Search Results (32,550)

The popular appreciation of dry white wines is most frequently directed to young wines. However, present consumption trends comprise the valorisation of aged dry white wines. Therefore, the present work was aimed at the sensory analysis of aged dry white wines to define their sensory space and to understand which factors drive their quality evaluation by experienced tasters (critics, oenologists and students). Individuals were asked to evaluate several synthetic and aesthetic attributes and to characterise the analytic sensory profile through a Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) methodology. The quality evaluations were differently correlated with wine synthetic parameters according to the taster group. For both critics and oenologists, overall quality scores were driven by persistence and complexity. Moreover, quality was also highly correlated with power for critics and with balance for oenologists. Quality scores were highly correlated with wine browning (absorbance at 420 nm) for critics. The tasting panel showed a homogeneous analytic description of aroma, taste and mouthfeel consistent with wine age. The different ages could be associated with a continuous sensory space characterised by a decreasing perception of freshness and an increase in mature and mellowed descriptors. All wines shared an austere in-mouth perception elicited by their acidity, saltiness, bitterness, smoothness and dryness. The age prediction showed that most tasters failed to guess the aged wines that were more than roughly 13 years old, indicating that tasters were not familiar with the sensory features of white wines from 17 to 46 years old. In conclusion, experienced tasters consistently described the sensory space and recognised the high quality of aged dry white wines. Education programs may use the defined sensory spaces according to aging and to expand the range of quality perception by consumers. Full article

This work aims to define a strategy for maintaining a vertical posture of the human body under conditions of conflicting sensory stimuli using a method of trend change analysis. The investigations involved 28 healthy individuals (13 females, 15 males, average age = 21, SD = 1.3 years). Measurements were conducted with eyes opened and closed and in the virtual environment with two sceneries oscillating at two frequencies. Values in the time domain were calculated—the mean center of pressure (COP) velocity and movement range in the AP direction—as well as values based on the moving average convergence divergence (MACD) computational algorithm—the trend change index (TCI), MACD_dT, MACD_dS, and MACD_dV. After dividing the analysis into distinct time periods, an increase in TCI values was identified in the oscillating scenery at 0.7 and 1.4 Hz during the 0.5–1 and 0.2–0.5 s time periods, respectively. Statistically significant differences were observed between measurements with an oscillation frequency of 0.7 Hz and those with an oscillation frequency of 1.4 Hz during the 0.2–0.5 s and 0.5–1 s periods. The use of stock exchange indices in the assessment of the ability to keep a stable body posture supplements and extends standard analyses in the time and frequency domains. Full article

Nutritional bars (NBs) are gaining popularity among healthy and athletic individuals, but postprandial antioxidative response has not been investigated. Therefore, the current study examined the postprandial alterations in total phenolic content (TPC), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), malondialdehyde (MDA), and Superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the plasma of healthy individuals after the ingestion of 140 g (510 Kcal) from formulated date-based bars (DBBs) or fruit-based bars (FBBs). Firstly, the free and bound phenolic contents (PCs) were determined to be 10.15 and 12.98 and 6.19 and 3.57 mg GAE g⁻¹, respectively. FBBs were significantly higher in free PC than DBBs, while DBBs were considerably higher in bound PC than FBBs. Secondly, twenty participants with age, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), fat mass, and fat-free mass averages of 21.4 years, 170.0 cm, 66.3 kg, 22.9 kg m², 14.5, and 29.2 kg, respectively, were subjected to metabolic experiments (ISRCTN19386758). Ingestion of 140 g of FBB or DBB resulted in 288.50 or 302.14 µg TPC mL⁻¹ blood, respectively. Postprandial TPC content increased with time progression and peaked after 120 min. T-AOC contents averaged 22.63 and 23.61 U mL⁻¹ before ingestion of FBBs or DBBs, respectively. The T-AOC content increased significantly 120 and 180 min after ingestion of DBBs, while no significant change was noted after consuming FBBs. A significant decrease in MDA content was observed 180 min after consuming DBBs, while no significant change was noted after consuming FBBs. SOD concentrations ranged from 193.99 to 201.07 U L⁻¹ in FBBs and DBBs, respectively. No considerable response was noted up to 3 h after ingestion of FBBs. On the contrary, a significant response was found 120 min after consuming DBBs. Pearson’s correlation coefficient indicated a highly significant positive correlation coefficient (p < 0.01) between T-AOC and either MDA or SOD, as well as between MDA and SOD. The principal component analysis demonstrated a strong and positive relationship between SOD and TPC at 60 and 120 min after DBB ingestion. In conclusion, the relative changes in postprandial responses in T-AOC and MDA did not significantly (p > 0.05) differ between DBBs and FBBs, except for TPC (p = 0.04, paired t-test) and SOD (p = 0.003, paired t-test). Further studies with an extended experimental time are needed to confirm the current findings. Full article

