Inheritance and stacking effect of mutant ALS genes in Schoenoplectiella juncoides (Roxb.) Lye (Cyperaceae).

Schoenoplectiella juncoides, a noxious sedge weed in Japanese rice paddy, has two ALS genes, and ALS-inhibitor-resistant plants have a mutation in one of the ALS genes. The authors aimed (a) to quantitate the effect of the number of mutant alleles of ALS genes on whole-plant resistance of S. juncoides and (b) to clarify a mode of inheritance of the resistance by investigating resistance levels of the progenies of a hybrid between two S. juncoides plants with Trp574Leu substitution in different ALS. A dose-response analysis on the parental lines and the F1 population suggested that the two ALS genes contribute equally to whole-plant resistant levels. A dose-response study on the F2 population indicated that it could be classified into five groups based on the sensitivities to metsulfuron-methyl. The five groups (in ascending order of resistance levels) were considered to have zero, one, two, three, and four mutant alleles. The stacking effect of mutant alleles on resistance enhancement was more significant when the number of mutant alleles was low than when it was high; in other words, each additional mutant allele stacking increases plant resistance, but the effect saturates as the number of mutant alleles increases. A chi-square test supported that the segregation ratio of the five groups corresponds to 1:4:6:4:1 of Mendelian independence for the two ALS loci.

Comparative evaluation of different spinal stability metrics.

Direct in vivo measurements of spinal stability are not possible, leaving computational estimations (such as dynamic time series and structural analyses) as the feasible option. However, differences between different stability assessment approaches and metrics remain unclear. To explore this, we asked 32 participants to perform 35 cycles of repetitive lifts with and without load (4/2.6 kg for males/females). EMG signals and 3D kinematics were collected via 12 surface electrodes and 17 inertial sensors, and three dynamical stability measures were computed: short and long temporal and conventional maximum Lyapunov exponents (LyE) and maximum Floquet multipliers (FM). A dynamic subject-specific EMG-assisted musculoskeletal model computed four structural stability measures (critical muscle stiffness coefficient at which spine becomes unstable, average spine stiffness, minimum and geometric average of Hessian matrix eigenvalues). Across cycles, dynamical and structural stability outcomes varied noticeably. Temporal short-term LyE and all structural stability measures were more influenced by the cycle percentage (posture factor) than by phase (lifting, lowering) or load factor. The effect of all factors were non-significant for FM and long LyE, except for the posture on LyE-L with a small effect size. Pearson's correlations revealed a weak to moderate, or non-existent, correlation between structural and dynamical stability metrics, with small shared variances, underscoring their distinct and independent nature and theoretical foundations. Moreover, the low sensitivity of dynamic measures to posture and load factors, found in this study, calls for further examination. Considering the limitations and shortcomings of both dynamical and structural stability assessment approaches, there is a need for the development of improved musculoskeletal stability evaluation techniques.

Analysis of Movement Variability in Cycling: An Exploratory Study.

The purpose of this study was to determine the test-retest repeatability of Blue Trident inertial measurement units (IMUs) and VICON Nexus kinematic modelling in analysing the Lyapunov Exponent (LyE) during a maximal effort 4000 m cycling bout in different body segments/joints. An additional aim was to determine if changes in the LyE existed across a trial. Twelve novice cyclists completed four sessions of cycling; one was a familiarisation session to determine a bike fit and become better accustomed to the time trial position and pacing of a 4000 m effort. IMUs were attached to the head, thorax, pelvis and left and right shanks to analyse segment accelerations, respectively, and reflective markers were attached to the participant to analyse neck, thorax, pelvis, hip, knee and ankle segment/joint angular kinematics, respectively. Both the IMU and VICON Nexus test-retest repeatability ranged from poor to excellent at the different sites. In each session, the head and thorax IMU acceleration LyE increased across the bout, whilst pelvic and shank acceleration remained consistent. Differences across sessions were evident in VICON Nexus segment/joint angular kinematics, but no consistent trend existed. The improved reliability and the ability to identify a consistent trend in performance, combined with their improved portability and reduced cost, advocate for the use of IMUs in analysing movement variability in cycling. However, additional research is required to determine the applicability of analysing movement variability during cycling.

