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The elucidation of the genetic relationship about storage reserve mobilization and enzymatic activity during barley germination is of particular importance for breeding and malt production. In addition to plant hormones such as gibberellic acid (GA) and abscisic acid (ABA), recent research has highlighted the importance of reactive oxygen species (ROS) signaling with hydrolase induction and plant growth. In this study, the correlation of barley vitality and mobilization of storage reserves during early seed germination was investigated. The activity of important hydrolases, as well as ROS-producing NADPH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate) oxidases, was monitored between six different cultivars. Associated gene expression from imbibition to germination was also analyzed by correlation analysis and cluster analysis. During early germination, the activities of α-amylase, limit dextrinase, and β-glucanase had significant positive correlations with each other and affected seed germination. Gene expression analysis showed that RbohB1 and RbohF1 (NADPH oxidases) had strong correlations with AMY1 (α-amylase) and LD (limit dextrinase). The GA synthesis gene GA3ox2 was found to have a significant correlation with protease genes Cys (cysteine protease) and Ser (serine protease), while the ABA synthesis gene NCED1 (nine-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase) had significant negative correlations with Cys and GA3ox2. Gene expression and enzyme assays indicated that NADPH oxidase, α-amylase, and limit dextrinase correlated well with barley vitality during early germination. The expression of the GA synthesis genes correlated well with glucanase and protease. These results provide information about barley gene regulation by analyzing correlations between genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Barley is the major raw material for the malting and brewing industries. Seed germination is a fundamental process for malting and is affected by physical and chemical factors, especially plant hormones. It is well recognized that the phytohormones gibberellic acid (GA) and abscisic acid (ABA) are the primary hormones that antagonistically regulate barley germination. Other plant hormones, including auxin (IAA), ethylene (ET), brassinosteroid (BR), jasmonic acid (JA), salicylic acid (SA), cytokinins (CTKs), and strigolactone (SLs) also regulate seed germination by mediating the ABA/GA balance. In this study, the effects of eight hormones added during barley germination were investigated. An efficient design of the experimental method was employed to assess the effect of eight factors (α-amylase, β-amylase, limit dextrinase, β-glucanase, wort sugar profile, FAN, and β-glucan content) on epicotyl and root elongation. Almost all studied phytohormones played a significant role on barley epicotyl elongation. GA, ET, BA (benzylaminopurine), and zeatin (ZEA) exerted an increased effect, while ABA, SA, and BR showed a decreased effect for α-amylase, β-amylase, limit dextrinase, and β-glucanase activity. Results showed that in addition to GA and ABA, that SA, ET, BR, BA, ZEA, and JA also had significant effects on malt quality. The balance between these phytohormones is vital to the malting quality of barley. Future applications of these results could improve current recognition about the effects of phytohormones on malting and provide concrete ideas for enhancing malt quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premature yeast flocculation (PYF) is the early flocculation of yeast during fermentation, which causes logistical and financial hardship to the malting and brewing industries. The occurring of PYF is suspected to be caused by the fungal infection of the barley or at least in part. The aim of this study was to perform a non-culture approach to uncover the fungal diversity in PYF malt. The genomic DNA was extracted and analyzed by amplicon sequencing. A total pairs read number of 209,523 sequences was obtained and used for taxonomic classification. The dominant fungal communities on the PYF malt were obtained based on the microbial diversity analysis by species annotation. The internal transcribed spacers sequencing analysis showed a decreased number of fungal species in PYF malt. Results showed that compared with control malt, PYF malt displayed a higher abundance of Ascomycota at the phyla level, and the abundance of Candida and Gibberella was exceptionally high in two PYF malts at the genus level. The absolute abundance of Candida and Gibberella baccata at the species level was also higher in PYF malts. The fungal species diversity within the malt indicated that the fungi community diversity was greater in the control malt than in the PYF malt. Taken together, exploring the diversity of the fungal community could be useful for malt quality control and for eliminating contamination risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Red raspberry has attracted great interest due to its inherent antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, and antihyperglycemic effects. To brew a beverage with high antioxidant capacity and desirable sensory characteristics (malty aroma, hop aroma, fruit flavor, freshness, fullness, sweetness, sourness, and bitterness), dried red raspberries (Rubus idaeus L.) (30 g L−1 wort) were added to beer at different stages of the brewing process (beginning of boiling, before fermentation, before conditioning) and compared to a control without added dried fruits. The beer was fermented with Saccharomyces cerevisiae for 7 days at 18 °C followed by a secondary fermentation of 3 days at 20 °C. The main physicochemical attributes (original gravity, ethanol content, pH, color, colloidal haze, viscosity, bitterness, diacetyl, acetaldehyde, higher alcohols, and esters), sensory characteristics, and major bioactive compounds were determined. A decline in pH and an increase in color were observed in the raspberry beers. Adding dried fruits at the beginning of boiling imparted the highest oxidative stability and total phenolic and flavonoid content (696 mg GAE L−1 and 510 mg QE L−1, respectively). Sensory analysis revealed that the most preferred product according to