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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.)

The idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) constitute a subset of autoimmune conditions primarily affecting muscle, along with many extra-muscular manifestations. Proximal muscle weakness is the dominant symptom in the IIM. In addition, many patients will have cutaneous manifestations, pulmonary manifestations, and arthritis. There is an increased incidence of malignancy with the IIM. Diagnostic tools beyond history and physical exam include serum muscle enzyme and autoantibody testing, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the extremities, ultrasound, neurologic testing, and muscle biopsy. Several options for treatment are reviewed.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are a class of analgesics that includes traditional nonselective and selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors that block the biosynthesis of prostaglandins and thromboxane. Indomethacin is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug with potent antipyretic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory activity that has been effectively used in the management of mild-to-moderate pain since the mid-1960s. It is commonly prescribed for the relief of acute gouty arthritis pain, but has demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of various other painful conditions. Numerous comparative studies have affirmed the clinical utility of indomethacin relative to other widely used analgesics. This review provides an historic overview of indomethacin and its efficacy compared with other commonly used analgesics, and discusses new indomethacin drug products.

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.

[(18)F]Fluoroethylcholine has been recently introduced as a promising (18)F-labelled analogue of [(11)C]choline which had been previously described as a tracer for metabolic cancer imaging with positron emission tomography (PET). Due to the practical advantages of using the longer-lived radioisotope (18)F (t(1/2)=110 min), offering the opportunity of a more widespread clinical application, we established a reliable, fully automated synthesis for its production using a modified, commercially available module. [(18)F]Fluoroethylcholine was prepared from N,N-dimethylaminoethanol by iodide catalyzed alkylation with 1-[(18)F]fluoro-2-tosylethane as alkylating agent, resulting in a total radiochemical yield of 30+/-6% after a synthesis time of 50 min. The specific activity of [(18)F]fluoroethylcholine was >55 GBq/micromol and the radiochemical purity 95-99%.

A combined experimental (optical and electro-optical absorption measurements) and computational (ab initio RHF and DFT) approach has been used to investigate the molecular low- and high-T(g) photorefractive (PR) performances of neutral and zwitterionic heteroaromatic dipolar chromophores in terms of structural and solvent-polarity effects. We have found that the nature of the building units (donor, acceptor, and spacer) and the polarity of the surrounding medium strongly affect all the relevant ground-state and nonlinear optical properties involved in the PR activity, that is, the dipole moment, the polarizability anisotropy, and first hyperpolarizability of the electronic ground-state. The variation of these properties is in turn transferred to molecular low- and high-T(g) PR figures of merit. It is shown that PR molecular performance not only relies on a proper choice of structural components but varies by orders of magnitude as a function of the medium polarity, and this suggests that a combination of molecular design and host-matrix engineering is required for optimized performances of PR materials.

We synthesized a series of amino substituted triarylboranes (TABs) 1-3 by copper(I)-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions. The title compounds were investigated by means of cyclic voltammetry (CV) and UV-visible absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. Electrochemical oxidation of tris(4-carbazolyl-2,6-dimethylphenyl)borane (3) leads to the formation of an electroactive polymer film on the electrode surface. The charge-transfer (CT) absorption band of all three TABs shows a pronounced negative solvatochromism, while the emission is positively solvatochromic. By combining Jortner's theory, AM1 computations, and electrooptical absorption measurements (EOAM), this unexpected behavior was shown to be due to a dipole inversion upon S0-->S1 excitation. Furthermore, polarized steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy and EOAM prove that the ground-state geometry of 3 is of lower symmetry than D3 and that the excitation energy can be transferred from one subchromophore to another within the lifetime of the excited state. Exciton-coupling theory was used to quantitatively analyze this excitation transfer.

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.