This article attempts to elucidate the Deleuzian philosophy of the event between The Logic of Sense and A Thousand Plateaus, where it acquires clearly political nuances. With regard to The Logic of Sense, I show that (i) it takes up the definition of the event of Difference and Repetition, identifying it with that redistribution of pre-individual singularities or individuating differences at the level of the univocal being which defines the conditions of problems; (ii) the event is henceforth also the instance that makes possible the “communication” of the heterogeneous series of bodies and propositions from which the production of sense in language follows; and (iii) the counter-effectuation should be understood in this book as an ethics of the event. With regard to A Thousand Plateaus, I emphasize (i) the “return” to The Logic of Sense that the concept of assemblage entails, (ii) the reformulation of the notion of event that takes place in the new theoretical framework, and (iii) that of the counter-effectuation, which must henceforth be understood as a politics of the event. Full article

Drought stress is a significant factor affecting soybean growth and yield. A lack of suitable high-throughput phenotyping techniques hinders the drought tolerance evaluation of multi-genotype samples. A method for evaluating drought tolerance in soybeans is proposed based on multimodal remote sensing data from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and machine learning. Hundreds of soybean genotypes were repeatedly planted under well water (WW) and drought stress (DS) in different years and locations (Jiyang and Yazhou, Sanya, China), and UAV multimodal data were obtained in multiple fertility stages. Notably, data from Yazhou were repeatedly obtained during five significant fertility stages, which were selected based on days after sowing. The geometric mean productivity (GMP) index was selected to evaluate the drought tolerance of soybeans. Compared with the results of manual measurement after harvesting, support vector regression (SVR) provided better results (N = 356, R² = 0.75, RMSE = 29.84 g/m²). The model was also migrated to the Jiyang dataset (N = 427, R² = 0.68, RMSE = 15.36 g/m²). Soybean varieties were categorized into five Drought Injury Scores (DISs) based on the manually measured GMP. Compared with the results of the manual DIS, the accuracy of the predicted DIS gradually increased with the soybean growth period, reaching a maximum of 77.12% at maturity. This study proposes a UAV-based method for the rapid high-throughput evaluation of drought tolerance in multi-genotype soybean at multiple fertility stages, which provides a new method for the early judgment of drought tolerance in individual varieties, improving the efficiency of soybean breeding, and has the potential to be extended to other crops. Full article

As accumulated evidence suggests that individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) encounter earlier and more frequent occurrences of cardiovascular diseases, the aim of this study was to ascertain the differences in lifestyle and cardiovascular risk between PTSD and complex PTSD patients. We enrolled 137 male war veterans with PTSD (89 had complex PTSD). The diagnosis was established based on 11th revision of International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), and cardiovascular risk was estimated by the measurement of advanced glycation end products. Adherence to Mediterranean diet (MD) was lower in the complex PTSD group (2.2% vs. 12.5%, p = 0.015). Accordingly, patients with complex PTSD had lower healthy lifestyle scores in comparison to PTSD counterparts (50.6 ± 9.7 vs. 59.6 ± 10.1, p < 0.001), and a positive association was noted between MD adherence and a healthy lifestyle (r = 0.183, p = 0.022). On the other hand, differences were not noted in terms of physical activity (p = 0.424), fat % (p = 0.571) or cardiovascular risk (p = 0.573). Although complex PTSD patients exhibit worse adherence to MD and lower healthy lifestyle scores, these differences do not seem to impact physical activity, body composition, or estimated cardiovascular risk. More research is needed to clarify if this lack of association accurately reflects the state of the PTSD population or results from insufficient statistical power. Full article

