Bioavailability of black tea theaflavins: absorption, metabolism, and colonic catabolism

Data obtained with in vitro fecal incubations and a feeding study indicate black tea theaflavin and its galloyl derivatives are not absorbed in detectable amounts in either the upper or lower gastrointestinal tract. The theaflavin skeleton is comparatively resistant to degradation by colonic bacteria with a 67% recovery being obtained after a 24 h incubation, which yielded 21 phenolic and aromatic catabolites. The theaflavin galloyl moiety was removed by the microbiota, and the released gallic acid further transformed to 3-O- and 4-O-methyl gallic acids, pyrogallol-1-sulfate and pyrogallol-2-sulfate, which were excreted in urine in amounts equivalent to 94% of intake. The main urinary product potentially derived from breakdown of the theaflavin skeleton was 3-(4′-hydroxyphenyl)propionic acid. A number of the colonic catabolites originating from gallic acid and theaflavins has been reported to be bioactive in ex vivo and in vitro models with a variety of potential modes of action

Engagement in a program promoting lifestyle modification is associated with better patient-reported outcomes for people with MS

There is increasing interest in patient-centered approaches to chronic disease management and prevention. For people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS), patient empowerment plays a role in improving a range of health-related outcomes. This study aimed to compare health-related quality of life (HRQOL), fatigue, and depression risk between people who have and have not attended a week-long physician-led residential educational retreat or accessed other self-help resources (a book and online content) that foster patient empowerment including the adoption of healthy lifestyle behaviors. PwMS were recruited to the study using online platforms and asked to complete a comprehensive online survey. Data from 2,233 respondents were analysed. Bivariate results indicated that PwMS who had attended a retreat (n = 247), read the associated book (n = 1,167) or regularly visited online sites promoting lifestyle modification (n = 795), had better HRQOL and lower rates of depression and fatigue than those who had not. The depression risk among retreat attendees (8.6 %) was around half that of the whole sample. Regression analysis showed that, controlling for age and gender, compared to the highest level of engagement, no engagement with the resources was associated with nearly threefold higher odds of clinically significant fatigue, tenfold higher odds of depression risk, and physical and mental HRQOL scores 19.5 and 15.6 points lower, respectively. These results are congruent with previously reported post-retreat improvements in HRQOL, and strongly support a role for patient engagement in resources promoting lifestyle modification. Physicians should encourage more active involvement of PwMS in their own health care

Probabilistic adaptive model predictive power pinch analysis (PoPA) energy management approach to uncertainty

This paper proposes a probabilistic power pinch analysis (PoPA) approach based on Monte–Carlo simulation (MCS) for energy management of hybrid energy systems uncertainty. The systems power grand composite curve is formulated with the chance constraint method to consider load stochasticity. In a predictive control horizon, the power grand composite curve is shaped based on the pinch analysis approach. The robust energy management strategy effected in a control horizon is inferred from the likelihood of a bounded predicted power grand composite curve, violating the pinch. Furthermore, the response of the system using the energy management strategies (EMS) of the proposed method is evaluated against the day-ahead (DA) and adaptive power pinch strategy

Teleparallel Versions of Friedmann and Lewis-Papapetrou Spacetimes

This paper is devoted to investigate the teleparallel versions of the Friedmann models as well as the Lewis-Papapetrou solution. We obtain the tetrad and the torsion fields for both the spacetimes. It is shown that the axial-vector vanishes for the Friedmann models. We discuss the different possibilities of the axial-vector depending on the arbitrary functions $\omega$ and $\psi$ in the Lewis-Papapetrou metric. The vector related with spin has also been evaluated.Comment: 13 pages, accepted for publication in GR

Generalised second law of thermodynamics for interacting dark energy in the DGP brane world

In this paper, we investigate the validity of the generalized second law of thermodynamics (GSLT) in the DGP brane world when universe is filled with interacting two fluid system: one in the form of cold dark matter and other is holographic dark energy. The boundary of the universe is assumed to be enclosed by the dynamical apparent horizon or the event horizon. The universe is chosen to be homogeneous and isotropic FRW model and the validity of the first law has been assumed here

Teleparallel Energy-Momentum Distribution of Spatially Homogeneous Rotating Spacetimes

The energy-momentum distribution of spatially homogeneous rotating spacetimes in the context of teleparallel theory of gravity is investigated. For this purpose, we use the teleparallel version of Moller prescription. It is found that the components of energy-momentum density are finite and well-defined but are different from General Relativity. However, the energy-momentum density components become the same in both theories under certain assumptions. We also analyse these quantities for some special solutions of the spatially homogeneous rotating spacetimes.Comment: 12 pages, accepted for publication in Int. J. Theor. Phy

IMAGINE-IMpact Assessment of Guidelines Implementation and Education : The Next Frontier for Harmonising Urological Practice Across Europe by Improving Adherence to Guidelines

Funding support: The IMAGINE ADT audit is supported by a seeding grant from the EAU Research Foundation.Peer reviewedPostprin

Star Models with Dark Energy

We have constructed star models consisting of four parts: (i) a homogeneous inner core with anisotropic pressure (ii) an infinitesimal thin shell separating the core and the envelope; (iii) an envelope of inhomogeneous density and isotropic pressure; (iv) an infinitesimal thin shell matching the envelope boundary and the exterior Schwarzschild spacetime. We have analyzed all the energy conditions for the core, envelope and the two thin shells. We have found that, in order to have static solutions, at least one of the regions must be constituted by dark energy. The results show that there is no physical reason to have a superior limit for the mass of these objects but for the ratio of mass and radius.Comment: 20 pages, 1 figure, references and some comments added, typos corrected, in press GR