Objective: To determine whether the prevalence of gout and/or clinically significant hyperuricemia increased in a managed care population over 10 years., Methods: The study was a descriptive analysis utilizing an administrative claims database to ascertain 10-year trends in prevalence of gout and/or hyperuricemia. Prevalence rates were calculated cross-sectionally for each year (1990-99) and expressed/compared as rates per 1000 enrollees., Results: The prevalence of gout and/or hyperuricemia in the overall population increased by about 2 cases per 1000 enrollees over 10 years. In the > 75 year age group, rates increased from 21 per 1000 persons in 1990 to 41 per 1000 in 1999. In the 65-74 year age group, prevalence increased from between 21 and 24 per 1000 persons in the years 1990-92 to over 31 per 1000 during the years 1997-99. Prevalence rates in younger age groups (< 65 years) stayed consistently low during the years under study. There were sex differences in most age groups, with men having the greater burden of disease at every time point., Conclusion: Prevalence of gout and/or hyperuricemia in the overall study population increased during the 10-year period. When stratified by age, there were increases in prevalence among groups over age 65 in both sexes. Although gout prevalence increased in both sexes over the 10-year period, men still had most of the burden of disease. In ages younger than 65, men had 4 times higher prevalence than women (4:1 ratio), but in the older age groups (> 65), the gender gap narrowed to 1 woman to every 3 men with gout and/or hyperuricemia (3:1 ratio).

The synthesis of three novel nonlinear optical (NLO) chromophores with threefold symmetry, namely 1,3,5-tris(4-N,N-diethylaminophenyl)-2,4,6-tris(4-nitrophenyl)benzene (3), 1,3,5-tris(4-N,N-dihexylaminophenylbutadiynyl)-2,4,6-tris(4-nitrophenyl)benzene (13) and 1,3,5-tris(4-N,N-dihexylaminophenylethynyl)-2,4,6-tris(4-nitrophenylethynyl)benzene (4 b), is reported. We used the [Co(2)(CO)(8)]-catalysed trimerisation of 4-N,N-diethylamino-4'-nitrotolane (5) to prepare 3. The trimerisation experiment carried out with 1-(4-N,N-diethylaminophenyl)-6-(4-N,N-nitrophenyl)hexatriyne (6) and [Rh(PPh(3))(3)Cl] afforded 13. A stepwise approach was used to prepare 4 b. 1,3,5-Trichloro-2,4,6-triiodobenzene (8 b) was coupled with 4-nitrophenyl-acetylene (14) under Pd(0) catalysis to yield 1,3,5-trichloro-2,4,6-tris(4-nitrophenylethynyl)benzene (15). The coupling reaction of 15 with 4-N,N-dihexylaminophenylethynyltributylstannane (21) led to 4 b. X-ray investigations on 3, 4 b and 13 confirmed the structural assignments and revealed that the peripheral aryl rings in 4 b are less twisted around the connecting bonds than in 3 and 13. A large second-order polarisability (beta) of 4 b relative to 3 and 13 was determined by hyper-Rayleigh scattering (HRS). Compound 4 b represents an NLO chromophore with second-order polarisabily among the highest obtained so far for two-dimensional nondipolar NLO chromophores.

The strongly enhanced cooperative influence of medium polarity and organic structural design on the first hyperpolarizability beta of a novel family of highly polarizable azinium-(CH=CH-thienyl)-dicyanomethanido chromophores 1-3 is described. The dyes can be efficiently synthesized by regioselective protonation/alkylation of the corresponding bidentate anion precursors. Consecutive annelation of the pyridyl ring of 1 (pyridine-->quinoline-->acridine) and medium polarity effects are responsible for an extraordinarily variable range of intramolecular charge transfer (ICT), leading to a large set of pi-electron distribution patterns. Accordingly, systems with remarkably different zwitterionic/quinoid character in the ground and excited states present beta values in a broad range, eventually switching from negative to positive. Our investigation is based on a combination of experimental (UV/Vis spectroscopy, multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, and electrooptical absorption measurements) and computational (ab initio) approaches. It is shown that: 1) beta and mubeta are dramatically influenced, even by orders of magnitude, by a complex, non-monotonic interplay of structure and medium action, which in turn affects molecular ICT and bond length alternation (BLA), 2) the computations, validated by different experimental data, are to be recommended as an extremely useful tool in the search for a greatly improved set of molecular nonlinear optical (NLO) responses (in the case of 1-3 they show that such conditions may be attained only in a narrow and limited range of dielectric constants in which the annelation effect operates most efficiently), and 3) the search for the most favorable molecular NLO response of a highly polarizable chromophore both in solution and in solid matrices should simultaneously take into account not only the molecular design supplemented by annelation effects but also the polarity of the medium.

