Universal Dimer in a Collisionally Opaque Medium: Experimental Observables and Efimov Resonances

A universal dimer is subject to secondary collisions with atoms when formed in a cloud of ultracold atoms via three-body recombination. We show that in a collisionally opaque medium, the value of the scattering length that results in the maximum number of secondary collisions may not correspond to the Efimov resonance at the atom-dimer threshold and thus can not be automatically associated with it. This result explains a number of controversies in recent experimental results on universal three-body states and supports the emerging evidence for the significant finite range corrections to the first excited Efimov energy level.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure

The sol-gel synthesis of cotton/TiO2 composites and their antibacterial properties

Presentwork is devoted to investigation of structure and functional properties of hybrid nanomaterials based on the TiO2-modified cellulose fibers of cotton. The titania hydrosol was successfully prepared using the titanium tetraisopropoxide as precursor and the nitric acid as peptizing agent via the low-temperature sol–gel synthesis in aqueous medium and applied to cotton fabric. For cross-linking of titania nanoparticles to cotton the 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA) was used as a spacer. The morphology and composition of the surface pure and TiO2 modified cotton fibers were investigated by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The cotton/TiO2 composite was characterized by the dielectric permittivity. For the estimation of total titania concentration, all samples were calcined at 650 °C. The antimicrobial activity of the treated TiO2 cotton fibers was investigated against Escherichia coli as a model Gram-negative bacteria after exposure to UV-irradiation for 10 mi

a randomized controlled trial

Diurnal carbohydrate and fat distribution modulates glycaemic control in rodents. In humans, the optimal timing of both macronutrients and its effects on glycaemic control after prolonged consumption are not studied in detail. In this cross-over trial, 29 non-obese men were randomized to two four-week diets: (1) carbohydrate-rich meals until 13.30 and fat-rich meals between 16.30 and 22.00 (HC/HF) versus (2) inverse sequence of meals (HF/HC). After each trial period two meal tolerance tests were performed, at 09.00 and 15.40, respectively, according to the previous intervention. On the HF/HC diet, whole-day glucose level was increased by 7.9% (p = 0.026) in subjects with impaired fasting glucose and/or impaired glucose tolerance (IFG/IGT, n = 11), and GLP-1 by 10.2% (p = 0.041) in normal glucose-tolerant subjects (NGT, n = 18). Diet effects on fasting GLP-1 (p = 0.009) and PYY (p = 0.034) levels were observed in IFG/IGT, but not in NGT. Afternoon decline of glucose tolerance was more pronounced in IFG/IGT and associated with a stronger decrease of postprandial GLP-1 and PYY levels, but not with changes of cortisol rhythm. In conclusion, the HF/HC diet shows an unfavourable effect on glycaemic control in IFG/IGT, but not in NGT subjects. Consequently, large, carbohydrate-rich dinners should be avoided, primarily by subjects with impaired glucose metabolism

Diurnal distribution of carbohydrates and fat affects substrate oxidation and adipokine secretion in humans.

BACKGROUND: A diet in which fat is mainly eaten in the morning and carbohydrates mainly in the evening (compared with the reverse order) was recently shown to worsen glycemic control in people with prediabetes. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the effects of these dietary patterns on energy metabolism, and on the daily profiles of circulating lipids, adipokines, and inflammatory markers. DESIGN: In a randomized controlled crossover trial, 29 nonobese men (with normal glucose tolerance, n = 18; or impaired fasting glucose/glucose tolerance, n = 11) underwent 2 isocaloric 4-wk diets: 1) carbohydrate-rich meals until 1330 and fat-rich meals between 1630 and 2200 (HC/HF); or 2) the inverse sequence of meals (HF/HC). During a 12-h clinical investigation day after each intervention period, 2 meal tolerance tests were performed, at 0900 and 1540, respectively. Substrate oxidation and concentrations of circulating lipids, adipokines, and cytokines were assessed pre- and postprandially. The postprandial inflammatory response in leukocytes was analyzed ex vivo. RESULTS: Fasting carbohydrate oxidation decreased (P = 0.004) and lipid oxidation increased (P = 0.012) after the HC/HF diet. Fasting concentrations of blood markers did not differ between diets. The diets modulated the daily profiles of carbohydrate oxidation, lipid oxidation, and β-hydroxybutyrate, although the average daily values of these parameters showed no difference between the diets, and no interaction between diet and glucose tolerance status. Diurnal patterns of triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, leptin, visfatin, and of LPS-induced cytokine secretion in blood leukocytes were also modulated by the diets. Average daily concentrations of leptin (P = 0.017) and visfatin (P = 0.041) were lower on the HF/HC diet than on the HC/HF diet. CONCLUSIONS: Diurnal distribution of carbohydrates and fat affects the daily profiles of substrate oxidation, circulating lipids, and cytokine secretion, and alters the average daily concentrations of adipokine secretion in nonobese nondiabetic humans. The study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02487576

Leveraging mobile health technology and research methodology to optimize patient education and self-management support for advanced cancer pain

Funding: National Institutes of Health [R21 NR017745, PI, Enzinger]; Friends of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Availability of data and material: The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy or ethical restrictions.Peer reviewedPostprin