appearance, flavor, and taste was the beer with dried fruits added at the beginning of boiling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research on older adults with superior cognitive abilities (super-cognition) has typically examined cognition using a single domain approach, which may not adequately capture the multidimensional nature of successful cognitive aging. Furthermore, the lifestyle factors associated with super-cognition have not been studied adequately. The current study examined the cognitive profiles and lifestyle factors associated with super-cognition. Community-dwelling older adults (N = 693) were administered neuropsychological tests and self-reported measures of lifestyle factors at midlife (retrospectively recalled). Then, using an a priori set of criteria, we classified them as super-cognition or normal. A latent class analysis was conducted to examine the different cognitive profiles of super-cognition, and both groups were compared on their lifestyle-related outcomes. A total of 64 and 263 participants met the criteria for super-cognition and normal participants respectively. A three-class solution best described super-cognition among our participants. Approximately half of them had superior immediate memory; two other smaller groups of participants with super-cognition had superior attention, language, and visuospatial abilities. Participants with super-cognition reported less participation in social activities and, frequently, working more than 9 hours/day and feeling stressed, at midlife. Super-cognition among the elderly is associated with having a busier, more socially-isolated and stressful midlife. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Using a sample of dementia caregivers, we compared the diagnostic utility of the various short versions of the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) with the original scale to identify the most optimal one. Next, we established externally validated cutoffs for the various ZBI versions using probable depression cases as a reference standard. Methods: Caregivers (N = 394; 236 males; Agemean = 56 years) were administered the ZBI and a self-report depression measure. Participants who exceeded the cutoff for the latter were identified as probable depression cases. For each of the ZBI versions, a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted against probable depression cases. The area under these ROC curves between the short versions and the original were then compared using a non-parametric approach. Results: Compared to the original ZBI, the AUROC were similar for the 6-item, 7-item, and two 12-item versions, but significantly worse for the other short variants. The sensitivity and specificity of the cutoffs for all ZBI versions ranged from 77.3% to 85.2% and 60.1% to 79.8%, respectively. Conclusions: The original ZBI had good utility in identifying probable depression in caregivers, while the 6-item variant can be a useful alternative when short versions are preferred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior literature has suggested that cognitive flexibility is implicated in the feeling of hopelessness. However, studies on the nature of their relationship have been scarce. This study posits a moderation hypothesis on the relationship between cognitive flexibility and hopelessness. A total of 78 elderly participants (Mage = 70, SD = 6.1) were administered a self-report measure of hopelessness across two time points approximately 10 months apart and a measure of cognitive flexibility. We hypothesized that baseline hopelessness scores would moderate the relationship between cognitive flexibility and hopelessness scores 10 months later. Specifically, among the high baseline hopelessness group, we predicted that cognitively flexible participants would report lower hopelessness scores 10 months later. However, for the low baseline hopelessness group, cognitive flexibility would be unrelated to hopelessness scores 10 months later. The results of a bootstrapped moderation analysis controlling for age, sex, education, and general cognitive status supported our moderation hypothesis and predictions. These findings reveal the complex nature of the relationship between cognitive flexibility and hopelessness. The implications of these findings in the wider clinical context were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between depression, loneliness, and cognitive functioning among the elderly is not well understood in the literature. In the present study, we tested the moderating influence of depressive symptoms on loneliness and cognitive functioning. We recruited 100 community-dwelling older adults in Hong Kong. Demographic information, perceived loneliness, depressed mood, and general cognitive status were assessed. Results indicated that married participants reported lower levels of perceived loneliness (t(96) = 2.26,p = .03). We found a significant moderating effect of depressive symptoms on the relationship between perceived loneliness and general cognitive status (B = −.05,p = .002). Perceived loneliness correlated negatively with general cognitive status only in participants with higher levels of depressed mood (B = −.16,p = .01). Together, these findings suggest that perceived loneliness combined with depressed mood is related to poorer general cognitive status in older adults. The implications of these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper proposed a novel control method for unstable process with time delay. Firstly, a simple proportion feedback inner loop is designed to maintain the stability of inner closed loop while the proportion value is selected with Routh criterion. Furthermore, by aiming at obtaining an accurate model, characteristic modelling theory is applied to establish characteristic model for unstable process with time delay. On the basis of characteristic model, keep tracking control law is presented and tracking theorem is also proved. Lastly, several illustrative examples taken from previous works are included to demonstrate the simplicity and superiority of the proposed method over those already published approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background:Individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) commonly