Hall response of interacting bosonic atoms in strong gauge fields: from condensed to FQH states

Interacting bosonic atoms under strong gauge fields undergo a series of phase transitions that take the cloud from a simple Bose-Einstein condensate all the way to a family of fractional-quantum-Hall-type states [M. Popp, B. Paredes, and J. I. Cirac, Phys. Rev. A 70, 053612 (2004)]. In this work we demonstrate that the Hall response of the atoms can be used to locate the phase transitions and characterize the ground state of the many-body state. Moreover, the same response function reveals within some regions of the parameter space, the structure of the spectrum and the allowed transitions to excited states. We verify numerically these ideas using exact diagonalization for a small number of atoms, and provide an experimental protocol to implement the gauge fields and probe the linear response using a periodically driven optical lattice. Finally, we discuss our theoretical results in relation to recent experiments with condensates in artificial magnetic fields [ L. J. LeBlanc, K. Jimenez-Garcia, R. A. Williams, M. C. Beeler, A. R. Perry, W. D. Phillips, and I. B. Spielman, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 109, 10811 (2012)] and we analyze the role played by vortex states in the Hall response.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figure

Digital Support to Multimodal Community-Based Prehabilitation: Looking for Optimization of Health Value Generation

Prehabilitation has shown its potential for most intra-cavity surgery patients on enhancing preoperative functional capacity and postoperative outcomes. However, its large-scale implementation is limited by several constrictions, such as: i) unsolved practicalities of the service workflow, ii) challenges associated to change management in collaborative care; iii) insufficient access to prehabilitation; iv) relevant percentage of program drop-outs; v) need for program personalization; and, vi) economical sustainability. Transferability of prehabilitation programs from the hospital setting to the community would potentially provide a new scenario with greater accessibility, as well as offer an opportunity to effectively address the aforementioned issues and, thus, optimize healthcare value generation. A core aspect to take into account for an optimal management of prehabilitation programs is to use proper technological tools enabling: i) customizable and interoperable integrated care pathways facilitating personalization of the service and effective engagement among stakeholders; ii) remote monitoring (i.e. physical activity, physiological signs and patient-reported outcomes and experience measures) to support patient adherence to the program and empowerment for self-management; and, iii) use of health risk assessment supporting decision making for personalized service selection. The current manuscript details a proposal to bring digital innovation to community-based prehabilitation programs. Moreover, this approach has the potential to be adopted by programs supporting long-term management of cancer patients, chronic patients and prevention of multimorbidity in subjects at risk

Addressing the inter-individual variation in response to consumption of plant food bioactives : Towards a better understanding of their role in healthy aging and cardiometabolic risk reduction

Bioactive compounds in plant-based foods have health properties that contribute to the prevention of age-related chronic diseases, particularly cardiometabolic disorders. Conclusive proof and understanding of these benefits in humans is essential in order to provide effective dietary recommendations but, so far, the evidence obtained from human intervention trials is limited and contradictory. This is partly due to differences between individuals in the absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of bioactive compounds, as well as to heterogeneity in their biological response regarding cardiometabolic health outcomes. Identifying the main factors underlying inter-individual differences, as well as developing new and innovative methodologies to account for such variability constitute an overarching goal to ultimately optimize the beneficial health effects of plant food bioactives for each and every one of us. In this respect, this position paper from the COST Action FA1403-POSITIVe examines the main factors likely to affect the individual responses to consumption of plant food bioactives and presents perspectives for assessment and consideration of inter-individual variability.Peer reviewe

Tumor burden monitoring using cell-free tumor DNA could be limited by tumor heterogeneity in advanced breast cancer and should be evaluated together with radiographic imaging

Clinical and pathological variables. (XLSX 16 kb

Socio-environmental correlates of physical activity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