Fusarium head blight (FHB) can cause serious yield loss and significant mycotoxin contamination, which seriously threaten global food security and safety. Breeding stable and durable cultivars that are resistant to FHB is one of the most effective approaches to controlling this disease. Fhb1 is a well-known genetic locus for FHB resistance, but its resistance is not always effective across diverse wheat genetic backgrounds. To achieve a high and durable level of resistance, the discovery and use of additional quantitative trait loci (QTL) for FHB resistance are essentially needed in breeding programs. In this study, two independent wheat natural populations of different origins were used for mining resistance QTL with a major and stable effect. Using genome-wide association analysis (GWAS), a total of 58 marker–trait associations (MTAs) on chromosomes 1A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 4D, 5A, 5B, 5D, 6A, 6B, 6D, 7A and 7B were found to be significant for type II resistance to FHB. These 58 MTAs represent 24 putative QTL. Among these QTL, Qfhb.yzu.3B.1 and Qfhb.yzu.6B.3 were stably detected in the two natural populations across three consecutive experimental years. The favorable haplotypes at the two QTL could significantly reduce the disease severity, either individually or in combination. These two QTL are also additive to Fhb1 in cultivars with different genetic backgrounds. Breeder-friendly markers were designed to differentiate the contrasting alleles at these two loci, thus proving very useful for improving FHB resistance in wheat by marker-assisted selection. Full article

Schizophrenia is characterized by psychiatric symptoms and emotional issues. While pharmacological treatments have limitations, non-pharmacological interventions are essential. Art therapy has the potential to enhance emotional expression, communication, and health; however, the effectiveness of visual art therapy remains uncertain. This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesizes the findings of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of visual art therapy on positive symptoms, negative symptoms, and emotions in patients with schizophrenia. This study reviews RCTs published prior to February, 2024. The PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CEPS, CNKI, Wanfang, and Yiigle databases were searched, and three independent researchers screened the studies. In this meta-analysis, standardized mean difference (SMD) was employed as a measure to calculate effect sizes for continuous variables using a random effects model, while the meta-regression and subgroup analyses were performed with patient and intervention characteristics. A total of 31 studies revealed visual art therapy had a significant small-to-moderate effect on positive symptoms (SMD = 0.407, 95% CI 0.233 to 0.581), a moderate effect on negative symptoms (SMD = 0.697, 95% CI 0.514 to 0.880), a moderate effect on depression (SMD = 0.610, 95% CI 0.398 to 0.821), and a large effect on anxiety (SMD = 0.909, 95% CI 0.386 to 1.433). The subgroup analysis revealed painting and handcrafts had significant effects on positive symptoms, negative symptoms, and emotions. Combined Chinese calligraphy and painting had significant effects on positive symptoms, depression, and anxiety. Better improvement was noted among the Asian population, and a longer weekly treatment duration was associated with better improvement in positive symptoms. Female participants tended to have more improvements in negative symptoms and anxiety through visual art therapy. The results indicate that visual art therapy has positive effects on the psychiatric symptoms and emotions of individuals with schizophrenia. We recommend future research further investigate art therapy modalities and durations. Full article

