Band structure and reflectance for a nonlinear one-dimensional photonic crystal

We consider a model for a one-dimensional photonic crystal formed by a succession of Kerr-type equidistant spaceless interfaces immersed in a linear medium. We calculate the band structure and reflectance of this structure as a function of the incident wave intensity, and find two main behaviors: the appearance of prohibited bands, and the separation and narrowing of these bands. A system with these features is obtained by alternating very thin slabs of a soft matter material with thicker solid films, which can be used to design a device to control light propagation for specific wavelength intervals and light intensities.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figure

Composite Hydrogel of Poly(acrylamide) and Starch as Potential System for Controlled Release of Amoxicillin and Inhibition of Bacterial Growth

Novel composite hydrogels of poly(acrylamide) (PAAm) and starch, at different ratios, were studied as potential platforms for controlled release of amoxicillin. The composite hydrogels were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and swelling kinetic measurements. The morphology analysis revealed the presence of starch granules well embedded within the PAAm network. The increase in starch content increased the rate of water uptake and the swelling degree at equilibrium. The amoxicillin release kinetics was sensitive to pH and temperature conditions. The in vitro bacterial growth inhibition of antibiotic-loaded hydrogels was tested though disc diffusion assays with Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, and a carbapenemase producer Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain. The optimal release profile at physiological conditions and the powerful bacteria growth inhibition effects of amoxicillin-loaded hydrogels evidenced its potential for biomedical applications, particularly in oral administration and the local treatment of bacterial infections

Mid- and long-term changes in satiety-related hormones, lipid and glucose metabolism, and inflammation after a Mediterranean diet intervention with the goal of losing weight: A randomized, clinical trial

Background: Obesity is produced by the enlargement of the adipose tissue. Functioning as an endocrine organ, it releases and receives information through a complex network of cytokines, hormones, and substrates contributing to a low-chronic inflammation environment. Diet and healthy habits play key roles in the prevention of obesity and its related pathologies. In this regard, there is a need to switch to healthier and more appetizing diets, such as the Mediterranean one. Objective: To compare the mid-and long-term effects of two Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) interventions, one energy-reduced plus physical activity promotion versus a non-restrictive diet, on peripheral satiety-related hormones, weight loss, glucose/lipid metabolism, and pro-inflammatory markers in subjects with obesity/overweight and metabolic syndrome. Materials and methods: A randomized, lifestyle intervention was conducted in 23 Spanish centers, with a large cohort of patients presenting metabolic syndrome. Our study is a subproject set in IMIM (Hospital del Mar Research Institute). Participants were men and women, aged 55-75 and 60-75, respectively, who at baseline met at least three metabolic syndrome components. Subjects were assigned to two intervention groups: (1) an intensive lifestyle intervention with an energy-reduced MedDiet and physical activity promotion (intervention group) with the aim of weight loss; and (2) a normocaloric MedDiet (control). We quantified in a subsample of 300 volunteers from Hospital del Mar Research Institute (Barcelona), following analytes at baseline, 6 months, and 1 year: glucose, HbA1c, triglycerides, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, C-peptide, ghrelin, GLP-1, glucagon, insulin, leptin, PAI-1, resistin, and visfatin. Anthropometric and classical cardiovascular risk factors were also determined. A multivariate statistical model was employed to compare the two groups. Linear mixed-effect models were performed to compare changes in risk factors and biomarkers between intervention groups and over time. Results: Compared to participants in the control group, those in intervention one showed greater improvements in weight, waist circumference, insulin (P < 0.001), glucose metabolism-related compounds (P < 0.05), triglyceride-related lipid profile (P < 0.05), leptin, blood pressure, and pro-inflammatory markers such as PAI-1 (P < 0.001) at mid-and/or long-term. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein, resistin, and vifastin also decreased in both groups. Conclusion: A weight loss intervention employing a hypocaloric MedDiet and physical activity promotion has beneficial effects on adiposity, glucose metabolism, lipid profile, leptin, and pro-inflammatory markers, such as PAI-1 in both mid-and long-term

Gut microbiota profile and changes in body weight in elderly subjects with overweight/obesity and metabolic syndrome

