Light emitting diode effect of red, blue, and amber light on photosynthesis and plant growth parameters.

The visible light spectrum (400-700 nm) powers plant photosynthesis and innumerable other biological processes. Photosynthesis curves plotted by pioneering photobiologists show that amber light (590-620 nm) induces the highest photosynthetic rates in this spectrum. Yet, both red and blue light are viewed superior in their influence over plant growth. Here we report two approaches for quantifying how light wavelength photosynthesis and plant growth using light emitting diodes (LEDs). Resolved quantum yield spectra of tomato and lettuce plants resemble those acquired earlier, showing high quantum utilization efficiencies in the 420-430 nm and 590-620 nm regions. Tomato plants grown under blue (445 nm), amber (595 nm), red (635 nm), and combined red-blue-amber light for 14 days show that amber light yields higher fresh and dry mass, by at least 20%. Principle component analysis shows that amber light has a more pronounced and direct effect on fresh mass, whereas red light has a major effect on dry mass. These data clarify amber light's primary role in photosynthesis and suggest that bandwidth determines plant growth and productivity under sole amber lighting. Findings set precedence for future work aimed at maximizing plant productivity, with widespread implications for controlled environment agriculture.

The Associations Between Camouflaging, Autistic Traits, and Mental Health in Nonautistic Adults.

Background: Camouflaging is frequently reported in autistic people and entails the disguising of autistic traits in social situations. Camouflaging is associated with poor mental health in autistic people. This study examined the manifestation of camouflaging in a nonautistic sample, examining the relationship between autistic traits, self-reported camouflaging, gender, and mental health. Method: In total 110 nonautistic adults completed standardized self-report questionnaires that measured autistic traits, mental health symptoms, and camouflaging behaviors. Hierarchical multiple linear regression models were used to analyze data and examine the unique contributions of autistic traits and camouflaging to mental health. Results: Self-reported autistic traits were associated with increased symptoms of poor mental health. However, autistic traits were not associated with mental health symptoms when controlling for self-reported camouflaging, and self-reported camouflaging predicted increased mental health symptoms over and above the effects of autistic traits. Women had poorer mental health than men in our sample, and in women there was a stronger relationship between camouflaging and mental health than in men. Conclusions: Camouflaging may contribute to poor mental health outcomes in the general population, just as it does for autistic people, to the extent that camouflaging more clearly relates to mental health profile than self-reported autism traits. This suggests camouflaging is an important construct for understanding mental health in general, and for exploring the complex relationship between autism and autistic traits.

Why was this study done?: Some autistic individuals report trying to hide their autistic traits to blend in with others, referring to this as "camouflaging" or "masking." Many autistic people who camouflage describe it as being a very difficult and distressing process, which can be harmful to their mental health. In nonautistic people, a higher level of autistic traits is related to poor mental health. Nonautistic people have also reported camouflaging autistic traits, but we know less about whether this might also impact their mental health. What was the purpose of this study?: We did this study to find out more about the relationship between mental health and camouflaging of autistic traits in nonautistic people. What did the researchers do?: We asked 110 nonautistic adults to complete a series of questionnaires. These questionnaires asked them about their autistic traits, their camouflaging behaviors, and their mental health. We then used statistical tests to look at the relationships between autistic traits, camouflaging, gender, and mental health. What were the results of the study?: We found that people who camouflaged more had poorer mental health, including symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress. People with more autistic traits also had poorer mental health. When we looked at both of these relationships at the same time, only camouflaging was related to poor mental health, and not autistic traits. When we also looked at gender, we found that women in our study had poorer mental health than men, and the relationship between camouflaging and mental health was stronger for women. What do these findings add to what was already known?: These findings help us understand the relationship between autistic traits and mental health by demonstrating that it may be the camouflaging of autistic traits that is related to poorer mental health. These findings also help us better understand camouflaging by showing that the negative consequences of camouflaging for mental health may apply to both autistic and nonautistic people. What are the potential weaknesses in the study?: Our study only looked at the relationship between autistic traits, camouflaging, gender, and mental health. It is possible that there are other factors our study did not investigate, such as ethnicity or sexual identity, which also play an important role. Our study also cannot tell us whether or not camouflaging is the cause of poor mental health, only that there is a relationship between camouflaging and mental health. How will these findings help autistic adults now or in the future?: By studying camouflaging in different groups and seeing what is shared and what is unique between autistic and nonautistic people, we can develop a better understanding of camouflaging. Knowledge of the mental health consequences of camouflaging can help mental health services to reduce the negative impact of camouflaging for autistic and nonautistic people. Our findings also show an important similarity between autistic and nonautistic people, showing that both groups of people may camouflage, and this negatively impacts mental health. Acknowledgment of this shared experience may help to reduce the discrimination and stigma that autistic people face.