During the COVID-19 pandemic, people exhibited various forms of adjustments. This study examines how situational factors (i.e., the severity of COVID-19) and individual differences (i.e., the HEXACO traits) affect one’s COVID-19-related responses regarding behaviors (i.e., mask-wearing and hoarding), worries (i.e., worrying about infecting and spreading COVID-19), and attitudes (i.e., discrimination and empathy toward people infecting COVID-19) in China. With a sample of 927 participants, our results show that the severity of COVID-19 was predictive of all the responses, and its predictive value was more pronounced relative to personality traits. Concerning the association between personality traits and responses, Honesty-Humility and Conscientiousness were predictive of one’s behaviors, Emotionality was predictive of one’s worries, and almost all the HEXACO traits were associated with one’s attitudes toward people infected with COVID-19. This study sheds some light on understanding how situations and individual differences shape one’s responses in a time of emergency. Full article

Exogenous supplementation with ketone beverages has been shown to reduce plasma glucose levels during acute nutritional ketosis. It remains to be investigated whether growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15)—an anorexigenic hormone—is involved in this process. The aim was to investigate the effect of a ketone ester beverage delivering β-hydroxybutyrate (KEβHB) on plasma levels of GDF-15, as well as assess the influence of eating behaviour on it. The study was a randomised controlled trial (registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03889210). Individuals were given a KEβHB beverage or placebo in a cross-over fashion. Blood samples were collected at baseline, 30, 60, 90, 120, and 150 min after ingestion. Eating behaviour was assessed using the three-factor eating questionnaire. GDF-15 levels were not significantly different (p = 0.503) after the KEβHB beverage compared with the placebo. This finding remained consistent across the cognitive restraint, emotional eating, and uncontrolled eating domains. Changes in the anorexigenic hormone GDF-15, irrespective of eating behaviour, do not appear to play a major role in the glucose-lowering effect of exogenous ketones. Full article

This study aimed to evaluate the risk of uveitis, one of the most common ocular manifestations of COVID-19, in individuals with a history of uveitis and COVID-19 infection while discriminating the effects of COVID-19 infection and vaccinations. We analyzed nationwide data from 235,228 individuals with a history of uveitis prior to COVID-19 infection and evaluated incidences and hazard ratios (HRs) of post-COVID-19 uveitis for different post-infection periods, including early- (within 30 days) and delayed-onset ones. The cumulative incidences of post-infection uveitis at 3, 6, and 12 months were calculated as 8.5%, 11.8%, and 14.0%, respectively. The HR of post-COVID-19 uveitis was 1.21 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07–1.37) and was particularly higher in the early-onset period (1.42, 95% CI: 1.24–1.61). Vaccinated individuals showed a modestly elevated risk of uveitis relative to pre-infection, while unvaccinated ones exhibited substantially higher risks in the early-onset period: the HR of post-infection uveitis before vaccination was 3.61 (95% CI: 1.35-9.66), whereas after vaccination, it was 1.21 (95% CI: 1.05–1.39). COVID-19 infection was associated with a higher risk of uveitis, which was mitigated by vaccination. Vigilance in the monitoring of uveitis is warranted for recently COVID-19-infected individuals with a history of uveitis, particularly unvaccinated individuals. Full article

The air fryer utilizes heated air rather than hot oil to achieve frying, eliminating the need for cooking oil, rendering it a healthier cooking method than traditional frying and baking. However, there is limited evidence supporting that the air fryer could effectively reduce the level of food-derived carcinogen. In this study, we compared the concentration of Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), a typical carcinogen, in beef patties cooked using an air fryer and an oven, under different cooking conditions, including temperatures (140 °C, 160 °C, 180 °C, and 200 °C), times (9, 14, and 19 min), and oil added or not. The adjusted linear regression analysis revealed that the BaP concentration in beef cooked in the air fryer was 22.667 (95% CI: 15.984, 29.349) ng/kg lower than that in beef cooked in the oven. Regarding the air fryer, the BaP concentration in beef cooked without oil brushing was below the detection limit, and it was significantly lower than in beef cooked with oil brushing (p < 0.001). Therefore, cooking beef in the air fryer can effectively reduce BaP concentration, particularly due to the advantage of oil-free cooking, suggesting that the air fryer represents a superior option for individuals preparing meat at high temperatures. Full article

