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Abstract Background Eating in absence of hunger is quite common and often associated with an increased energy intake co-existent with a poorer food choice. Intuitive eating (IE), i.e., eating in accordance with internal hunger and satiety cues, may protect from overeating. IE, however, requires accurate perception and processing of one’s own bodily signals, also referred to as interoceptive sensitivity. Training interoceptive sensitivity might therefore be an effective method to promote IE and prevent overeating. As most studies on eating behavior are conducted in younger adults and close social relationships influence health-related behavior, this study focuses on middle-aged and older couples. Methods The present pilot randomized intervention study aims at investigating the feasibility and effectiveness of a 21-day mindfulness-based training program designed to increase interoceptive sensitivity. A total of N = 60 couples participating in the NutriAct Family Study, aged 50–80 years, will be recruited. This randomized-controlled intervention study comprises three measurement points (pre-intervention, post-intervention, 4-week follow-up) and a 21-day training that consists of daily mindfulness-based guided audio exercises (e.g., body scan). A three-arm intervention study design is applied to compare two intervention groups (training together as a couple vs. training alone) with a control group (no training). Each measurement point includes the assessment of self-reported and objective indicators of interoceptive sensitivity (primary outcome), self-reported indicators of intuitive and maladaptive eating (secondary outcomes), and additional variables. A training evaluation applying focus group discussions will be conducted to assess participants’ overall acceptance of the training and its feasibility. Discussion By investigating the feasibility and effectiveness of a mindfulness-based training program to increase interoceptive sensitivity, the present study will contribute to a deeper understanding of how to promote healthy eating in older age. Trial registration German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS), no. DRKS00024903. Retrospectively registered on April 21, 2021.

Background: Intraocular lenses with a negative aspherical design for correction of corneal spherical aberration (SA) have gained popularity in recent decades. In most cases, a 'one size fits all' concept is followed, where all eyes receive lenses with the same SA correction. The purpose of this study is to develop a strategy based on raytracing using anterior segment tomography data to extract corneal SA and to provide simple multivariable linear models for prediction of corneal SA., Methods: The analysis was based on a large dataset of 8737 measurements of 8737 eyes from 1 clinical centre, using the Casia2 anterior segment tomographer. An optical model based on: corneal front and back surface radius Ra and Rp, asphericities Qa and Qp, corneal thickness CCT, anterior chamber depth ACD, and pupil centre position (X-Y position: Pup X and Pup Y ), was defined for each measurement. Corneal SA was derived using a 6-mm aperture perpendicular to the incident ray and centred on the chief ray, and linear prediction models were derived for SA using biometric data. Cross-validation was used for model performance evaluation., Results: Using raytracing, the wavefront error within an aperture (6-mm diameter centred on the intersection of the chief ray with the cornea) was calculated and corneal SA was extracted. After identifying the relevant effect sizes (Ra, Qa, Rp Qp, ACD, Pup X and Pup Y ) using stepwise linear regression, linear mixed-effects models (model 1: all effect sizes, model 2: Ra, Qa, Rp and Qp, model 3: Ra and Qa) were set up on the training data in terms of a Monte-Carlo simulation. On the test data (training data), model 1 with a mean absolute/root-mean-squared prediction error of 0.0095/0.0130 (0.0095/0.0127) performed similarly to model 2 with 0.0097/0.0131 (0.0096/0.0127), and both outperformed model3 with 0.0152/0.0197 (0.0148/0.0190)., Conclusion: Based on the Casia2 anterior segment tomographer, corneal SA could be derived using shape data (curvature and asphericities) of both corneal surfaces (model 2). This information could easily be used for selection of the appropriate negative aspherical lens design in cataract surgery., (© 2022 The Authors. Acta Ophthalmologica published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica Foundation.)

To elucidate the dependence of the nonlinear optical (NLO) response on the conformation of triply branched derivatives, a new series of D-pi-A dendrimers has been synthesized. A combined approach of experiments (UV-vis and EOA measurements) and computational predictions (semiempirical and ab initio) was applied both on the dendrimers and on the corresponding single-strand chromophores. It has been shown that depending on the surrounding media the NLO activity of a flexible dendrimer can be very different. Two limiting cases are proposed: (i) the dendrimer resembles a solution of the corresponding single-strand chromophores with about 3-fold concentration, where the hyperpolarizability is the sum of the effect of three noninteracting single-strand subunits ("independent chromophores" limit); (ii) the dendrimers show nearly parallel or helical alignments of the single-strand subunits. Because of this change of conformation the NLO activity can be enhanced up to nine times the value of the "independent chromophores" limit and, thus, are more than a single strand chromophore. Conformers of dendrimers with interacting single-strand chromophores have been identified experimentally in nonpolar solutions by the EOA spectroscopy and possible structures have been revealed by numerical calculations, which could moreover show the tendency of the effects on the hyperpolarizability due to structural changes of the flexible dendritic architecture. Implications for future research developments are given to implement the "more than three times" concept.

Photolysis into the longest wavelength absorption band of 2-tert-butyl-2,3-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]oct-3-yl hydrazine (Hy) substituted naphthalenes causes aryl group reduction electron transfer to give (+)Hy-Ar(-). Electrooptical absorption measurements characterize the charge separation properties from these bands. Emission studies demonstrate that the separation between absorption and emission maxima for symmetrically disubstituted compounds is smaller than that for monosubstituted compounds, which is attributed to excited-state intervalence. The excited-state diabatic surfaces may be described as a Hy(+)-NA(- )-Hy(0), Hy(0)-NA(-)-Hy(+) pair, for which electronic interaction produces a double minimum that qualitatively resembles that in the ground state of the disubstituted intervalence radical cations.

The performance of amorphous organic photorefractive (PR) materials in applications such as optical data storage is generally limited by the concentration of active molecules (chromophores) that can be incorporated into the host without forming a crystalline material with poor optical quality. In polymeric PR systems described previously, performance has been limited by the necessity of devoting a large fraction of the material to inert polymer and plasticizing components in order to ensure compositional stability. A new class of organic PR materials composed of multifunctional glass-forming organic chromophores is described that have long-term stability and greatly improved PR properties.

Objective: To assess the relative efficacy of methotrexate (MTX), azathioprine (AZA), and their combination in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in a double-blind, prospective, multicenter, controlled trial., Methods: Two hundred nine patients with active RA were treated with escalating doses of MTX (5-15 mg/week), AZA (50-150 mg/day), or combination (5mg MTX/week plus 50 mg AZA/day-7.5 mg MTX/week plus 100 mg AZA/day), with opportunity to increase the dosage at 6-week intervals. The patients were evaluated for significant clinical and laboratory improvement and assessed for radiologic progression at 48 weeks., Results: One hundred ten patients remained on the initial, randomly assigned therapeutic regimen. The percentage of patients who were responders, defined as those who had 30% or greater improvement in at least 3 of 4 variables, was 38% for the combination treatment, 26% for AZA, and 45% for MTX (P = 0.06). A trend toward decreased radiologic progression was seen in the MTX-treated patients. Termination of treatment due to adverse experience occurred more frequently with combination and AZA treatments than with MTX treatment. Lack of effectiveness, adverse gastrointestinal effects, and liver enzyme elevation were the most frequent causes of treatment discontinuation., Conclusion: This study establishes that the combination of MTX and AZA in the dosages utilized is not associated with more toxicity than treatment with single agents; however, enhanced efficacy is also not seen. There is a trend toward decreased radiologic progression in patients treated with MTX.