Germicidal efficacy of continuous and pulsed ultraviolet-C radiation on pathogen models and SARS-CoV-2.

Ultraviolet radiation's germicidal efficacy depends on several parameters, including wavelength, radiant exposure, microbial physiology, biological matrices, and surfaces. In this work, several ultraviolet radiation sources (a low-pressure mercury lamp, a KrCl excimer, and four UV LEDs) emitting continuous or pulsed irradiation were compared. The greatest log reductions in E. coli cells and B. subtilis endospores were 4.1 ± 0.2 (18 mJ cm-2) and 4.5 ± 0.1 (42 mJ cm-2) with continuous 222 nm, respectively. The highest MS2 log reduction observed was 2.7 ± 0.1 (277 nm at 3809 mJ cm-2). Log reductions of SARS-CoV-2 with continuous 222 nm and 277 nm were ≥ 3.4 ± 0.7, with 13.3 mJ cm-2 and 60 mJ cm-2, respectively. There was no statistical difference between continuous and pulsed irradiation (0.83-16.7% [222 nm and 277 nm] or 0.83-20% [280 nm] duty rates) on E. coli inactivation. Pulsed 260 nm radiation (0.5% duty rate) at 260 nm yielded significantly greater log reduction for both bacteria than continuous 260 nm radiation. There was no statistical difference in SARS-CoV-2 inactivation between continuous and pulsed 222 nm UV-C radiation and pulsed 277 nm radiation demonstrated greater germicidal efficacy than continuous 277 nm radiation. Greater radiant exposure for all radiation sources was required to inactivate MS2 bacteriophage. Findings demonstrate that pulsed irradiation could be more useful than continuous UV radiation in human-occupied spaces, but threshold limit values should be respected. Pathogen-specific sensitivities, experimental setup, and quantification methods for determining germicidal efficacy remain important factors when optimizing ultraviolet radiation for surface decontamination or other applications.

Prosocial speech acts: Links to pragmatics and aging.

This study investigated how adults over the lifespan flexibly adapt their use of prosocial speech acts when conveying bad news to communicative partners. Experiment 1a (N = 100 Scottish adults aged 18-72 years) assessed whether participants' use of prosocial speech acts varied according to audience design considerations (i.e., whether or not the recipient of the news was directly affected). Experiment 1b (N = 100 Scottish adults aged 19-70 years) assessed whether participants adjusted for whether the bad news was more or less severe (an index of general knowledge). Younger adults displayed more flexible adaptation to the recipient manipulation, while no age differences were found for severity. These findings are consistent with prior work showing age-related decline in audience design but not in the use of general knowledge during language production. Experiment 2 further probed younger adults (N = 40, Scottish, aged 18-37 years) and older adults' (N = 40, Scottish, aged 70-89 years) prosocial linguistic behavior by investigating whether health (vs. nonhealth-related) matters would affect responses. While older adults used prosocial speech acts to a greater extent than younger adults, they did not distinguish between conditions. Our results suggest that prosocial linguistic behavior is likely influenced by a combination of differences in audience design and communicative styles at different ages. Collectively, these findings highlight the importance of situating prosocial speech acts within the pragmatics and aging literature, allowing us to uncover the factors modulating prosocial linguistic behavior at different developmental stages. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The influence of interruptions and planning on serial everyday multitasking in older adults.