Aggregation of polar merocyanine dyes has been identified as an important problem in the fabrication of organic materials for photonic applications. In this work, a series of merocyanine dyes is synthesized, and their aggregation is investigated by a combination of several experimental techniques to reveal structure-property relationships. These studies provide clear evidence for the formation of centrosymmetric dimers for all investigated merocyanines in concentrated solution and in the solid state. The thermodynamics of dimerization in liquid solution is studied by concentration-dependent permittivity measurements, UV-vis spectroscopy, and electrooptical absorption experiments. A centrosymmetric dimer structure with antiparallel ordering of the dipole moments is observed in solution by 2D NMR spectroscopy as well as in the solid state by X-ray crystallography and interpreted in terms of dipolar and pi-pi interactions. The optical properties of the dimer aggregates are satisfactorily explained by an excitonic coupling model. The effect of an external electric field on the dimerization equilibrium is considered and quantitatively determined by electrooptical absorption measurements. Implications of the observed findings on the design of nonlinear optical and photorefractive materials are discussed.

A general synthetic approach to variously polarised merocyanines and a cyanine with enhanced thermal and (photo)chemical stability by a locked all-trans conformation (derived from a rigidified hexatriene unit and a variety of common donor and acceptor groups) is presented as well as a systematic study of their (non)linear optical properties. Apart from the UV/Vis absorption and fluorescence behaviour, the ground- and excited-state dipoles, the first-, second- and third-order molecular polarisabilities were determined by electro-optical absorption measurements (EOAM) and degenerate four-wave mixing (DFWM) techniques in solution. Large values for the second- and third-order polarisability up to beta(0)=461x10(-50) C V(-2) m(3) (1242x10(-30) esu) and [gamma(LL)]=183x10(-60) C V(-3) m(4) (15x10(-34) esu) were found. The linear and nonlinear optical properties were related to the ground-state polarisation and the resonance structure of the chromophores. In order to reveal the influence of the length of the polymethinic chain (number of pi electrons within the chromophore), some lower homologues shortened by one C=C (double) bond were also taken into account. The unexpectedly high gamma values of some of the merocyanines cannot be explained by a two-level model. Molecular vibrational third- order polarisabilities (calculated from absolute Raman intensities in solution) were qualitatively correlated to the DFWM results. Furthermore, the dependence of the (13)C NMR chemical shifts of the polymethinic carbons within the merocyanines upon ground-state polarisation was investigated and compared to those within a corresponding cyanine.

During the last years, significant progress has been achieved in understanding the mechanism of the photorefractive effect in amorphous organic materials. New chromophores could be devised which provided a substantial increase in the electrooptical response and lead to photorefractive materials with unprecedented refractive index modulation (delta n = 10(-2) at E = 28 V micron-1) and two-beam coupling gain. These improvements could only be accomplished by optimizing the electronic structure of highly conjugated merocyanine dyes to perfectly balanced dyes in the charge resonance limit (such as aminothienyl oxopyridone (ATOP) and indoline dimethine oxopyridone (IDOP) derivatives), considering effects of supramolecular ordering (dipolar aggregation), and adjusting the compatibility of the dyes to photoconducting polymers (like poly-N-vinylcarbazole). In particular, optimized glass-forming dyes (such as 2BNCM and ATOP-4) combine the dual functionalities of charge transport and electrooptical response and exhibit photorefractivity even in absence of any additional photoconductor.

