components may inhibit the degradation of phenolic compounds by consuming PAA and HOBr. Further, the transformation of BPA mainly involves bromination, hydroxylation, oxidation, bond cleavage, and ring opening, resulting in the formation of organic bromines. Brominated DBPs, such as dibromoacetic acid and tribromomethane were found, suggesting the potential adverse health effects of PAA treatment in the presence of Br−. The acute toxicity of phenolic compounds initially increased and then decreased with the increase of reaction time, indicating that prolonging the reaction time may reduce the environmental risk.