Cognitive aging research has studied the influence of healthy aging on the ability to multitask. Yet, little is known about the factors that might improve or impair serial multitasking performance in older adults. Three experiments involving younger and older adults assessed the impact of interruptions and planning on a prop-based test of multitasking. In Experiment 1, 26 younger adults and 25 older adults' multitasking abilities were assessed; older adults performed significantly more poorly than younger adults. In Experiment 2, 19 younger and 22 older adults were randomly allocated to a group who experienced a one minute unexpected interruption while multitasking or a group with no interruption. The results showed that, when there was an interruption, the age difference disappeared. In Experiment 3, 32 younger and 30 older adults were randomly allocated to a group who were given 3 minutes to write an outline describing how they intended to approach the multitasking task, and another group who were given 3 minutes to label pictures of everyday objects prior to multitasking. Again, when participants were encouraged to plan, no age difference was found. These results highlight the advantage that interruptions and planning might have on serial everyday multitasking performance in older adults.

The relationship between social cognitive processes and behavior changes in people with amnestic mild cognitive impairment or dementia using the Edinburgh Social Cognition Test (ESCoT).

OBJECTIVE: People with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) or dementia often exhibit a decline in their social abilities, but few tests of social cognition exist that are suitable for clinical use. Moreover, the relationship between changes in behavior and impairments in social cognition is poorly understood. We examined the utility of the Edinburgh Social Cognition Test (ESCoT) in people with aMCI/dementia and explored associations between social cognition performance and behavior changes. METHOD: We administered the ESCoT and two established social cognition tests (the Reading the Mind in the Eyes and the Social Norms Questionnaire) to 28 people with aMCI or dementia and 28 age and sex matched cognitively healthy controls. Behavior change was measured using a semistructured interview which assesses behavioral abnormalities found in frontotemporal dementia. RESULTS: People with aMCI/dementia were impaired on the ESCoT affective theory of mind, ESCoT total score and the Reading the Mind in the Eyes. Behavior changes in the domains of apathy, loss of sympathy/empathy, perseveration, and psychotic symptoms were associated with poorer affective theory of mind scores. Disinhibition, loss of sympathy/empathy and hyperorality or altered food preferences were associated with cognitive theory of mind. All behaviors were significantly associated with poorer performance on ESCoT total score, but were not associated with performance on the Reading the Mind in the Eyes or the Social Norms Questionnaire. CONCLUSIONS: The ESCoT was sensitive to social cognition impairments in people with aMCI/dementia and it relates to behavior change in aMCI/dementia unlike established tests. Different subtests of the ESCoT were related to different behavior changes. These findings suggest that the ESCoT may be a clinically valuable tool when examining social cognition. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Development, reliability, validity, and acceptability of the remote administration of the Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioural ALS Screen (ECAS).

BACKGROUND: ALS clinical care and research has changed dramatically since the COVID-19 pandemic, accelerating the need for cognitive assessments to be adapted for remote use. OBJECTIVES: To develop the remote administration method of the Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioural ALS Screen (ECAS), and determine its reliability and validity. Methods: The validation process consisted of: (1) Two versions of the ECAS (A and B) were administered, one in-person and one remotely via video call in a randomized order to 27 people without ALS; (2) The ECAS was administered remotely to 24 pwALS, with a second rater independently scoring performance; and (3) Acceptability was assessed by gathering feedback from 17 pwALS and 19 clinicians and researchers about their experience of using the ECAS remotely. RESULTS: In the group without ALS, the remote and in-person ECAS total scores were found to be equivalent, and a Bland-Altman plot showed good agreement between the two administration methods. In pwALS, there was excellent agreement between two raters (ICC = 0.99). Positive feedback was gained from pwALS, researchers and clinicians with regards to ease of process, convenience, time, and the environment. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide evidence of the reliability and validity of the remote administration of the ECAS for pwALS, with clinicians, researchers and pwALS viewing it as a good alternative to face-to-face administration.

Luria's fist-edge-palm test: A small change makes a big difference.

