Impact of Citric Acid on the Structure, Barrier, and Tensile Properties of Esterified/Cross-Linked Potato Peel-Based Films and Coatings.

The valorization of potato peel side streams for food packaging applications, especially for the substitution of current petrochemical-based oxygen barrier solutions such as EVOH, is becoming increasingly important. Therefore, potato peel-based films and coatings (on PLA) were developed containing 10-50% (/ potato peel) citric acid (CA). To determine the impact of CA concentration on the structure and physicochemical properties of cast films and coatings, ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, moisture adsorption isotherms, tensile properties, light transmittance, oxygen permeability, carbon dioxide transmission rate, and water vapor transmission rate measurements were performed.

Infants' Social Evaluation of Helpers and Hinderers: A Large-Scale, Multi-Lab, Coordinated Replication Study.

Evaluating whether someone's behavior is praiseworthy or blameworthy is a fundamental human trait. A seminal study by Hamlin and colleagues in 2007 suggested that the ability to form social evaluations based on third-party interactions emerges within the first year of life: infants preferred a character who helped, over hindered, another who tried but failed to climb a hill. This sparked a new line of inquiry into the origins of social evaluations; however, replication attempts have yielded mixed results.

Supraspinal contributions to defective antagonistic inhibition and freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease.

The neuromuscular circuit mechanisms of freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease have received little study. Technological progress enables researchers chronically to sense local field potential activity of the basal ganglia in patients while walking. To study subthalamic activity and the circuit processes of supraspinal contributions to spinal motor integration, we recorded local field potentials, surface EMG of antagonistic leg muscles and gait kinematics in patients while walking and freezing.

Levodopa / opicapone as a complement to STN-DBS in clinical practice. A retrospective single-centre analysis.

Objective: Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN-DBS) is a well-established treatment option in Parkinson's disease with motor and non-motor fluctuations allowing for postoperative reduction of dopaminergic medication. However, evidence is scarce on optimal medication adjustments following STN-DBS implantation. Opicapone allows for long-lasting inhibition of the catechol--methyltransferase (COMT) thereby enabling more constant dopaminergic stimulation compared to levodopa alone.