BACKGROUND: Study of the causes of the reduced levels of physical activity in patients with COPD has been scarce and limited to biological factors. AIM: To assess the relationship between novel socio-environmental factors, namely dog walking, grandparenting, neighbourhood deprivation, residential surrounding greenness and residential proximity to green or blue spaces, and amount and intensity of physical activity in COPD patients. METHODS: This cross-sectional study recruited 410 COPD patients from five Catalan municipalities. Dog walking and grandparenting were assessed by questionnaire. Neighbourhood deprivation was assessed using the census Urban Vulnerability Index, residential surrounding greenness by the satellite-derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, and residential proximity to green or blue spaces as living within 300 m of such a space. Physical activity was measured during 1 week by accelerometer to assess time spent on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and vector magnitude units (VMU) per minute. FINDINGS: Patients were 85% male, had a mean (SD) age of 69 (9) years, and post-bronchodilator FEV1 of 56 (17) %pred. After adjusting for age, sex, socio-economic status, dyspnoea, exercise capacity and anxiety in a linear regression model, both dog walking and grandparenting were significantly associated with an increase both in time in MVPA (18 min/day (p<0.01) and 9 min/day (p<0.05), respectively) and in physical activity intensity (76 VMU/min (p=0.05) and 59 VMUs/min (p<0.05), respectively). Neighbourhood deprivation, surrounding greenness and proximity to green or blue spaces were not associated with physical activity. CONCLUSIONS: Dog walking and grandparenting are associated with a higher amount and intensity of physical activity in COPD patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Pre-results, NCT01897298

Urolithins Are the Main Urinary Microbial-Derived Phenolic Metabolites Discriminating a Moderate Consumption of Nuts in FreeLiving Subjects with Diagnosed Metabolic Syndrome

Walnuts (Juglans regia L.), hazelnuts (Corylus avellana L.), and almonds (Prunus dulcis Mill.) are rich sources of ellagitannins and proanthocyanidins. Gut microbiota plays a crucial role in modulating the bioavailability of these high molecular weight polyphenols. However, to date there are no studies evaluating the capacity to produce nut phenolic metabolites in subjects with metabolic syndrome (MetS), a pathology associated with an altered gut bacterial diversity. This study applied a LC-MS targeted approach to analyze the urinary excretion of nut phenolic metabolites in MetS subjects following 12 weeks of nut consumption, compared to sex- and age-matched individuals given a nut-free control diet. Metabolites were targeted in both hydrolyzed and nonhydrolyzed urine by LC-PDA-QqQ-MS/MS analysis, and identification of metabolites lacking available standards was confirmed by LC-ESI-ITD-FT-MS. Ellagitannin-derived urolithins A and B significantly increased after the nutenriched-diet, urolithins C and D were also detected, and a complex combination of urolithin-conjugated forms was observed in nonhydrolyzed urine, confirming an extensive phase II metabolism after absorption. In contrast, no significant increases in proanthocyanidin microbial metabolites were observed in urine following nut consumption. Because the intestinal microbiota of the subjects in this study could catabolize ellagitannins into a wide range of urolithins, further research is strongly warranted on the in vivo potential of these microbial metabolites in reducing cardiometabolic risk

Validation of walking trails for the Urban Training of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients.

Purpose Accessible interventions to train patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are needed. We designed urban trails of different intensities (low, moderate and high) in different types of public spaces (boulevard, beach and park). We aimed to validate the trails' design by assessing the physiological response to unsupervised walking trails of: (1) different intensities in COPD patients, and (2) same intensity from different public spaces in healthy adults. Methods On different days and under standardized conditions, 10 COPD patients walked the three intensity trails designed in a boulevard space, and 10 healthy subjects walked the three intensity trails in three different spaces. We measured physiological response and energy expenditure using a gas analyzer. We compared outcomes across trails intensity and/or spaces using mixed-effects linear regression. Results In COPD patients, physiological response and energy expenditure increased significantly according to the trails intensity: mean (SD) peak O2 15.9 (3.5), 17.4 (4.7), and 17.7 (4.4) mL/min/kg (p-trend = 0.02), and MET-min 60 (23), 64 (26), 72 (31) (p-trend<0.01) in low, moderate and high intensity trails, respectively. In healthy subjects there were no differences in physiological response to walking trails of the same intensity across different spaces. Conclusions We validated the trails design for the training of COPD patients by showing that the physiological response to and energy expenditure on unsupervised walking these trails increased according to the predefined trails' intensity and did not change across trails of the same intensity in different public space. Walkable public spaces allow the design of trails that could be used for the training of COPD patients in the community