Slight modifications in the instructions or administration of neuropsychological tests could result in noticeable differences in performance. A good example is offered by a test devised by Luria to assess executive functioning in motor planning, the three-step fist-edge-palm (FEP) test, which is still frequently employed in clinical settings and features in several neuropsychological test batteries such as the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB). While Luria described the orientation of the fist as horizontal to the testing desk (hFEP), recent versions of the task indicate the fist should be vertical to the testing desk (vFEP). The current study examined whether administering the hFEP or the vFEP tests results in different performance in healthy people, and whether one version is better than the other at detecting impairments in a patient population. The hFEP proved more challenging for healthy adults than the vFEP, and people with brain damage committed more errors on the hFEP than the vFEP. Both versions correlated with executive measures but also with several other cognitive variables, indicating that the test is not a specific marker of executive functions. Although performance on the FEP is sensitive to articulatory suppression, faster pace, and the number of sequences performed, none of these conditions fully account for the differences between the hFEP and vFEP. The additional demand of the hFEP appears to be due to the less natural (i.e., automatic) orientation of the horizontal fist. In conclusion, a small change in the administration of the test, eluding Luria's instructions, grossly modified its sensitivity. Clinicians and researchers should be wary of modifying instructions or testing procedures without considering the possible consequences of such modifications.

Collaborative learning of new information in older age: a systematic review.

Ageing is accompanied by a multitude of changes in cognitive abilities, which in turn affect learning. Learning collaboratively may benefit older adults by negating some of these age-related changes. However, studies on collaborative learning in older age differ in their methodology and findings. This systematic review provides an overview of the current research on collaborative learning in older age, exploring what factors influence collaborative learning in this age group. The titles and abstracts of imported 6629 works were screened, as well as four works added manually, which resulted in 29 studies. These studies were conducted across five countries (Canada, United States, United Kingdom, Switzerland and Belgium) between 1993 and 2023. Most studies were quantitative with a non-randomized (n = 16) design. Of the 29 studies, almost all studied collaboration in pairs (n = 28). The results suggest that the benefits of collaborating in older age may depend on the type of learning material, that familiarity between partners does not affect learning, and that age differences appear to decrease or disappear when older adults are provided with adequate time or trials. In addition, this systematic review identifies several gaps in the literature that future research should investigate further. This study was preregistered prior to its commencement on 21 January 2022. The accepted Stage 1 manuscript, unchanged from the point of in-principle acceptance, may be viewed at https://osf.io/tj4w7/. The data and materials of this study can be found at https://osf.io/8xvqf/.

Strategies for uncovering stable isotope tracing patterns between cell populations.

Despite practical complexities, isotope tracing studies in humans are becoming increasingly feasible. However, several technological challenges need to be addressed in order to take full advantage of human tracing studies. First, absolute metabolic flux measurements in mice are not so easily applied to human models, given that tissue resection is restricted to a single surgical time point. Second, isotope tracing has yet to be employed to detect metabolic differences between cells types in vivo. Here, we discuss the current models and propose an alternative, liquid tumor environment, that could overcome these limitations. Furthermore, we highlight current strategies used to maintain isotopolog enrichment following cell isolation techniques to facilitate cell-type-specific analysis.

Effect of Amber (595 nm) Light Supplemented with Narrow Blue (430 nm) Light on Tomato Biomass.

Full-spectrum light-emitting diodes (LEDs) mainly comprising 460-nm + 595-nm light are becoming a mainstay in the horticulture industry, and recent studies indicate that plant productivity under white LEDs is higher than combined blue and red LED lighting. Different light properties (wavelength and bandwidth) in full-spectrum light, particularly for the blue and amber light regions, have only partly been explored. This research aimed to characterize the effects of amber + blue light wavelengths and bandwidths on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum cv. Beefsteak) growth, morphology, and production efficiency. Tomato seedlings were subjected to four different light treatments for 60 days: narrow amber light (595 nm), narrow blue + narrow amber light (430 nm + 595 nm) with a 1:10 ratio, white LED (455 nm + 595 nm), and a high-pressure sodium (HPS) lamp (control). The highest mean fresh mass yield occurred with the narrow blue + narrow amber light (479 g), followed by white LED at 20% less, HPS at 34% less, and narrow amber at 40% less. Dry mass and plant height were similar among light treatments. Supplementing narrow amber light with 430-nm blue light led to a 20% increase in chlorophyll content. Findings indicate that narrow amber light is more efficient in biomass accumulation than broad amber light and that precise selection of different blue and amber wavelengths can greatly impact the growth and development of tomato seedlings. This energy-efficient narrow-wavelength combination shows improvement over white LED lighting for maximizing tomato growth.