Production of activated carbon from exhausted coffee grounds chemically modified with natural eucalyptus ash lye and its use in the fluoride adsorption process.

The objective of this research was to produce an activated carbon (AC) from exhausted coffee grounds (ECG) and chemically activate it with natural lye from eucalyptus ash to subsequently evaluate the fluoride adsorption process in an aqueous medium. The thermal analysis of ECG was determined as well as solubilized extraction, alkalinity and calcium content of eucalyptus ashes. AC was characterized by elemental analysis, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), analysis of textural properties, pH and point of zero charge (PZC). The AC presented macroporosity and XRD confirmed the amorphous characteristic of cellulose-containing materials. Carboxylic acid functional group was identified in the AC surface, which can contribute to the adsorption of fluoride. The specific surface area of ECG and AC were 189.01 and 21.74 m2/g. The adsorption kinetics of fluoride revealed that equilibrium is reached around 800 min and the data followed the pseudo-second order model. The Freundlich model fitted the experimental data with the best quality and Freundlich's constant n allowed inferring that the adsorption is favorable and the isotherm appears to be L-type, with an initial downward curvature, which suggests less availability of active sites when increasing the adsorbent concentration.

An Improved Technique for Trimethylamine Detection in Animal-Derived Medicine by Headspace Gas Chromatography-Tandem Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry.

Animal-derived medicines have distinctive characteristics and significant curative effects, but most of them have an obvious fishy odor, resulting in the poor compliance of clinical patients. Trimethylamine (TMA) is one of the key fishy odor components in animal-derived medicine. It is difficult to identify TMA accurately using the existing detection method due to the increased pressure in the headspace vial caused by the rapid acid-base reaction after the addition of lye, which causes TMA to escape from the headspace vial, stalling the research progress of the fishy odor of animal-derived medicine. In this study, we proposed a controlled detection method that introduced a paraffin layer as an isolation layer between acid and lye. The rate of TMA production could be effectively controlled by slowly liquefying the paraffin layer through thermostatic furnace heating. This method showed satisfactory linearity, precision experiments, and recoveries with good reproducibility and high sensitivity. It provided technical support for the deodorization of animal-derived medicine.

Relation of circulating estrogens with hair relaxer and skin lightener use among postmenopausal women in Ghana.

BACKGROUND: Hair relaxers and skin lighteners have been commonly used by African women, with suggestions that they may have hormonal activity. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the relationship of hair relaxer and skin lightener use to serum estrogen/estrogen metabolite levels. METHODS: We utilized the postmenopausal population-based controls of the Ghana Breast Health Study to estimate adjusted geometric means (GM) and 95% confidence intervals of individual circulating estrogen levels by hair relaxer/skin lightener exposure categories. RESULTS: Of the 585 postmenopausal women included in our analysis, 80.2% reported hair relaxer use and 29.4% skin lightener use. Ever hair relaxer use was positively associated with estriol (adjusted GM 95.4 pmol/L vs. never 74.5, p value = 0.02) and 16-epiestriol (20.4 vs. 16.8, p value = 0.05) particularly among users of lye-based hair relaxers. Positive associations between scalp burns and unconjugated estrogens were observed (e.g., unconjugated estrone: 5+ scalp burns 76.9 [59.6-99.2] vs. no burns 64.0 [53.7-76.3], p-trend = 0.03). No association was observed between use of skin lighteners and circulating estrogens. SIGNIFICANCE: This study presents evidence that circulating 16-pathway estrogens (i.e., estriol and 16-epiestriol) may be increased in users of lye-based hair relaxer products. Among hair relaxer users, unconjugated estrogen levels were elevated in women with a greater number of scalp burns. IMPACT STATEMENT: In this population-based study of hair relaxer and skin lightener use among postmenopausal women in Ghana, altered estrogen metabolism was observed with hair relaxer use, particularly among women using lye-based products or with a greater number of scalp burns. In contrast, skin lightener use was not associated with differences in estrogen metabolism in this population. Continued investigation of the potential biological impact on breast cancer risk of hair relaxer use is warranted.