Gut microbiota is essential for the development of obesity and related comorbidities. However, studies describing the association between specific bacteria and obesity or weight loss reported discordant results. The present observational study, conducted within the frame of the PREDIMED-Plus clinical trial, aims to assess the association between fecal microbiota, body composition and weight loss, in response to a 12-month lifestyle intervention in a subsample of 372 individuals (age 55-75) with overweight/obesity and metabolic syndrome. Participants were stratified by tertiles of baseline body mass index (BMI) and changes in body weight after 12-month intervention. General assessments, anthropometry and biochemical measurements, and stool samples were collected. 16S amplicon sequencing was performed on bacterial DNA extracted from stool samples and microbiota analyzed. Differential abundance analysis showed an enrichment of Prevotella 9, Lachnospiraceae UCG-001 and Bacteroides, associated with a higher weight loss after 12-month of follow-up, whereas in the cross-sectional analysis, Prevotella 2 and Bacteroides were enriched in the lowest tertile of baseline BMI. Our findings suggest that fecal microbiota plays an important role in the control of body weight, supporting specific genera as potential target in personalized nutrition for obesity management. A more in-depth taxonomic identification method and the need of metabolic information encourages to further investigation.This research was funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 713679 and from the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV). This work was supported by the official Spanish Institutions for funding scientific biomedical research, CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN) and Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), through the Fondo de Investigación para la Salud (FIS), which is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (three coordinated FIS projects leaded by J.S.-S., including the following projects: PI13/00462, PI16/00501 and PI19/00576); the Especial Action Project entitled: Implementación y evaluación de una intervención intensiva sobre la actividad física Cohorte PREDIMED-Plus grant to J.S.-S.; the Recercaixa (number 2013ACUP00194) grant to J.S.-S.; The Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias of the Instituto de Salut Carlos III PI17/00215; The Generalitat Valenciana PROMETEO 17/2017. None of the funding sources took part in the design, collection, analysis, interpretation of the data, or writing the report, or in the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. J.S.-S., senior author of this study gratefully acknowledges the financial support by ICREA under the ICREA Academia programme. Food companies Hojiblanca (Lucena, Spain) and Patrimonio Comunal Olivarero (Madrid, Spain) donated extra virgin olive oil; and the Almond Board of California (Modesto, CA), American Pistachio Growers (Fresno, CA), and Paramount Farms (Wonderful Company, LLC, Los Angeles, CA) donated nuts for the PREDIMED-Pilot study

Influence of lifestyle factors and staple foods from the Mediterranean diet on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease among older individuals with metabolic syndrome features

Objective: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver morbidity. This condition often is accompanied by obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome (MetS). The aim of this study was to evaluate the connection between lifestyle factors and NAFLD in individuals with MetS. Methods: A cross-sectional study with 328 participants (55-75 y of age) diagnosed with MetS participating in the PREDIMED-Plus trial was conducted. NAFLD status was evaluated using the non-invasive hepatic steatosis index (HSI). Sociodemographic, clinical, and dietary data were collected. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet (mainly assessed by the consumption of olive oil, nuts, legumes, whole grain foods, fish, vegetables, fruits, and red wine) and physical activity were assessed using validated questionnaires. Results: Linear regression analyses revealed that HSI values tended to be lower with increasing physical activity tertiles (T2, β = -1.47; 95% confidence interval [CI], -2.73 to -0.20; T3, β = -1.93; 95% CI, -3.22 to -0.65 versus T1, Ptrend = 0.001) and adherence to the Mediterranean diet was inversely associated with HSI values: (moderate adherence β = -0.70; 95% CI, -1.92 to 0.53; high adherence β = -1.57; 95% CI, -3.01 to -0.13 versus lower, Ptrend = 0.041). Higher tertiles of legume consumption were inversely associated with the highest tertile of HSI (T2, relative risk ratio [RRR], 0.45; 95% CI, 0.22-0.92; P = 0.028; T3, RRR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.24-0.97; P = 0.041 versus T1). Conclusion: Physical activity, adherence to the Mediterranean diet, and consumption of legumes were inversely associated with a non-invasive marker of NAFLD in individuals with MetS. This data can be useful in implementing precision strategies aimed at the prevention, monitoring, and management of NAFLD.This work was supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), through the Fondo de Investigación para la Salud (FIS, PI14/01919 and PI17/00926), co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERobn) and by European Research Council (Advanced Research Grant 2014-2019; agreement #340918 granted to MAM-G). VBV received a grant from the Center for Nutrition Research of the University of Navarra

Mediterranean diet and quality of life: Baseline cross-sectional analysis of the PREDIMED-PLUS trial

We assessed if a 17-item score capturing adherence to a traditional Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) was associated with better health-related quality of life among older Spanish men and women with overweight or obesity harboring the metabolic syndrome. We analyzed baseline data from 6430 men and women (age 55±70 years) participating in the PREDIMED- Plus study. PREDIMED-Plus is a multi-centre randomized trial testing an energyrestricted MedDiet combined with promotion of physical activity and behavioral therapy for primary cardiovascular prevention compared to a MedDiet alone. Participants answered a 36-item questionnaire about health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and a 17-item questionnaire that assessed adherence to an MedDiet. We used ANCOVA and multivariableadjusted linear regression models to compare baseline adjusted means of the quality of life scales according to categories of adherence to the MedDiet. Higher adherence to the Med- Diet was independently associated with significantly better scores in the eight dimensions of HRQoL. Adjusted differences of > = 3 points between the highest and the lowest dietary adherence groups to the MedDiet were observed for vitality, emotional role, and mental health and of > = 2 points for the other dimensions. In conclusion, this study shows a positive association between adherence to a MedDiet and several dimensions of quality of life