experience a number of sleep quality related issues. However, it remains unclear if these issues are specific to MCI or are simply attributed to the elevated levels depression and anxiety symptoms frequently observed among those with MCI. The present study sought to examine group differences between participants with MCI and matched controls on self-reported measures of sleep quality while controlling for depression and anxiety levels. Methods:Participants with MCI (N= 48) and demographically matched controls (N= 48) were administered with self-reported measures of anxiety, depression and sleep quality. Sleep quality between both groups were first analyzed using a Multivariate Analysis of Variance, and then subsequently a Multivariate Analysis of Covariance incorporating depression and anxiety scores as covariates. Results:The MCI group had significantly higher levels of depression and anxiety than the controls. On the sleep-related measures, the MCI group had significantly worse outcomes in sleep duration, disturbances, latency, efficiency, quality and daytime dysfunction. After controlling for depression and anxiety levels, with the exception of daytime dysfunction, all other differences remain significant, and are also associated with moderate to large effect sizes. Conclusion:The results suggest that sleep quality issues are present in MCI and are largely independent of depression and anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the abundance of studies on asymmetries in manual laterality, a marker for atypical brain lateralization in depression and anxiety, findings in this area are mixed. Traditionally, research have looked at individual differences in depression and anxiety as a function of the direction of asymmetry. However, recent research has emphasized on studying the degree of asymmetry in addition to its direction. To these ends, the present study aims to unravel the associations between the degree and direction of manual lateralization, and depression/anxiety. Cognitively healthy elderlies (N = 326, 91 males,Mage = 68) were administered grip strength assessments on both hands and self-report measures of depression and anxiety. Partial correlation analyses controlling for age, education and sex revealed significant positive associations between degree of lateralization and anxiety in the overall sample and among right-dominant participants, as well as a significant positive relationship between degree of lateralization and depression among right-dominant participants. None of the correlations involving the direction of lateralization yielded significance, neither was there significant differences between left- and right-dominant participants on depression and anxiety scores. These findings suggest that the degree of manual lateralization, but not direction, is related to depression and anxiety at least among right-dominant individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The co-occurrence of sleep problems, cognitive impairment, and depression among the elderly suggests that these three conditions are likely to be interrelated. Recent findings suggest that depressive symptoms moderate the relationship between sleep problems and cognitive impairment in elderly people but methodological problems have led to inconsistent conclusions. The present study aims to better understand the relationship between sleep quality, depressive symptoms, and cognitive function.Method: We administered the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status and self-report measures of sleep quality and depression to 380 elderly participants (Mage= 68 years,SD= 5.7). Bootstrapped moderation analyses were conducted to examine the role of depressive symptoms in the relationship between sleep and various aspects of cognitive function.Results: This moderation effect was significant in the domains of delayed memory (ΔR2= .01,F= 4.5,p= .04), language (ΔR2= .01,F= 4.6,p= .035), and general cognitive status (ΔR2= .01,F= 5.3,p= .02). However, unlike previous studies, higher sleep quality corresponded to better outcomes in delayed memory, language abilities, and general cognitive status in participants with low levels of depressive symptoms. No significant relationship between sleep quality and any cognitive function was observed among participants with high levels of depressive symptoms.Conclusions: Among individuals who reported low levels of depressive symptoms, sleep quality was positively related to cognitive performance in the domains of delayed recall, language, and general cognitive status. However, sleep quality was not significantly associated with cognitive abilities in these domains among participants with elevated levels of depressive symptoms; participants had relatively poor outcomes in these cognitive domains regardless of their sleep quality. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Deficits in the perception of emotion are well documented in schizotypy. In part, individuals with high levels of schizotypy, relative to those with low levels of schizotypy, commit significantly more false-positive errors in perceiving threatening facial emotions. The hypervigilance hallucination hypothesis attempts to link these emotion perception deficits to hallucination proneness in schizotypy. This theory posits that false-perceptual experiences reflect an evolved tendency to commit false-positive errors, in order to avoid the costly consequences associated with false-negative errors. The present study set out to explore the relationship between one aspect of emotion perception – smile perception, and schizotypy factors, as a means of testing the hypervigilance hallucination hypothesis in schizotypy. To these ends, 211 university students (111 females and 100 males, mean age = 19.5 years;SD= 1.61) completed the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire and a smile recognition task embedded within a signal detection paradigm. A positive correlation was found between schizotypy and false-positive errors, further implicating perceptual sensitivity and response bias in schizotypy, and providing support for the hypervigilance hallucination hypothesis. The relevance of these findings to schizophrenia is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]