Chemical, structural and functional properties of pectin from tomato pulp under different peeling methods.

To protect tomato pulp quality, this study investigated the effect of the infrared peeling method (using our newly developed catalytic infrared peeling equipment) on pectin's chemical, structural and functional properties and their correlation compared with manual, hot-water, and lye peeling methods. Infrared peeling significantly improved pectin's emulsifying and antioxidant capacity compared to manual peeling by increasing branching degree. Hot water peeling significantly improved pectin's viscosity, emulsifying and antioxidant capacity. However, the pectin chains had low flexibility. The effect of lye peeling on pectin was the greatest, causing the lowest linearity and the largest degree of branching. In comparison, infrared peeling had the least impact on pectin. It was further confirmed that pectin' viscosity, emulsifying, and antioxidant capacity were highly correlated with its chemical and structural properties. In summary, the infrared peeling method provides better pulp quality and is more sustainable because no water and chemicals are used.

The application of the Lyapunov Exponent to analyse human performance: A systematic review.

Variability is a normal component of human movement, allowing one to adapt to environmental perturbations. It can be analysed from linear or non-linear perspectives. The Lyapunov Exponent (LyE) is a commonly used non-linear technique, which quantifies local dynamic stability. It has been applied primarily to walking gait and appears to be limited application in other movements. Therefore, this systematic review aims to summarise research methodologies applying the LyE to movements, excluding walking gait. Four databases were searched using keywords related to movement variability, dynamic stability, LyE and divergence exponent. Articles written in English, using the LyE to analyse movements, excluding walking gait were included for analysis. 31 papers were included for data extraction. Quality appraisal was conducted and information related to the movement, data capture method, data type, apparatus, sampling rate, body segment/joint, number of strides/steps, state space reconstruction, algorithm, filtering, surrogation and time normalisation were extracted. LyE values were reported in supplementary materials (Appendix 2). Running was the most prevalent non-walking gait movement assessed. Methodologies to calculate the LyE differed in various aspects resulting in different LyE values being generated. Additionally, test-retest reliability, was only conducted in one study, which should be addressed in future.

Assessing Walking Stability Based on Whole-Body Movement Derived from a Depth-Sensing Camera.

Stability during walking is considered a crucial aspect of assessing gait ability. The current study aimed to assess walking stability by applying principal component analysis (PCA) to decompose three-dimensional (3D) whole-body kinematic data of 104 healthy young adults (21.9 ± 3.5 years, 54 females) derived from a depth-sensing camera into a set of movement components/synergies called "principal movements" (PMs), forming together to achieve the task goal. The effect of sex as the focus area was tested on three PCA-based variables computed for each PM: the relative explained variance (rVAR) as a measure of the composition of movement structures; the largest Lyapunov exponent (LyE) as a measure of variability; and the number of zero-crossings (N) as a measure of the tightness of neuromuscular control. The results show that the sex effects appear in the specific PMs. Specifically, in PM1, resembling the swing-phase movement, females have greater LyE (p = 0.013) and N (p = 0.017) values than males. Moreover, in PM3, representing the mid-stance-phase movement, females have smaller rVAR (p = 0.020) but greater N (p = 0.008) values than males. These empirical findings suggest that the inherent sex differences in walking stability should be considered in assessing and training locomotion.

Eco-friendly recycling of silicon-rich lye: Synthesis of hierarchically structured calcium silicate hydrate and its application for phosphorus removal.

