Effects of ultrasonication on the production of hyaluronic acid by lactobacilli

The oral administration of hyaluronic acid has been shown to improve skin health. This study aimed at utilizing ultrasound treatment to enhance the production of hyaluronic acid by lactobacilli. Among the 16 strains of lactobacilli screened, a higher production of hyaluronic acid (P−1 to 0.385 mg ml−1, while an amplitude of 20% yielded a lower increase ranging from 0.227 mg ml−1 to 0.310 mg ml−1. Increasing duration of ultrasonic treatment (from 1 min to 3 min) also significantly (P<0.05) improved the concentration of hyaluronic acid in some strains. Our data demonstrated that a sub-lethal physical treatment, such as ultrasonication, can be applied to increase the membrane permeability of lactobacilli cells and subsequently increase the release of bioactive metabolites

Transition Spectra for a BCS Superconductor with Multiple Gaps: Model Calculations for MgB_2

We analyze the qualitative features in the transition spectra of a model superconductor with multiple energy gaps, using a simple extension of the Mattis-Bardeen expression for probes with case I and case II coherence factors. At temperature T = 0, the far infrared absorption edge is, as expected, determined by the smallest gap. However, the large thermal background may mask this edge at finite temperatures and instead the secondary absorption edges found at Delta_i+Delta_j may become most prominent. At finite T, if certain interband matrix elements are large, there may also be absorption peaks at the gap difference frequencies | Delta_i-Delta_j | . We discuss the effect of sample quality on the measured spectra and the possible relation of these predictions to the recent infrared absorption measurement on MgB_2

Maximal surface group representations in isometry groups of classical Hermitian symmetric spaces

Higgs bundles and non-abelian Hodge theory provide holomorphic methods with which to study the moduli spaces of surface group representations in a reductive Lie group G. In this paper we survey the case in which G is the isometry group of a classical Hermitian symmetric space of non-compact type. Using Morse theory on the moduli spaces of Higgs bundles, we compute the number of connected components of the moduli space of representations with maximal Toledo invariant.Comment: v2: added due credits to the work of Burger, Iozzi and Wienhard. v3: corrected count of connected components for G=SU(p,q) (p \neq q); added due credits to the work of Xia and Markman-Xia; minor corrections and clarifications. 31 page

Mean-field model of the ferromagnetic ordering in the superconducting phase of ErNi_2B_2C

A mean-field model explaining most of the details in the magnetic phase diagram of ErNi_2B_2C is presented. The low-temperature magnetic properties are found to be dominated by the appearance of long-period commensurate structures. The stable structure at low temperatures and zero field is found to have a period of 40 layers along the a direction, and upon cooling it undergoes a first-order transition at T_C = 2.3 K to a different 40-layered structure having a net ferromagnetic component of about 0.4 mu_B/Er. The neutron-diffraction patterns predicted by the two 40-layered structures, above and below T_C, are in agreement with the observations of Choi et al.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures (Revtex4

Time and Amplitude of Afterpulse Measured with a Large Size Photomultiplier Tube

We have studied the afterpulse of a hemispherical photomultiplier tube for an upcoming reactor neutrino experiment. The timing, the amplitude, and the rate of the afterpulse for a 10 inch photomultiplier tube were measured with a 400 MHz FADC up to 16 \ms time window after the initial signal generated by an LED light pulse. The time and amplitude correlation of the afterpulse shows several distinctive groups. We describe the dependencies of the afterpulse on the applied high voltage and the amplitude of the main light pulse. The present data could shed light upon the general mechanism of the afterpulse.Comment: 11 figure

Model of correlated sequential adsorption of colloidal particles

We present results of a new model of sequential adsorption in which the adsorbing particles are correlated with the particles attached to the substrate. The strength of the correlations is measured by a tunable parameter $\sigma$. The model interpolates between free ballistic adsorption in the limit $\sigma\to\infty$ and a strongly correlated phase, appearing for $\sigma\to0$ and characterized by the emergence of highly ordered structures. The phenomenon is manifested through the analysis of several magnitudes, as the jamming limit and the particle-particle correlation function. The effect of correlations in one dimension manifests in the increased tendency to particle chaining in the substrate. In two dimensions the correlations induce a percolation transition, in which a spanning cluster of connected particles appears at a certain critical value $\sigma_c$. Our study could be applicable to more general situations in which the coupling between correlations and disorder is relevant, as for example, in the presence of strong interparticle interactions.Comment: 6 pages, 8 EPS figures. Phys. Rev. E (in press

