Sizing up pharmacotherapy for obesity.

Obesity has increased over the last 20 years, from a condition affecting only a small portion of populations in developed countries, into a global pandemic. The impact of obesity can be appreciated in the context of the populations at risk, and it is estimated that \u3e1 billion adults worldwide are overweight (BMI \u3e25 kg/m2), 300 million of whom are clinically obese (BMI \u3e30 kg/m2). In the United States, 65% of adults are overweight, and 32.2% of them are obese, a prevalence that has doubled over 20 years. In industrialized countries, obesity rates have tripled, coinciding with adoption of a Western lifestyle. Further, the growing worldwide rates of childhood obesity have reached epidemic values in developed countries. This global obesity pandemic reflects genetic susceptibility, availability of high-energy foods, and decreased physical activity. Accelerating rates of obesity have profound health and economic consequences. Obesity is associated with a myriad of co-morbidities, including type II diabetes, coronary artery disease, obstructive sleep apnea, stroke, cancer, hypertension, osteoarthritis, and liver and biliary disease which collectively increase mortality. Indeed, the health care impact of chronic obesity exceeds that of smoking or alcohol abuse. National health care costs of obesity are $70-100 billion, and if this trend continues, in 15 years 20% of health care costs in the United States will be attributed to the chronic diseases associated with obesity

Optimal overlayer inspired by Photuris firefly improves light-extraction efficiency of existing light-emitting diodes

In this paper the design, fabrication and characterization of a bioinspired overlayer deposited on a GaN LED is described. The purpose of this overlayer is to improve light extraction into air from the diode's high refractive-index active material. The layer design is inspired by the microstructure found in the firefly Photuris sp. The actual dimensions and material composition have been optimized to take into account the high refractive index of the GaN diode stack. This two-dimensional pattern contrasts other designs by its unusual profile, its larger dimensions and the fact that it can be tailored to an existing diode design rather than requiring a complete redesign of the diode geometry. The gain of light extraction reaches values up to 55% with respect to the reference unprocessed LED.Comment: 9 pages, 9 Figures, published in Optics Expres

Two new species of Euglossa from South America, with notes on their taxonomic affinities (Hymenoptera, Apidae)

This is the publisher's version, also available electronically at http://www.pensoft.net/index.php.Two new species of the genus Euglossa Latreille, subgenus Glossurella Dressler are here presented. Euglossa (Glossurella) embera sp. n., from the Pacific lowlands of Colombia, and E. (G.) adiastola sp. n., from the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. Their taxonomic association and distinction are discussed, as well as the correct understanding of the subgenus Glossurella

Pengaruh Penambahan Fly Ash Terhadap Kuat Tekan Dan Tarik Perekat Bata Ringan

Perekat bata ringan adalah hasil inovasi dari perekat bata konvensional. Fly ash adalah pengganti semen karena sifat pozzolanik yang dimilikinya sama seperti semen dengan ukuran partikel yang kecil dan bulat. Pada penelitian ini penulis mencoba menggantikan semen dengan fly ash dengan beberapa variabel persentase fly ash dimana diharapkan akan didapatkan hasil yang lebih baik dan juga lebih murah dari segi ekonomi. Metode pengolahan data dilakukan dengan menggunakan compressive test dan pull off test. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa pengaruh penambahan fly ash dengan kadar 30% dapat menghasilkan hasil yang lebih baik dan ekonomis dibandingkan dengan perekat bata ringan standar tanpa fly ash

Platinum trimethyl bipyridyl thiolates – new, tunable, red- to near IR emitting luminophores for bioimaging applications

Synthetic, spectroscopic, computational and biological imaging studies of platinum trimethyl bipyridyl thiolate complexes of the general formula [PtMe3(bpy)SR] reveal these to be easily accessed, tunable bioimaging agents which feature an unusual σ–π* Inter-Ligand Charge Transfer (ILCT) transition, and in some cases emit into the Near infra-red (NIR)