Silicon-rich lye (SRL), a byproduct generated from pre-treatment of coal-based solid waste (CSW), was considered as a preponderant silicon source to prepare hierarchically nanostructured calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H). Through the novel mild-causticization synthesis strategy, C-S-H was prepared under optimal caustic process conditions at time of 3 h, temperature of 80 °C, Ca/Si of 1.25:1, and active CaO to obtain a conversion rate of Si up to 97.33 % during the high-value utilization of SRL. The synthesized C-S-H possesses abundant mesoporous structure and massive exchangeable active sites, whose formation is advanced through an appropriate elevation regulation of caustic temperature and time. The silicate chain depolymerization occurs to C-S-H prepared in the highly alkaline system at higher caustic temperature, longer caustic period, especially at existence of massive sodium ions, but it presents higher polymerization degree at more aluminum co-existing. The adsorption capacity up to 119.27 mg/g for C-S-H presents a valid removal performance toward phosphorus in the wastewater than massive present reports. The removal mechanism of phosphorus can be identified as the surface chemisorption and formation of calcium phosphate co-precipitation. This study can provide considerable and potential guidance to the coordinated disposal between industrial solid wastes and wastewater purification.

Nonlinear Dynamic Measures of Walking in Healthy Older Adults: A Systematic Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: Maintaining a healthy gait into old age is key to preserving the quality of life and reducing the risk of falling. Nonlinear dynamic analyses (NDAs) are a promising method of identifying characteristics of people who are at risk of falling based on their movement patterns. However, there is a range of NDA measures reported in the literature. The aim of this review was to summarise the variety, characteristics and range of the nonlinear dynamic measurements used to distinguish the gait kinematics of healthy older adults and older adults at risk of falling. METHODS: Medline Ovid and Web of Science databases were searched. Forty-six papers were included for full-text review. Data extracted included participant and study design characteristics, fall risk assessment tools, analytical protocols and key results. RESULTS: Among all nonlinear dynamic measures, Lyapunov Exponent (LyE) was most common, followed by entropy and then Fouquet Multipliers (FMs) measures. LyE and Multiscale Entropy (MSE) measures distinguished between older and younger adults and fall-prone versus non-fall-prone older adults. FMs were a less sensitive measure for studying changes in older adults' gait. Methodology and data analysis procedures for estimating nonlinear dynamic measures differed greatly between studies and are a potential source of variability in cross-study comparisons and in generating reference values. CONCLUSION: Future studies should develop a standard procedure to apply and estimate LyE and entropy to quantify gait characteristics. This will enable the development of reference values in estimating the risk of falling.

Interdisciplinary Research to Advance Digital Imagery and Natural Compounds for Eco-Cleaning and for Preserving Textile Cultural Heritage.

The old fibers that make up heritage textiles displayed in museums are degraded by the aging process, environmental conditions (microclimates, particulate matter, pollutants, sunlight) and the action of microorganisms. In order to counteract these processes and keep the textile exhibits in good condition for as long as possible, both reactive and preventive interventions on them are necessary. Based on these ideas, the present study aims to test a natural and non-invasive method of cleaning historic textiles, which includes the use of a natural substance with a known antifungal effect (being traditionally used in various rural communities)-lye. The design of the study was aimed at examining a traditional women's shirt that is aged between 80-100 years, using artificial intelligence techniques for Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) imagery analysis and X-ray powder diffraction technique in order to achieve a complex and accurate investigation and monitoring of the object's realities. The determinations were performed both before and after washing the material with lye. SEM microscopy investigations of the ecologically washed textile specimens showed that the number of microorganism colonies, as well as the amount of dust, decreased. It was also observed that the surface cellulose fibers lost their integrity, eventually being loosened on cellulose fibers of cotton threads. This could better visualize the presence of microfibrils that connect the cellulose fibers in cotton textiles. The results obtained could be of real value both for the restorers, the textile collections of the different museums, and for the researchers in the field of cultural heritage. By applying such a methodology, cotton tests can be effectively cleaned without compromising the integrity of the material.

Controlling expression and inhibiting function of the toxin reporter for simple detection of the promoters' activities in Escherichia coli.