Ethics Of English On Business Presentation

Business presentation is needed by persons to inform or persuade audience about certain topics. Through the presentation, information are clearly received by audience. So it needs many aspects to do, such as chronological order of presentation; clear language; good attitude and behavior; and polite ethics. Ethics is the standards one uses to determine right from wrong in terms of thought and behavior. It is one of major components of successful presentation. To do that, ones could adopt ethics from their own culture or culture where they are right now, i.e. in abroad. This paper here intends to show ethic of English business presentation and ethic of presentation to public in order to persuade audience to use the product/ program. It means that it is not to use on presentation of national or International seminar because the rule is not so detailed and complicated The business presentation based on the result of research and good communication is necessary to present objective information, therefore public will get clear and objective understanding. In fact, showing strengths on the own products and showing the weaknesses of others are prohibited to save the existence of brands

Evaluation of integrated care services in Catalonia: population-based and service-based real-life deployment protocols

Background: Comprehensive assessment of integrated care deployment constitutes a major challenge to ensure quality, sustainability and transferability of both healthcare policies and services in the transition toward a coordinated service delivery scenario. To this end, the manuscript articulates four different protocols aiming at assessing large-scale implementation of integrated care, which are being developed within the umbrella of the regional project Nextcare (2016–2019), undertaken to foster innovation in technologically-supported services for chronic multimorbid patients in Catalonia (ES) (7.5 M inhabitants). Whereas one of the assessment protocols is designed to evaluate population-based deployment of care coordination at regional level during the period 2011–2017, the other three are service-based protocols addressing: i) Home hospitalization; ii) Prehabilitation for major surgery; and, iii) Community-based interventions for frail elderly chronic patients. All three services have demonstrated efficacy and potential for health value generation. They reflect different implementation maturity levels. While full coverage of the entire urban health district of Barcelona-Esquerra (520 k inhabitants) is the main aim of home hospitalization, demonstration of sustainability at Hospital Clinic of Barcelona constitutes the core goal of the prehabilitation service. Likewise, full coverage of integrated care services addressed to frail chronic patients is aimed at the city of Badalona (216 k inhabitants). Methods: The population-based analysis, as well as the three service-based protocols, follow observational and experimental study designs using a non-randomized intervention group (integrated care) compared with a control group (usual care) with a propensity score matching method. Evaluation of cost-effectiveness of the interventions using a Quadruple aim approach is a central outcome in all protocols. Moreover, multi-criteria decision analysis is explored as an innovative method for health delivery assessment. The following additional dimensions will also be addressed: i) Determinants of sustainability and scalability of the services; ii) Assessment of the technological support; iii) Enhanced health risk assessment; and, iv) Factors modulating service transferability. Discussion: The current study offers a unique opportunity to undertake a comprehensive assessment of integrated care fostering deployment of services at regional level. The study outcomes will contribute refining service workflows, improving health risk assessment and generating recommendations for service selection.publishedVersio

Prehabilitation in elective abdominal cancer surgery in older patients: systematic review and meta‐analysis

Background Prehabilitation has emerged as a strategy to prepare patients for elective abdominal cancer surgery with documented improvements in postoperative outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess the evidence for prehabilitation interventions of relevance to the older adult. Methods Systematic searches were conducted using MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL and PsychINFO. Studies of preoperative intervention (prehabilitation) in patients undergoing abdominal cancer surgery reporting postoperative outcomes were included. Age limits were not set as preliminary searches revealed this would be too restrictive. Articles were screened and selected based on PRISMA guidelines, and assessment of bias was performed. Qualitative, quantitative and meta‐analyses of data were conducted as appropriate. Results Thirty‐three studies (3962 patients) were included. Interventions included exercise, nutrition, psychological input, comprehensive geriatric assessment and optimization, smoking cessation and multimodal (two or more interventions). Nine studies purposely selected high‐risk, frail or older patients. Thirty studies were at moderate or high risk of bias. Ten studies individually reported benefits in complication rates, with meta‐analyses for overall complications demonstrating significant benefit: multimodal (risk difference −0·1 (95 per cent c.i. −0·18 to −0·02); P = 0·01, I2 = 18 per cent) and nutrition (risk difference −0·18 (−0·26 to −0·10); P < 0·001, I2 = 0 per cent). Seven studies reported reductions in length of hospital stay, with no differences on meta‐analysis. Conclusion The conclusions of this review are limited by the quality of the included studies, and the heterogeneity of interventions and outcome measures reported. Exercise, nutritional and multimodal prehabilitation may reduce morbidity after abdominal surgery, but data specific to older patients are sparse