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) cofactor metabolism plays a significant role in cancer development. Tumor cells have an increased demand for NAD and ATP to support rapid growth and proliferation. Limiting the amount of available NAD by targeting critical NAD biosynthesis enzymes has emerged as a promising anticancer therapeutic approach. In mammals, the enzyme nicotinamide/nicotinic acid adenylyltransferase (NMNAT) catalyzes a crucial downstream reaction for all known NAD synthesis routes. Novel nicotinamide/nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide (NAD/NaAD) analogues 1–4, containing a methyl group at the ribose 2′-C and 3′-C-position of the adenosine moiety, were synthesized as inhibitors of the three isoforms of human NMN-adenylyltransferase, named hNMNAT-1, hNMNAT-2, and hNMNAT-3. An NMR-based conformational analysis suggests that individual NAD-analogues (1–4) have distinct conformational preferences. Biological evaluation of dinucleotides 1–4 as inhibitors of hNMNAT isoforms revealed structural relationships between different conformations (North-anti and South-syn) and enzyme-inhibitory activity. Among the new series of NAD analogues synthesized and tested, the 2′-C-methyl-NAD analogue 1 (K_i = 15 and 21 µM towards NMN and ATP, respectively) emerged as the most potent and selective inhibitor of hNMNAT-2 reported so far. Finally, we rationalized the in vitro bioactivity and selectivity of methylated NAD analogues with in silico studies, helping to lay the groundwork for rational scaffold optimization. Full article

Sign language is an essential means of communication for individuals with hearing disabilities. However, there is a significant shortage of sign language interpreters in some languages, especially in Saudi Arabia. This shortage results in a large proportion of the hearing-impaired population being deprived of services, especially in public places. This paper aims to address this gap in accessibility by leveraging technology to develop systems capable of recognizing Arabic Sign Language (ArSL) using deep learning techniques. In this paper, we propose a hybrid model to capture the spatio-temporal aspects of sign language (i.e., letters and words). The hybrid model consists of a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) classifier to extract spatial features from sign language data and a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) classifier to extract spatial and temporal characteristics to handle sequential data (i.e., hand movements). To demonstrate the feasibility of our proposed hybrid model, we created a dataset of 20 different words, resulting in 4000 images for ArSL: 10 static gesture words and 500 videos for 10 dynamic gesture words. Our proposed hybrid model demonstrates promising performance, with the CNN and LSTM classifiers achieving accuracy rates of 94.40% and 82.70%, respectively. These results indicate that our approach can significantly enhance communication accessibility for the hearing-impaired community in Saudi Arabia. Thus, this paper represents a major step toward promoting inclusivity and improving the quality of life for the hearing impaired. Full article

Candida auris is an emerging Candida sp. that has rapidly spread all over the world. The evidence regarding its origin and emerging resistance is still unclear. The severe infection caused by this species results in significant mortality and morbidity among the elderly and immunocompromised individuals. The development of drug resistance is the major factor associated with the therapeutic failure of existing antifungal agents. Previous studies have addressed the antifungal resistance profile and drug discovery for C. auris. However, complete coverage of this information in a single investigation is not yet available. In this review, we have mainly focused on recent developments in therapeutic strategies against C. auris. Based on the available information, several different approaches were discussed, including existing antifungal drugs, chemical compounds, essential oils, natural products, antifungal peptides, immunotherapy, antimicrobial photodynamic therapy, drug repurposing, and drug delivery systems. Among them, synthetic chemicals, natural products, and antifungal peptides are the prime contributors. However, a limited number of resources are available to prove the efficiency of these potential therapies in clinical usage. Therefore, we anticipate that the findings gathered in this review will encourage further in vivo studies and clinical trials. Full article