The naturally occurring and mutated promoters inserted into expression plasmids or Escherichia coli chromosome are essential for recombinant protein production and metabolic engineering. Analyzing their activities and screening the promoter libraries require the simple and easy-to-use reporter. Here, we developed a novel and efficient approach to detect the promoter activity, based on E. coli cell growth inhibited by overexpression of bacteriophage ΦX174 gene E product (LyE), but recovered by pre-overexpression of Bacillus subtilis MraY (BsMraY). Under the conditional LyE construct expression in the absence or the presence of the BsMraY, activities of promoters including the reported PT7/lac, Ptac, PBAD, Prha, PhucR, PprpB, Pcum, the wild type and engineered Ptet for leaky and induced expression, the PthrC for auto-induction, and the Pms for constitutive expression were assayed. In one-plasmid coexpression system, the PBAD promoter activity detected using the reporter gene was related to the insertion site. The constructed LyE toxic effects were correlated with toxin expression levels, as determined by the split green fluorescent protein reconstitution. Microscopic analysis showed that cells lysis occurred by the LyE induced with arabinose. Taken together, the toxin reporter construct is a convenient and cost-effective tool to examine the promoter activity in E. coli.

Effect of gap-filling technique and gap location on linear and nonlinear calculations of motion during locomotor activities.

BACKGROUND: Marker occlusion during camera-based movement analysis is common. Different interpolation techniques are available for estimating location of missing marker trajectories. RESEARCH QUESTION: What is the effect of gap location and interpolation technique on linear and nonlinear measures for a given kinematic time series? METHODS: Kinematic data were recorded during motor-assisted elliptical training and treadmill walking. Gap-filling techniques (i.e., Cubic, Makima, Autoregressive, Nearest Neighbor, and No Interpolation) and gap locations experimentally applied to each cycle across initially complete time series (Gap 1: local minimum and maximum peaks; Gap 2: maximum peaks; Gap 3: maximum peaks at negative slope; Gap 4: random locations) were examined during linear (Maxima and Minima joint angles) and nonlinear [maximum Lyapunov exponent (LyE)] measures. RESULTS: Gap-filling technique and gap location influenced values calculated for linear and nonlinear measures of joint motions. When referenced to the gold standard (original data series without gaps), across all joints studied the average % error of Maxima and Minima joint angles and LyE % error were lower when applying Cubic, Makima, Autoregressive, and Nearest Neighbor techniques compared to No Interpolation (p < 0.0001). The % error of Maxima joint angles was lower for Gaps 1, 3, and 4 compared to Gap 2 (p = 0.0003), while % error of Minima joint angles was lower for Gaps 2 and 3, compared to Gaps 1 and 4 (p < 0.0001). An interaction between gap-filling technique and gap location was identified for LyE % error, in which Gap 4 % error was significantly greater during No Interpolation compared to other gap-filling techniques (p < 0.0001). SIGNIFICANCE: Findings can guide selection of appropriate techniques to manage missing kinematic data points in camera-based motion analysis time series. Gap-filling techniques significantly reduced error in calculating select linear and nonlinear measures of variability, with Cubic most consistently resulting in the greatest reduction in error.

Effect of foot pronation during distance running on the lower limb impact acceleration and dynamic stability.

PURPOSE: Foot pronation is not an isolated factor influencing lower limb functions. Exploring gait variability and impact loading associated with the foot posture are crucial for understanding foot pronation-related injury mechanisms. This study aimed to evaluate how foot posture affects impact loading and running variability during running. METHODS: Twenty-five male participants were recruited into this study. Pressure under the foot arch, acceleration and marker trajectory were recorded in the right limb for each runner after 1, 4, 7 and 10 km running, respectively. Linear mixed effects models were used to analyze the statistical difference of the data. RESULTS: FPI-6 has significantly increased after the 10 km running (p〈0.01). For the tibial acceleration, peak resultant acceleration after 10 km running was significantly increased than after 4 km running (p=0.02). At the dorsum of the foot, the short-time largest Lyapunov exponent (LyE) after 10 km running decreased 0.28 bit/s compared with LyE after 7 km running ( p = 0.03). In the tibia, LyE after 4 km and 10 km running was decreased significantly ( p 〈 0.01 and p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The foot was significantly pronated at the middle and at the end of running. Foot pronation during distance running increased the distal tibia peak impact acceleration but did not increase running instability.