Cybersickness, Cognition, & Motor Skills: The Effects of Music, Gender, and Gaming Experience.

Recent research has attempted to identify methods to mitigate cybersickness and examine its aftereffects. In this direction, this paper examines the effects of cybersickness on cognitive, motor, and reading performance in VR. Also, this paper evaluates the mitigating effects of music on cybersickness, as well as the role of gender, and the computing, VR, and gaming experience of the user. This paper reports two studies. In the 1st study, 92 participants selected the music tracks considered most calming (low valence) or joyful (high valence) to be used in the 2nd study. In the 2nd study, 39 participants performed an assessment four times, once before the rides (baseline), and then once after each ride (3 rides). In each ride either Calming, or Joyful, or No Music was played. During each ride, linear and angular accelerations took place to induce cybersickness in the participants. In each assessment, while immersed in VR, the participants evaluated their cybersickness symptomatology and performed a verbal working memory task, a visuospatial working memory task, and a psychomotor task. While responding to the cybersickness questionnaire (3D UI), eye-tracking was conducted to measure reading time and pupillometry. The results showed that Joyful and Calming music substantially decreased the intensity of nausea-related symptoms. However, only Joyful music significantly decreased the overall cybersickness intensity. Importantly, cybersickness was found to decrease verbal working memory performance and pupil size. Also, it significantly decelerated psychomotor (reaction time) and reading abilities. Higher gaming experience was associated with lower cybersickness. When controlling for gaming experience, there were no significant differences between female and male participants in terms of cybersickness. The outcomes indicated the efficiency of music in mitigating cybersickness, the important role of gaming experience in cybersickness, and the significant effects of cybersickness on pupil size, cognition, psychomotor skills, and reading ability.

Relationship between Total Antioxidant Capacity, Cannabinoids and Terpenoids in Hops and Cannabis.

Efficient determination of antioxidant activity in medicinal plants may provide added value to extracts. The effects of postharvest pre-freezing and drying [microwave-assisted hot air (MAHD) and freeze drying] on hops and cannabis were evaluated to determine the relationship between antioxidant activity and secondary metabolites. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazine (DPPH) reduction and ferric reducing ability of power (FRAP) assays were assessed for suitability in estimating the antioxidant activity of extracted hops and cannabis inflorescences and correlation with cannabinoid and terpene content. Antioxidant activity in extracts obtained from fresh, undried samples amounted to 3.6 Trolox equivalent antioxidant activity (TEAC) (M) dry matter-1 and 2.32 FRAP (M) dry matter-1 for hops, in addition to 2.29 TEAC (M) dry matter-1 and 0.25 FRAP (M) dry matter-1 for cannabis. Pre-freezing significantly increased antioxidant values by 13% (DPPH) and 29.9% (FRAP) for hops, and by 7.7% (DPPH) and 19.4% (FRAP) for cannabis. ANOVA analyses showed a significant (p < 0.05) increase in total THC (24.2) and THCA (27.2) concentrations (g 100 g dry matter-1) in pre-frozen, undried samples compared to fresh, undried samples. Freeze-drying and MAHD significantly (p < 0.05) reduced antioxidant activity in hops by 79% and 80.2% [DPPH], respectively and 70.1% and 70.4% [FRAP], respectively, when compared to antioxidant activity in extracts obtained from pre-frozen, undried hops. DPPH assay showed that both freeze-drying and MAHD significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the antioxidant activity of cannabis by 60.5% compared to the pre-frozen samples although, there was no significant (p < 0.05) reduction in the antioxidant activity using the FRAP method. Greater THC content was measured in MAHD-samples when compared to fresh, undried (64.7%) and pre-frozen, undried (57%), likely because of decarboxylation. Both drying systems showed a significant loss in total terpene concentration, yet freeze-drying has a higher metabolite retention compared to MAHD. These results may prove useful for future experiments investigating antioxidant activity and added value to cannabis and hops.

Separate Effects of Sodium on Germination in Saline-Sodic and Alkaline Forms at Different Concentrations.

