Rate of change of circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D following sublingual and capsular vitamin D preparations

Background: Vitamin D is critical for skeletal health and is increasingly associated with other pathologies encompassing gastrointestinal, immunological, psychological effects. A significant proportion of the population exhibit suboptimal levels of vitamin D, particularly in Northern latitudes in winter. Supplementation is advocated, but few data are available on achievable or typical rates of change. There has been considerable interest in the potential use of sublingual sprays for delivery of nutrient supplements, but data on efficacy remains sparse. Methods: A randomised, placebo-controlled, 3-arm parallel design study was conducted in healthy volunteers (n=75) to compare the rate of change of vitamin D status in response to vitamin D3 (3000IU/day) supplementation in capsule and sublingual spray preparations over a six-week period between January and April 2017. Blood 25(OH)D concentrations were measured after day 0, 3, 7, 14, 21 and 42 days of supplementation with 3000IU per diem. Results: Baseline measurements show 25(OH)D deficiency (50mmol/l) in 14.9%, 44.6% and 40.5% of the participants respectively. There was a significant elevation in blood concentrations of 25(OH)D in both of the treatment arms (capsule p=0.003, spray p=0.001) compared to control. The capsule and spray were equally efficacious. The rate of change ranged from 0.69-3.93 (capsule) and 0.64-3.34 (spray) nmol/L day with average change in blood 25(OH)D levels of 2 nmol/l/day. Rates followed a simple normal distribution in the study population (ks= 0.94 and 0.82 for capsule and spray respectively). The data suggest that rates of change are higher in individuals with lower levels of 25(OH)D. Conclusions: A sublingual vitamin D spray is an effective mode of delivery for supplementation in a healthy population. The data provide reference values and ranges for the rate of change of 25(OH)D for nutrikinetic analyses

Ostracods from freshwater and brackish environments of the Carboniferous of the Midland Valley of Scotland : the early colonization of terrestrial water bodies

The Mississippian Strathclyde Group of the Midland Valley of Scotland yields some of the earliest non-marine ostracods. The succession records shallow marine, deltaic, estuarine, lagoonal, lacustrine, fluvial and swamp environments representing a series of staging-posts between fully marine and limnetic settings. Macrofossils and ostracods are assigned to marine, marginal marine, brackish and freshwater environments based on their faunal assemblage patterns. Key brackish to freshwater ostracods are Geisina arcuata, Paraparchites circularis n. sp., Shemonaella ornata n. sp. and Silenites sp. A, associated with the bivalves Anthraconaia, Carbonicola, Cardiopteridium, Curvirimula, Naiadites, the microconchid ‘Spirorbis’, Spinicaudata and fish. Many Platycopina and Paraparchiticopina ostracods are interpreted as euryhaline, which corresponds with their occurrence in marine to coastal plain water bodies, and supports the ‘estuary effect’ hypothesis of non-marine colonization. The success of non-marine colonization by ostracods was dependent on the intrinsic adaptations of ostracod species to lower salinities, such as new reproductive strategies and the timing of extrinsic mechanisms to drive non-marine colonization, such as sea-level change. The genus Carbonita is the oldest and most common freshwater ostracod, and went on to dominate freshwater environments in the Late Palaeozoic

Vitamin D supplementation in people with IBS has no effect on symptom severity and quality of life : results of a randomised controlled trial

Purpose Several small trials suggest a benefit of vitamin D supplementation in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The generalisability of these reports is limited by their design and scale. This study aimed to assess whether vitamin D supplementation improved IBS symptoms in a UK community setting. Methods This was a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Participants were recruited from the community in winter months between December 2017 and March 2019. 135 participants received either vitamin D (3,000 IU p.d.) or placebo for 12 weeks. The primary outcome measure was change in IBS symptom severity; secondary outcomes included change in IBS-related quality of life. Results The participants were analysed on an intent-to-treat basis. 60% of participants were vitamin D deficient or insufficient at baseline. Although vitamin D levels increased in the intervention arm relative to placebo (45.1 ± 32.88 nmol/L vs 3.1 ± 26.15 nmol/L; p < 0.001). There was no difference in the change of IBS symptom severity between the active and placebo trial arms (− 62.5 ± 91.57 vs – 75.2 ± 84.35, p = 0.426) over time. Similarly there was no difference between trial arms in τhe change in quality of life (− 7.7 ± 25.36 vs – 11.31 ± 25.02, p = 0.427). Conclusions There is no case for advocating use of vitamin D in the management of IBS symptoms. The prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency suggests routine screening and supplementation should be implemented in this population for general health reasons. This trial was retrospectively registered with ISRCTN (ISRCTN13277340) on 24th April 2018 after recruiting had been initiated