Electronic structure of β-RbSm(MoO4)(2) and chemical bonding in molybdates

Microcrystals of orthorhombic rubidium samarium molybdate, β-RbSm(MoO4)2, have been fabricated by solid state synthesis at T = 450 °C, 70 h, and at T = 600 °C, 150 h. The crystal structure has been refined by the Rietveld method in space group Pbcn with cell parameters a = 5.0984(2), b = 18.9742(6) and c = 8.0449(3) Å (RB = 1.72%). Thermal properties of β-RbSm(MoO4)2 were traced by DSC over the temperature range of T = 20–965 °C, and the earlier reported β ↔ α phase transition at T ∼ 860–910 °C was not verified. The electronic structure of β-RbSm(MoO4)2 was studied by employing theoretical calculations and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It has been established that the O 2p-like states contribute mainly to the upper part of the valence band and occupy the valence band maximum, whereas the Mo 4d-like states contribute mainly to the lower part of the valence band. Chemical bonding effects have been analysed from the element core level binding energy data. In addition, it was found that the luminescence spectrum of β-RbSm(MoO4)2 is rather peculiar among the Sm3+ containing materials. The optical refractive index dispersion in β-RbSm(MoO4)2 was also predicted by the first-principles calculations

Shotgun Lipidomics Discovered Diurnal Regulation of Lipid Metabolism Linked to Insulin Sensitivity in Nondiabetic Men.

CONTEXT: Meal timing affects metabolic homeostasis and body weight, but how composition and timing of meals affect plasma lipidomics in humans is not well studied. OBJECTIVE: We used high throughput shotgun plasma lipidomics to investigate effects of timing of carbohydrate and fat intake on lipid metabolism and its relation to glycemic control. DESIGN: 29 nondiabetic men consumed (1) a high-carb test meal (MTT-HC) at 09.00 and a high-fat meal (MTT-HF) at 15.40; or (2) MTT-HF at 09.00 and MTT-HC at 15.40. Blood was sampled before and 180 minutes after completion of each MTT. Subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) was collected after overnight fast and both MTTs. Prior to each investigation day, participants consumed a 4-week isocaloric diet of the same composition: (1) high-carb meals until 13.30 and high-fat meals between 16.30 and 22:00 or (2) the inverse order. RESULTS: 12 hour daily lipid patterns showed a complex regulation by both the time of day (67.8%) and meal composition (55.4%). A third of lipids showed a diurnal variation in postprandial responses to the same meal with mostly higher responses in the morning than in the afternoon. Triacylglycerols containing shorter and more saturated fatty acids were enriched in the morning. SAT transcripts involved in fatty acid synthesis and desaturation showed no diurnal variation. Diurnal changes of 7 lipid classes were negatively associated with insulin sensitivity, but not with glucose and insulin response or insulin secretion. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified postprandial plasma lipid profiles as being strongly affected by meal timing and associated with insulin sensitivity

After the Foxconn suicides in China: a roundtable on labor, the state and civil society in global electronics

We seek to tackle myriad problems of a global production system in which China is the world’s largest producer and exporter of consumer electronics products. Dying for an iPhone simultaneously addresses the challenges facing Chinese workers while locating them within the global economy through an assessment of the relationship between Foxconn (the largest electronics manufacturer) and Apple (one of the richest corporations). Eight researchers from Asia, Europe and North America discuss two main questions: How do tech behemoths and the Chinese state shape labor relations in transnational manufacturing? What roles can workers, public sector buyers, non-governmental organizations and consumers play in holding multinational corporations and states accountable for human rights violations and assuring the protection of worker interests? We also reflect on the possibility that national governments, the electronics industry and civil society groups can collaborate to contribute to improved labor rights in China and the world

The effect of diurnal distribution of carbohydrates and fat on glycaemic control in humans: a randomized controlled trial.

Diurnal carbohydrate and fat distribution modulates glycaemic control in rodents. In humans, the optimal timing of both macronutrients and its effects on glycaemic control after prolonged consumption are not studied in detail. In this cross-over trial, 29 non-obese men were randomized to two four-week diets: (1) carbohydrate-rich meals until 13.30 and fat-rich meals between 16.30 and 22.00 (HC/HF) versus (2) inverse sequence of meals (HF/HC). After each trial period two meal tolerance tests were performed, at 09.00 and 15.40, respectively, according to the previous intervention. On the HF/HC diet, whole-day glucose level was increased by 7.9% (p = 0.026) in subjects with impaired fasting glucose and/or impaired glucose tolerance (IFG/IGT, n = 11), and GLP-1 by 10.2% (p = 0.041) in normal glucose-tolerant subjects (NGT, n = 18). Diet effects on fasting GLP-1 (p = 0.009) and PYY (p = 0.034) levels were observed in IFG/IGT, but not in NGT. Afternoon decline of glucose tolerance was more pronounced in IFG/IGT and associated with a stronger decrease of postprandial GLP-1 and PYY levels, but not with changes of cortisol rhythm. In conclusion, the HF/HC diet shows an unfavourable effect on glycaemic control in IFG/IGT, but not in NGT subjects. Consequently, large, carbohydrate-rich dinners should be avoided, primarily by subjects with impaired glucose metabolism