Microfabricated blood vessels undergo neoangiogenesis

The greatest ambition and promise of tissue engineering is to manufacture human organs. Before “made-to- measure” tissues can become a reality [1-3], however, three-dimensional tissues must be reconstructed and characterized. The current inability to manufacture operational vasculature has limited the growth of engineered tissues. Here, free-standing, small diameter blood vessels with organized cell layers that recapitulate normal biological functionality are fabricated using microfluidic technology. Over time in culture, the endothelial cells form a monolayer on the luminal wall and remodel the scaffold with human extracellular matrix proteins. After integration into three-dimensional gels containing fibroblasts, the microvessels sprout and generate extended hollow branches that anastomose with neighboring capillaries to form a network. Both the microfabricated vessels and the extended sprouts support perfusion of fluids and particles. The ability to create cellularized microvessels that can be designed with a diameter of choice, produced by the meter, and undergo angiogenesis and anastomoses will be an extremely valuable tool for vascularization of engineered tissues. To summarize, ultraviolet (UV) photocross linkable poly(ethylene glycol) and gelatin methacrylate polymers used in combination with sheathflow microfluidics allow for the fabrication of small diameter blood vessels which undergo neoangiogenesis as well as other developmental processes associated with normal human blood vessel maturation. Once mature, these vessels can be embedded; perfused; cryogenically stored and respond to stimuli such as chemokines and shear stresses to mimic native human blood vessels. The applications range from tissue-on-chip systems for drug screening, characterization of normal and pathologic processes, and creation and characterization of engineered tissues for organ repair

Bisphosphonate's and Intermittent Parathyroid Hormone's Effect on Human Spinal Fusion: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

There has been a conscious effort to address osteoporosis in the aging population. As bisphosphonate and intermittent parathyroid hormone (PTH) therapy become more widely prescribed to treat osteoporosis, it is important to understand their effects on other physiologic processes, particularly the impact on spinal fusion. Despite early animal model studies and more recent clinical studies, the impact of these medications on spinal fusion is not fully understood. Previous animal studies suggest that bisphosphonate therapy resulted in inhibition of fusion mass with impeded maturity and an unknown effect on biomechanical strength. Prior animal studies demonstrate an improved fusion rate and fusion mass microstructure with the use of intermittent PTH. The purpose of this study was to determine if bisphosphonates and intermittent PTH treatment have impact on human spinal fusion. A systematic review of the literature published between 1980 and 2015 was conducted using major electronic databases. Studies reporting outcomes of human subjects undergoing 1, 2, or 3-level spinal fusion while receiving bisphosphonates and/or intermittent PTH treatment were included. The results of relevant human studies were analyzed for consensus on the effects of these medications in regards to spinal fusion. There were nine human studies evaluating the impact of these medications on spinal fusion. Improved fusion rates were noted in patients receiving bisphosphonates compared to control groups, and greater fusion rates in patients receiving PTH compared to control groups. Prior studies involving animal models found an improved fusion rate and fusion mass microstructure with the use of intermittent PTH. No significant complications were demonstrated in any study included in the analysis. Bisphosphonate use in humans may not be a deterrent to spinal fusion. Intermittent parathyroid use has shown early promise to increase fusion mass in both animal and human studies but further studies are needed to support routine use

The structure of the density-potential mapping. Part II: Including magnetic fields

The Hohenberg-Kohn theorem of density-functional theory (DFT) is broadly considered the conceptual basis for a full characterization of an electronic system in its ground state by just the one-body particle density. In this Part~II of a series of two articles, we aim at clarifying the status of this theorem within different extensions of DFT including magnetic fields. We will in particular discuss current-density-functional theory (CDFT) and review the different formulations known in the literature, including the conventional paramagnetic CDFT and some non-standard alternatives. For the former, it is known that the Hohenberg-Kohn theorem is no longer valid due to counterexamples. Nonetheless, paramagnetic CDFT has the mathematical framework closest to standard DFT and, just like in standard DFT, non-differentiability of the density functional can be mitigated through Moreau-Yosida regularization. Interesting insights can be drawn from both Maxwell-Schr\"odinger DFT and quantum-electrodynamical DFT, which are also discussed here

The structure of the density-potential mapping. Part I: Standard density-functional theory

The Hohenberg-Kohn theorem of density-functional theory (DFT) is broadly considered the conceptual basis for a full characterization of an electronic system in its ground state by just the one-body particle density. Part I of this review aims at clarifying the status of the Hohenberg-Kohn theorem within DFT and Part II at different extensions of the theory that include magnetic fields. We collect evidence that the Hohenberg-Kohn theorem does not so much form the basis of DFT, but is rather the consequence of a more comprehensive mathematical framework. Such results are especially useful when it comes to the construction of generalized DFTs