An Investigation of the Material Properties of Laser Sintered Parts Incorporating Conformal Lattice Structures (CLS™) Technology

Cellular materials, including foams, honeycombs, lattices, and similar constructions, offer the key advantages of high strength-to-weight ratios and favorable energy absorption characteristics. The concept of designed cellular materials enables customized material placement to best suit the demands of specific applications or achieve particular performance targets. The design, generation, and fabrication of conformal lattice structures via laser sintering are at the center of the disruptive manufacturing technologies proposed by 3D Systems Corporation. The primary work reported here is the maturation and mechanical testing of the conformal lattice structure technology developed between 3D Systems Corporation and the Georgia Institute of Technology.Mechanical Engineerin

OSETI with STACEE: A Search for Nanosecond Optical Transients from Nearby Stars

We have used the STACEE high-energy gamma-ray detector to look for fast blue-green laser pulses from the vicinity of 187 stars. The STACEE detector offers unprecedented light-collecting capability for the detection of nanosecond pulses from such lasers. We estimate STACEE's sensitivity to be approximately 10 photons per square meter at a wavelength of 420 nm. The stars have been chosen because their characteristics are such that they may harbor habitable planets and they are relatively close to Earth. Each star was observed for 10 minutes and we found no evidence for laser pulses in any of the data sets.Comment: 38 pages, 12 figures. Accepted for publication in Astrobiolog

Relativistic many-body calculations of electric-dipole matrix elements, lifetimes and polarizabilities in rubidium

Electric-dipole matrix elements for ns-n'p, nd-n'p, and 6d-4f transitions in Rb are calculated using a relativistic all-order method. A third-order calculation is also carried out for these matrix elements to evaluate the importance of the high-order many-body perturbation theory contributions. The all-order matrix elements are used to evaluate lifetimes of ns and np levels with n=6, 7, 8 and nd levels with n=4, 5, 6 for comparison with experiment and to provide benchmark values for these lifetimes. The dynamic polarizabilities are calculated for ns states of rubidium. The resulting lifetime and polarizability values are compared with available theory and experiment.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figure

Optimizing the fast Rydberg quantum gate

The fast phase gate scheme, in which the qubits are atoms confined in sites of an optical lattice, and gate operations are mediated by excitation of Rydberg states, was proposed by Jaksch et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 2208 (2000). A potential source of decoherence in this system derives from motional heating, which occurs if the ground and Rydberg states of the atom move in different optical lattice potentials. We propose to minimize this effect by choosing the lattice photon frequency \omega so that the ground and Rydberg states have the same frequency-dependent polarizability \alpha(omega). The results are presented for the case of Rb.Comment: 5 pages, submitted to PR

A long-term strategic plan for development of solar thermal electric technology

Solar thermal electric (STE) technologies--parabolic troughs, power towers, and dish/engine systems--can convert sunlight into electricity efficiently and with minimum effect on the environment. These technologies currently range from developmental to early commercial stages of maturity. This paper summarizes the results of a recent strategic planning effort conducted by the US department of Energy (DOE) to develop a long-term strategy for the development of STE technologies. The planning team led by DOE included representatives from the solar thermal industry, domestic utilities, state energy offices, and Sun{center_dot}Lab (the cooperative Sandia National laboratories/National Renewable Energy Laboratory partnership that supports the STE Program) as well as project developers. The plan was aimed at identifying specific activities necessary to achieve the DOE vision of 20 gigawatts of installed STE capability by the year 2020. The planning team developed five strategies that both build on the strengths of, and opportunities for, STE technology and address weaknesses and threats. These strategies are to: support future commercial opportunities for STE technologies; demonstrate improved performance and reliability of STE components and systems; reduce STE energy costs; develop advanced STE systems and applications; and address nontechnical barriers and champion STE power. The details of each of these strategies are discussed

The STACEE-32 Ground Based Gamma-ray Detector

We describe the design and performance of the Solar Tower Atmospheric Cherenkov Effect Experiment detector in its initial configuration (STACEE-32). STACEE is a new ground-based gamma ray detector using the atmospheric Cherenkov technique. In STACEE, the heliostats of a solar energy research array are used to collect and focus the Cherenkov photons produced in gamma-ray induced air showers. The large Cherenkov photon collection area of STACEE results in a gamma-ray energy threshold below that of previous detectors.Comment: 45 pages, 25 figures, Accepted for publication in Nuclear Instruments and Methods