Salinity negatively impacts crop productivity, yet neutral and alkali salt stresses are not often differentiated. To investigate these abiotic stresses separately, saline and alkaline solutions with identical concentrations of sodium (12 mM, 24 mM and 49 mM) were used to compare the seed germination, viability and biomass of four crop species. Commercial buffers containing NaOH were diluted to generate alkaline solutions. The sodic solutions tested contained the neutral salt NaCl. Romaine lettuce, tomato, beet, and radish were seeded and grown hydroponically for 14 days. A rapid germination was observed for alkaline solutions when compared to saline-sodic solutions. The highest plant viability recorded (90.0%) was for the alkaline solution, containing 12 mM Na+, and for the control treatment. Plant viability, with a value of 49 mM Na+ in saline-sodic and alkaline solutions, was the lowest (50.0% and 40.8% respectively), and tomato plants did not germinate. EC values were higher for the saline-sodic solutions than the alkaline solutions, yielding greater fresh mass per plant for all species, with the exception of beets grown in alkaline solution, with a value of 24 mM Na+. The fresh mass of romaine lettuce grown in the 24 mM Na+ saline-sodic solution was significantly greater than romaine lettuce grown in the alkaline solution with the same sodium concentration.

An ecologically valid examination of event-based and time-based prospective memory using immersive virtual reality: The influence of attention, memory, and executive function processes on real-world prospective memory.

Studies on prospective memory (PM) predominantly assess either event- or time-based PM by implementing non-ecological laboratory-based tasks. The results deriving from these paradigms have provided findings that are discrepant with ecologically valid research paradigms that converge on the complexity and cognitive demands of everyday tasks. The Virtual Reality Everyday Assessment Lab (VR-EAL), an immersive virtual reality (VR) neuropsychological battery with enhanced ecological validity, was implemented to assess everyday event- and time-based PM, as well as the influence of other cognitive functions on everyday PM functioning. The results demonstrated the role of delayed recognition, planning, and visuospatial attention on everyday PM. Delayed recognition and planning ability were found to be central in event- and time-based PM respectively. In order of importance, delayed recognition, visuospatial attention speed, and planning ability were found to be involved in event-based PM functioning. Comparably, planning, visuospatial attention accuracy, delayed recognition, and multitasking/task-shifting ability were found to be involved in time-based PM functioning. These findings further suggest the importance of ecological validity in the study of PM, which may be achieved using immersive VR paradigms.

Cognitive reserve and emotion recognition in the context of normal aging.

The Cognitive Reserve (CR) hypothesis accounts for individual differences in vulnerability to age- or pathological-related brain changes. It suggests lifetime influences (e.g., education) increase the effectiveness of cognitive processing in later life. While evidence suggests CR proxies predict cognitive performance in older age, it is less clear whether CR proxies attenuate age-related decline on social cognitive tasks. This study investigated the effect of CR proxies on unimodal and cross-modal emotion identification. Sixty-six older adults aged 60-78 years were assessed on CR proxies (Cognitive Reserve Index Questionnaire, NART), unimodal(faces only, voices only), and cross-modal (faces and voices combined) emotion recognition and executive function (Stroop Test). No CR proxy predicted performance on emotion recognition. However, NART IQ predicted performance on the Stroop test; higher NART IQ was associated with better performance. The current study suggests CR proxies do not predict performance on social cognition tests but do predict performance on cognitive tasks.

Assessing the Immune Regulatory Role of Metabolites In Vitro.

One method of immune evasion that cancer cells employ is the secretion of immune regulatory metabolites into the tumor microenvironment (TME). These metabolites can promote immunosuppressive cell subsets, while inhibiting key tumor-killing subsets, such as T cells. Thus, the identification of these metabolites may help develop methods for improving cell-based therapy. However, after identifying a potential immune regulatory metabolite, it is crucial to assess the impacts of the metabolite on T cell immunobiology. In this chapter, we describe an in vitro method of testing and analyzing the influence of a specific metabolite on T cell proliferation and function.

Cold Ethanol Extraction of Cannabinoids and Terpenes from Cannabis Using Response Surface Methodology: Optimization and Comparative Study.

