Diffusion in Model Networks as Studied by NMR and Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy

We have studied the diffusion of small solvent molecules (octane) and larger hydrophobic dye probes in octane-swollen poly(dimethyl siloxane) linear-chain solutions and end-linked model networks, using pulsed-gradient nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS), respectively, focusing on diffusion in the bulk polymer up to the equilibrium degree of swelling of the networks, that is, 4.8 at most. The combination of these results allows for new conclusions on the feasibility of different theories describing probe diffusion in concentrated polymer systems. While octane diffusion shows no cross-link dependence, the larger dyes are increasingly restricted by fixed chemical meshes. The simple Fujita free-volume theory proved most feasible to describe probe diffusion in linear long-chain solutions with realistic parameters, while better fits were obtained assuming a stretched exponential dependence on concentration. Importantly, we have analyzed the cross-link specific effect on probe diffusion independently of any specific model by comparing the best-fit interpolation of the solution data with the diffusion in the networks. The most reasonable description is obtained by assuming that the cross-link effect is additive in the effective friction coefficient of the probes. The concentration dependences as well as the data compared at the equilibrium degrees of swelling indicate that swelling heterogeneities and diffusant shape have a substantial influence on small-molecule diffusion in networks.

Only vulnerable adults show change in chronic low-grade inflammation after contemplative mental training: evidence from a randomized clinical trial.

Growing evidence suggests that chronic low-grade inflammation can be reduced through mindfulness-based mental training interventions. However, these results are inconsistent and based on patient populations with heterogeneous conditions. Similar research in healthy adults is lacking. Moreover, common intervention protocols involve varying combinations of different contemplative practices, such that it remains unclear which types of training most effectively influence biomarkers of inflammation. The present study investigated the effect of three distinct 3-month training modules cultivating a) interoception and present-moment focus (Presence), b) socio-affective skills (Affect), or c) socio-cognitive skills (Perspective) on the inflammatory biomarkers interleukin-6 (IL-6) and high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in 298 healthy adults. We observed no group-level effect of training on either biomarker, but trend-level interactions of training type and participant sex. In additionally exploring the influence of participants' baseline inflammation, a selective training effect emerged: Following the Presence module, participants with relatively higher inflammatory load showed stronger reduction in IL-6 on average, and in hs-CRP if they were male. Mindfulness- and attention-based mental practice thus appears most effective when targeting chronic low-grade inflammation in healthy adults, particularly in men. Overall, our data point to a floor effect in the reduction of inflammatory markers through contemplative mental training, suggesting that mental training may be less effective in improving basal biological health outcomes in healthy, low-stressed adults than in vulnerable populations

Meditation and cognitive ageing: The role of mindfulness meditation in building cognitive reserve

Mindfulness-related meditation practices engage various cognitive skills including the ability to focus and sustain attention, which in itself requires several interacting attentional sub-functions. There is increasing behavioural and neuroscientific evidence that mindfulness meditation improves these functions and associated neural processes. More so than other cognitive training programmes, the effects of meditation appear to generalise to other cognitive tasks, thus demonstrating far transfer effects. As these attentional functions have been linked to age-related cognitive decline, there is growing interest in the question whether meditation can slow-down or even prevent such decline. The cognitive reserve hypothesis builds on evidence that various lifestyle factors can lead to better cognitive performance in older age than would be predicted by the existing degree of brain pathology. We argue that mindfulness meditation, as a combination of brain network and brain state training, may increase cognitive reserve capacity and may mitigate age-related declines in cognitive functions. We consider available direct and indirect evidence from the perspective of cognitive reserve theory. The limited available evidence suggests that MM may enhance cognitive reserve capacity directly through the repeated activation of attentional functions and of the multiple demand system and indirectly through the improvement of physiological mechanisms associated with stress and immune function. The article concludes with outlining research strategies for addressing underlying empirical questions in more substantial ways

Measuring Temporal Speckle Correlations at Ultrafast X-ray Sources

We present a new method to extract the intermediate scattering function from series of coherent diffraction patterns taken with 2D detectors. Our approach is based on analyzing speckle patterns in terms of photon statistics. We show that the information obtained is equivalent to the conventional technique of calculating the intensity autocorrelation function. Our approach represents a route for correlation spectroscopy on ultrafast timescales at X-ray free-electron laser source

In Situ Dynamic Light Scattering Complementing Neutron Spin Echo Measurements on Protein Samples

Monitoring the state of the sample on the minute-time scale is crucial in case of sensitive soft matter or biological samples, given that neutron spin echo measurements take up to several days. Moreover, there is no method to interpret the normalized intermediate scattering function obtained by neutron spin echo measurements if relevant sample properties change during the measurement. Dynamic light scattering provides information on the diffusion constant of particles in solution (biological macromolecules like proteins, protein aggregates, polymer particles, etc.) with average hydrodynamic radii in a broad range from a few nanometers up to several microns. This information can be obtained within a few minutes and it offers a good overview of the current sample state. Details on the novel in situ dynamic light scattering set-up with one fixed scattering angle and first results obtained on a molten globule state of apo-myoglobin are presented

A time-resolved x-ray scattering experiment for the study of phase transitions and crystallization processes in metallic alloys

An experimental setup to perform high-resolution time-resolved X-ray scattering has been commissioned on the side station of beamline 8-ID at the Advanced Photon Source. A Peltier-cooled diode detector array covering an angle range of 20 degrees is mounted on a 4-circle goniometer and is used to temporally resolve X-ray scattering patterns with a resolution up to 10 ms. Metallic ribbon samples can be quickly heated and cooled from temperatures up to 500 C inside a furnace with controllable atmosphere and equipped with a beryllium window. A description of the setup is presented along with actual results showing time-resolved phase transitions and crystallization processes in AlYNi metallic alloys. These results demonstrate the power of this technique to investigate complex crystallization processes as well as the versatility of this time-resolved X-ray scattering spectrometer