Qualitative assessment of caustic soda injury in Liberia.

OBJECTIVES: This study explored lye (caustic soda, sodium hydroxide) use in Liberia, knowledge about its risks and injury prevention programmes. DESIGN: A qualitative semistructured interview study. SETTING: Focus groups occurred in six Liberian counties between April and August 2016. PATIENTS: Two previously identified stakeholder groups included parents of children under 5 years and adults identifying as soap makers. INTERVENTIONS: Interview guides were written. Participants were recruited by convenience and snowball sampling. Transcribed audio-recorded discussions were analysed using the constant comparative approach. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Participants were enrolled until thematic saturation was reached. RESULTS: Ninety-six adults participated. Participants described how lye entered the home, its use, storage, lye-related injuries and treatments, and injury prevention programmes. CONCLUSIONS: Lye is commonly used and stored in Liberian homes despite recognition of its danger. A successful injury prevention programme must interrupt this cycle and find programming and legislative change to which the community is receptive.

Cysticercosis and suicide - an example from a forensic collection.

In this case from 1937, the deceased was a 52-year-old female who was suffering from systemic cysticercosis, with prominent neurological and psychiatric symptoms. Given the protracted clinical course and autopsy findings it appears likely that the disease led the woman to commit suicide by ingesting lye, a corrosive substance, and the most common way to commit suicide in Belgrade at the time. The autopsy revealed many rounded transparent cysts, attached to the dura and pia-arachnoid, as well as encapsulated in the intercostal muscles, diaphragm and muscles of the arms, legs and the trunk. Solitary cysticercosis of muscles without involvement of the central nervous system is rare: most soft tissue and muscular cysticercal infections are associated with the central nervous system. Parasites usually lodge in the cerebral cortex or the subcortical white matter, due to the high vascular supply of these areas. Psychiatric symptoms in neurocysticercosis have been frequently reported, along with cognitive decline and intellectual deterioration, depressive disorders, behavioral disturbance and psychosis. Although sporadically, the disease is present even today, and neurocysticercosis is the leading cause of epilepsy in the developing world. To maintain its lifecycle, Taenia solium requires non-industrialized pig rearing conditions, consumption of undercooked pork, and low sanitation standards. Socioeconomic and sanitary improvement and educating people about food processing, the disease and antihelminthic therapy, are important factors contributing to a significant reduction in the prevalence of this potentially eradicable disease worldwide.

Lejía en tiempos de COVID-19 y falsa hematuria / Bleach in COVID's 19 time and spurious hematuria

La hematuria es un motivo de consulta frecuente. Una adecuada historia clínica y exploración física permiten una aproximación diagnóstica inicial en la mayoría de los casos. Lo primero es reconocer y confirmar la hematuria, descartando otras circunstancias que pueden teñir falsamente la orina. El análisis del aspecto macroscópico de la orina es clave para determinar el origen glomerular o extraglomerular de la hematuria. Presentamos el caso de una niña con falsa hematuria por agente externo, efectuándose el diagnóstico a través de una exhaustiva historia clínica

Hematuria is a frequent reason for consultation. An adequate medical history and physical examination allow an initial diagnostic approach in most cases. The first thing is to recognize and confirm hematuria, ruling out other circumstances that can falsely stain urine. The analysis of the macroscopic appearance of urine is key to determine the glomerular or extraglomerular origin of hematuria. In this paper, the case of a girl with false hematuria from an external agent in which the diagnosis is reached through an exhaustive medical history