A ground-state dimer (denoted D(I)) exhibiting a strong absorption maximum at 477 nm (epsilon = 97 000 M(-1)cm(-1)) can form between adjacent BODIPY groups attached to mutant forms of the protein, plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1). No fluorescence from excited D(I) was detected. A locally high concentration of BODIPY groups was also achieved by doping lipid phases (micelles, vesicles) with BODIPY-labeled lipids. In addition to an absorption band located at about 480 nm, a new weak absorption band is also observed at ca. 570 nm. Both bands are ascribed to the formation of BODIPY dimers of different conformation (D(I) and D(II)). Contrary to D(I) in PAI-1, the D(II) aggregates absorbing at 570 nm are emitting light observed as a broad band centered at about 630 nm. The integrated absorption band of D(I) is about twice that of the monomer, which is compatible with exciton coupling within a dimer. The Förster radius of electronic energy transfer between a BODIPY excited monomer and the ground-state dimer (D(I)()) is 57 +/- 2 A. A simple model of exciton coupling suggests that in D(I) two BODIPY groups are stacked on top of each other in a sandwich-like configuration with parallel electronic transition dipoles. For D(II) the model suggests that the S(0) --> S(1) transition dipoles are colinear. An explanation for the previously reported (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1994, 116, 7801) exceptional light spectroscopic properties of BODIPY is also presented. These are ascribed to the extraordinary electric properties of the BODIPY chromophore. First, changes of the permanent electric dipole moment (Delta(mu) approximately -0.05 D) and polarizability (-26 x 10(-40) C m(2) V(-1)) between the ground and the first excited states are small. Second, the S(0) <--> S(1) electronic transition dipole moments are perpendicular to Delta(mu).

This paper reports synthesis, characterization and structural optimization of amino-thienyl-dioxocyano-pyridine (ATOP) chromophores toward a multifunctional amorphous material with unprecedented photorefractive performance. The structural (dynamic NMR, XRD) and electronic (UV/vis, electrooptical absorption, Kerr effect measurements) characterization of the ATOP chromophore revealed a cyanine-type pi-conjugated system with an intense and narrow absorption band (epsilon(max) = 140 000 L mol(-)(1) cm(-)(1)), high polarizability anisotropy (deltaalpha(0) = 55 x 10(-)(40) C V(-)(1) m(2)), and a large dipole moment (13 D). This combination of molecular electronic properties is a prerequisite for strong electrooptical response in photorefractive materials with low glass-transition temperature (T(g)). Other important materials-related properties such as compatibility with the photoconducting poly(N-vinylcarbazole) (PVK) host matrix, low melting point, low T(g), and film-forming capabilities were optimized by variation of four different alkyl substituents attached to the ATOP core. A morphologically stable PVK-based composite containing 40 wt % of ATOP-3 showed an excellent photorefractive response characterized by a refractive index modulation of Deltan approximately 0.007 and a gain coefficient of Gamma approximately 180 cm(-)(1) at a moderate electrical field strength of E = 35 V microm(-)(1). Even larger effects were observed with thin amorphous films consisting of the pure glass-forming dye ATOP-4 (T(g) = 16 degrees C) and 1 wt % of the photosensitizer 2,4,7-trinitro-9-fluorenylidene-malononitrile (TNFM). This material showed complete internal diffraction at a field strength of only E = 10 V microm(-)(1) and Deltan reached 0.01 at only E = 22 V microm(-)(1) without addition of any specific photoconductor.

One of the earliest described conditions, gout continues to plague humanity. It is characterised by the deposition of monosodium urate crystals in the joints and soft tissue. The main clinical features of gout are hyperuricaemia, acute monoarticular arthritis, tophi and chronic arthritis, along with nephrolithiasis. Gout typically occurs in middle age and more commonly in men. Asymptomatic hyperuricaemia does not require treatment. The initial attack of acute gout usually affects a single joint, often the first metatarsal phalangeal joint. Definitive diagnosis requires demonstration of urate crystals in the joint fluid. Treatment of acute gout includes nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), colchicine and corticosteroids. The most important factor in success of treatment is how quickly therapy is begun after onset of symptoms. Drug treatment of hyperuricaemia includes allopurinol, sulfinpyrazone, probenecid and benzbromarone and should be used in patients with frequent gout attacks, tophi or urate nephropathy.

The kinetic turbidimetric limulus amebocyte lysate test was validated as method for detecting endotoxins in short-lived radiopharmaceutical samples. Using this method, radiopharmaceuticals can be released for administration to humans after the test, without extensive loss of radioactivity. Inhibition or enhancement on the LAL results by the product samples were examined in more detail and eliminated.

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.