Efficient cannabis biomass extraction can increase yield while reducing costs and minimizing waste. Cold ethanol extraction was evaluated to maximize yield and concentrations of cannabinoids and terpenes at different temperatures. Central composite rotatable design was used to optimize two independent factors: sample-to-solvent ratio (1:2.9 to 1:17.1) and extraction time (5.7 min-34.1 min). With response surface methodology, predicted optimal conditions at different extraction temperatures were a cannabis-to-ethanol ratio of 1:15 and a 10 min extraction time. With these conditions, yields (g 100 g dry matter-1) were 18.2, 19.7, and 18.5 for -20 °C, -40 °C and room temperature, respectively. Compared to the reference ground sample, tetrahydrocannabinolic acid changed from 17.9 (g 100 g dry matter-1) to 15, 17.5, and 18.3 with an extraction efficiency of 83.6%, 97.7%, 102.1% for -20 °C, -40 °C, and room temperature, respectively. Terpene content decreased by 54.1% and 32.2% for extraction at -20 °C and room temperature, respectively, compared to extraction at -40 °C. Principal component analysis showed that principal component 1 and principal component 2 account for 88% and 7.31% of total variance, respectively, although no significant differences in cold ethanol extraction at different temperatures were observed.

Microwave- and Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction of Cannabinoids and Terpenes from Cannabis Using Response Surface Methodology.

Limited studies have explored different extraction techniques that improve cannabis extraction with scale-up potential. Ultrasound-assisted and microwave-assisted extraction were evaluated to maximize the yield and concentration of cannabinoids and terpenes. A central composite rotatable design was used to optimize independent factors (sample-to-solvent ratio, extraction time, extraction temperature, and duty cycle). The optimal conditions for ultrasound- and microwave-assisted extraction were the sample-to-solvent ratios of 1:15 and 1:14.4, respectively, for 30 min at 60 °C. Ultrasound-assisted extraction yielded 14.4% and 14.2% more oil and terpenes, respectively, compared with microwave-assisted extracts. Ultrasound-assisted extraction increased cannabinoid concentration from 13.2−39.2%. Considering reference ground samples, tetrahydrocannabinolic acid increased from 17.9 (g 100 g dry matter−1) to 28.5 and 20 with extraction efficiencies of 159.2% and 111.4% for ultrasound-assisted and microwave-assisted extraction, respectively. Principal component analyses indicate that the first two principal components accounted for 96.6% of the total variance (PC1 = 93.2% and PC2 = 3.4%) for ultrasound-assisted extraction and 92.4% of the total variance (PC1 = 85.4% and PC2 = 7%) for microwave-assisted extraction. Sample-to-solvent ratios significantly (p < 0.05) influenced the secondary metabolite profiles and yields for ultrasound-assisted extracts, but not microwave-assisted extracts.

Italian adaptation of the Edinburgh Social Cognition Test (ESCoT): A new tool for the assessment of theory of mind and social norm understanding.

The relevance of social cognition assessment has been formally described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5. However, social cognition tools evaluating different socio-cognitive components for Italian-speaking populations are lacking. The Edinburgh Social Cognition Test (ESCoT) is a new social cognition measure that uses animations of everyday social interactions to assess (i) cognitive theory of mind, (ii) affective theory of mind, (iii) interpersonal social norm understanding, and (iv) intrapersonal social norm understanding. Previous studies have shown that the ESCoT is a sensitive measure of social cognition in healthy and clinical populations in the United Kingdom. This work aimed to adapt and validate the ESCoT in an Italian population of healthy adults. A translation-back-translation procedure was followed to create and refine the Italian version. Then, 94 healthy adults (47 females, mean age 35 ± 15.9) completed the ESCoT, a battery of conventional social cognition tests (Yoni; Reading the Mind in the Eyes Strange Stories, and Social Norm Questionnaire, SNQ) and measures of intelligence and executive functions. Reliability, convergent validity, and predictors of performance on the ESCoT were examined. Results demonstrated good reliability of the ESCoT and an association between the ESCoT scores and some traditional social cognition tests (Yoni cognitive subscale, SNQ). Hierarchical regression results showed that the ESCoT total score was associated with age. Also, the ESCoT subscore (intrapersonal social norm understanding) was associated with education. These findings support the ESCoT as a valid tool testing social norm understanding, a reliable measure of social cognition for an adult Italian population, and provides further evidence that the ESCoT is sensitive to age- and education-related changes in social cognition, and it is a task not affected by general cognitive functioning.