Orbit-resolved photometry and echelle spectroscopy of the cataclysmic variable ST LMi during a 2007 high state

We present high-resolution echelle spectra and contemporaneous photometry of the polar ST LMi during a high state in 2007 March. Emission lines at Hα, He I λ5876, and He I λ7065 show similar line profiles over orbital phase and have narrow and broad components. These profile changes with phase are very similar to those reported in earlier high-state studies of ST LMi. The radial velocity curves from double Gaussian fits to the line profiles are interpreted as two crossing curves, neither of which is coincident with the orbital motion of the secondary star. We attribute one component to infall motions near the white dwarf and the other to a gas streaming along magnetic field lines connecting the two stars

Cardiovascular disease risk factor responses to a type 2 diabetes care model including nutritional ketosis induced by sustained carbohydrate restriction at 1 year: An open label, non-randomized, controlled study

Additional file 1: Table S1. Detailed baseline characteristics for participants in the continuous care intervention (CCI) and usual care (UC) groups

Post hoc analyses of surrogate markers of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and liver fibrosis in patients with type 2 diabetes in a digitally supported continuous care intervention: An open-label, non-randomised controlled study

OBJECTIVE: One year of comprehensive continuous care intervention (CCI) through nutritional ketosis improves glycosylated haemoglobin(HbA1c), body weight and liver enzymes among patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Here, we report the effect of the CCI on surrogate scores of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and liver fibrosis. METHODS: This was a non-randomised longitudinal study, including adults with T2D who were self-enrolled to the CCI (n=262) or to receive usual care (UC, n=87) during 1 year. An NAFLD liver fat score (N-LFS) >-0.640 defined the presence of fatty liver. An NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS) of >0.675 identified subjects with advanced fibrosis. Changes in N-LFS and NFS at 1 year were the main endpoints. RESULTS: At baseline, NAFLD was present in 95% of patients in the CCI and 90% of patients in the UC. At 1 year, weight loss of ≥5% was achieved in 79% of patients in the CCI versus 19% of patients in UC (p<0.001). N-LFS mean score was reduced in the CCI group (-1.95±0.22, p<0.001), whereas it was not changed in the UC (0.47±0.41, p=0.26) (CCI vs UC, p<0.001). NFS was reduced in the CCI group (-0.65±0.06, p<0.001) compared with UC (0.26±0.11, p=0.02) (p<0.001 between two groups). In the CCI group, the percentage of individuals with a low probability of advanced fibrosis increased from 18% at baseline to 33% at 1 year (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: One year of a digitally supported CCI significantly improved surrogates of NAFLD and advanced fibrosis in patients with T2D

A parallelized molecular collision cross section package with optimized accuracy and efficiency

Ion mobility-based separation prior to mass spectrometry has become an invaluable tool in the structural elucidation of gas-phase ions and in the characterization of complex mixtures. Application of ion mobility to structural studies requires an accurate methodology to bridge theoretical modelling of chemical structure with experimental determination of an ion's collision cross section (CCS). Herein, we present a refined methodology for calculating ion CCS using parallel computing architectures that makes use of atom specific parameters, which we have called MobCal-MPI. Tuning of ion-nitrogen van der Waals potentials on a diverse calibration set of 162 molecules returned a RMSE of 2.60% in CCS calculations of molecules containing the elements C, H, O, N, F, P, S, Cl, Br, and I. External validation of the ion-nitrogen potential was performed on an additional 50 compounds not present in the validation set, returning a RMSE of 2.31% for the CCSs of these compounds. Owing to the use of parameters from the MMFF94 forcefield, the calibration of the van der Waals potential can be extended to additional atoms defined in the MMFF94 forcefield (i.e., Li, Na, K, Si, Mg, Ca, Fe, Cu, Zn). We expect that the work presented here will serve as a foundation for facile determination of molecular CCSs, as MobCal-MPI boasts up to 64-fold speedups over traditional calculation packages.The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support provided by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada

Legitimating space: art and the politics of place

Rock art, graffiti, and other emplaced works of art bring people together at specific places. This type of art allows for encounters between people in their absence, and thus presents a range of possibilities for making statements about specific places and those who occupy or visit. This opens the possibility for issues of legitimation to become implicitly or explicitly articulated. However, the legitimate use of space, and the legitimate employment of art, can vary drastically across different contexts. Here, the paper discusses a range of different strategies of art and legitimation in three case studies from India, California, and Spai

Utilizing Technology for Diet and Exercise Change in Complex Chronic Conditions Across Diverse Environments (U-DECIDE): Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND: The metabolic syndrome is common across many complex chronic disease groups. Advances in health technology have provided opportunities to support lifestyle interventions. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to test the feasibility of a health technology-assisted lifestyle intervention in a patient-led model of care. METHODS: The study is a single-center, 26-week, randomized controlled trial. The setting is specialist kidney and liver disease clinics at a large Australian tertiary hospital. The participants will be adults with a complex chronic condition who are referred for dietetic assessment and display at least one feature of the metabolic syndrome. All participants will receive an individualized assessment and advice on diet quality from a dietitian, a wearable activity monitor, and standard care. Participants randomized to the intervention group will receive access to a suite of health technologies from which to choose, including common base components (text messages) and optional components (online and mobile app–based nutrition information, an online home exercise program, and group-based videoconferencing). Exposure to the optional aspects of the intervention will be patient-led, with participants choosing their preferred level of engagement. The primary outcome will be the feasibility of delivering the program, determined by safety, recruitment rate, retention, exposure uptake, and telehealth adherence. Secondary outcomes will be clinical effectiveness, patient-led goal attainment, treatment fidelity, exposure demand, and participant perceptions. Primary outcome data will be assessed descriptively and secondary outcomes will be assessed using an analysis of covariance. This study will provide evidence on the feasibility of the intervention in a tertiary setting for patients with complex chronic disease exhibiting features of the metabolic syndrome. RESULTS: The study was funded in 2019. Enrollment has commenced and is expected to be completed by June 2022. Data collection and follow up are expected to be completed by December 2022. Results from the analyses based on primary outcomes are expected to be submitted for publication by June 2023. CONCLUSIONS: The study will test the implementation of a health technology–assisted lifestyle intervention in a tertiary outpatient setting for a diverse group of patients with complex chronic conditions. It is novel in that it embeds patient choice into intervention exposure and will inform health service decision-makers in regards to the feasibility of scale and spread of technology-assisted access to care for a broader reach of specialist services. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry ACTRN12620001282976; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=378337 INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/3755

Microstructure and Phase Formation in a Rapidly Solidified Laser-Deposited Ni-Cr-B-Si-C Hardfacing Alloy

In this study, microstructural evolutions and phase selection phenomena during laser deposition of a hardfacing Ni-Cr-B-Si-C alloy at different processing conditions are experimentally investigated. The results show that even minor variations in the thermal conditions during solidification can modify the type and morphology of the phases. Higher undercoolings obtained at faster cooling rates suppressed the primary borides and encouraged floret-shape mixtures of Ni and Cr5B3 via a metastable reaction. Variations in the boride phases are discussed in terms of nucleation-and growth-controlled phase selection mechanisms. These selection processes also influenced the nature and proportion of the Ni-B-Si eutectics by changing the amount of the boron available for the final eutectic reactions. The results of this work emphasize the importance of controlling the cooling rate during deposition of these industrially important alloys using laser beam or other rapid solidification techniques. (C) The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society and ASM International 201