Photoemission and x-ray absorption study of MgC_(1-x)Ni_3

We investigated electronic structure of MgC_(1-x)Ni_3 with photoemission and x-ray absorption spectroscopy. Both results show that overall band structure is in reasonable agreement with band structure calculations including the existence of von Hove singularity (vHs)near E_F. However, we find that the sharp vHs peak theoretically predicted near the E_F is substantially suppressed. As for the Ni core level and absorption spectrum, there exist the satellites of Ni 2p which have a little larger energy separation and reduced intensity compared to the case of Ni-metal. These facts indicate that correlation effects among Ni 3d electrons may be important to understand various physical properties.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure

Path lengths in turbulence

By tracking tracer particles at high speeds and for long times, we study the geometric statistics of Lagrangian trajectories in an intensely turbulent laboratory flow. In particular, we consider the distinction between the displacement of particles from their initial positions and the total distance they travel. The difference of these two quantities shows power-law scaling in the inertial range. By comparing them with simulations of a chaotic but non-turbulent flow and a Lagrangian Stochastic model, we suggest that our results are a signature of turbulence.Comment: accepted for publication in Journal of Statistical Physic

Influence of Carbon Concentration on the Superconductivity in MgCxNi3

The influence of carbon concentration on the superconductivity (SC) in MgC$_{x}$Ni$_3$ has been investigated by measuring the low temperature specific heat combined with first principles electronic structure calculation. It is found that the specific heat coefficient $\gamma_n=C_{en}/T$ of the superconducting sample ($x\approx1$) in normal state is twice that of the non-superconducting one ($x\approx 0.85$). The comparison of measured $\gamma_n$ and the calculated electronic density of states (DOS) shows that the effective mass renormalization changes remarkably as the carbon concentration changes. The large mass renormalization for the superconducting sample and the low $T_{c}$(7K) indicate that more than one kind of boson mediated electron-electron interactions exist in MgC$_{x}$Ni$_3$.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Financial toxicity in adults with cancer: Adverse outcomes and noncompliance

Purpose Because of the escalating cost of cancer care coupled with high insurance deductibles, premiums, and uninsured populations, patients with cancer are affected by treatmentrelated financial harm, known as financial toxicity. The purpose of this study was to describe individuals reporting financial toxicity and to identify rates of and reasons for affordability-related treatment noncompliance. Methods From May 2010 to November 2015, adult patients (age $ 18 years) with cancer were identified from a Health Registry/Cancer Survivorship Cohort. Financial toxicity was defined as agreement with the phrase"You have to pay for more medical care than you can afford" from the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire-18. Logistic regression and Fisher exact tests were used to compare groups. Results Of 1,988 participants, 524 (26%) reported financial toxicity. Patients reporting financial toxicity were more likely age 65 years or younger, female, nonwhite, non-English speaking, not married, less educated, and to have received a diagnosis more recently (all P,.001). Participants with financial toxicity were more likely to report noncompliance with medication, owing to inability to afford prescription drugs (relative risk [RR], 3.55; 95% CI, 2.53 to 4.98), and reported forgoing mental health care (RR, 3.89; 95% CI, 2.04 to 7.45), doctor's visits (RR, 2.98; 95% CI, 1.97 to 4.51), and medical tests (RR, 2.54; 95% CI, 1.49 to 4.34). The most endorsed reasons for delayed care were not having insurance coverage and being unable to afford household expenses. Conclusion More than25%of adultswith cancer reportedfinancial toxicity thatwas associatedwith an increased riskfor medicalnoncompliance.Financial toxicity remains a major issue in cancer care, and efforts are needed to ensure patients experiencing high levels offinancial toxicity are able to access recommended care