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Cell inflammation disrupts intestinal barrier functions and may cause disorders related to a leaky gut, possibly leading to diabetes. The objective of this study was to determine if carao (Cassia grandis) incorporated into yogurt enhances in vitro intestinal barrier function. To achieve this goal, Caco-2 cells were used as a model of intestinal barrier permeability. Caco-2 cells were treated with cytokines (interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, interferon-γ, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)) and yogurt with carao yogurt (CY) at different doses (1.3 g/L, 2.65 g/L, and 5.3 g/L). Real-time quantitative polymerase chain and immunofluorescence microscopy were applied to evaluate the expression and localization of tight junction proteins. Functional effects of the formulation of yogurt supplemented with carao were also evaluated in terms of the antioxidant activity, the α-glycosidase activity, and lipase inhibitory properties. In addition, the hypoglycemic potential was validated in vivo in a rat model. Compared to the control yogurt, Caco-2 TEER (transepithelial electrical resistance evaluation) by yogurt with 5.3 g/L of carao was significantly lower (p < 0.05) after 48 h. Yogurt with 5.3 g/L of carao had a considerably lower permeability (p < 0.05) than control yogurt in FD and LY flux. Yogurt with 5.3 g/L of carao enhanced the localization of ZO-1. Carao addition into yogurt increased the flavonoid content, apparent viscosity, lipase inhibition activity, and α-glycosidase activity. The rats fed with the yogurt with 5.3 g/L of carao demonstrated a higher blood glucose modulation.

Drug recalls and lawsuits against pharmaceutical manufacturers are accompanied by announcements emphasizing harmful drug side-effects. Those with elevated health anxiety may be more reactive to such announcements. We evaluated whether health anxiety and financial incentives affect subjective symptom endorsement, and objective outcomes of cognitive and physiological functioning during a mock drug recall. Hundred and sixty-one participants reported use of over-the-counter pain medications and presented with a fictitious medication recall via a mock Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website. The opportunity to join a class-action lawsuit was manipulated. We assessed health anxiety, recalled drug usage, blood pressure, heart rate, and performance on a computerized Trail Making Test (TMT). Symptom endorsement was strongly predicted by health anxiety. When combined, three health anxiety measures explained 28.5% variance (Cohen’s d = 1.26). These effects remain strong after controlling for depression and anxiety. Litigation condition did not predict symptom endorsement. Blood pressure and heart rate were modestly predicted by health anxiety, but not by litigation condition. TMT performance was consistently predicted by health anxiety, with higher scores associated with poorer performance. Although there were no main effects for litigation, interactions consistently emerged for the TMT, with generally poorer performance for those with higher health anxiety in the non-litigation condition; whereas health anxiety was unrelated to performance for the litigation condition. All but one participant joined the litigation when given the opportunity, despite a healthy sample and minimal use of pain medication. Subsequent data from 67 individuals with no mention of the FDA scenario or litigation showed that health anxiety still significantly predicts symptom endorsement (12.6% variance), but the explained variance is less than half that obtained in the FDA scenario. The findings suggest that health anxiety plays a significant role in adverse symptom reporting, beyond anxiety or depression, and this effect is independent of the presence of the FDA recall. The lack of differences for health anxiety and symptom endorsement between litigation and non-litigation conditions rules out malingering. Although it is general practice in drug recalls to list potential adverse side effects caused by medications, this may elicit unintended symptom experiences and health anxious individuals may be more susceptible.

Nonequilibrium dynamics of transverse optical (TO) phonons in few-layer hexagonal boron nitride is studied in mid-infrared pump-probe experiments. TO phonons display a 1.2 ps lifetime and a transient redshift due to anharmonic coupling with low-frequency interlayer modes.

International audience; Nonequilibrium dynamics of TO phonons and low-frequency interlayer shear modes are mapped in femtosecond mid-infrared pump-probe experiments. Time-resolved changes of TO phonon absorption reveal a TO phonon lifetime of 1.2 ps, while the low-frequency excitations decay with a time constant of approximately 20 ps. The coupling of intralayer TO and interlayer motions manifests in a quasi-instantaneous redshift of the TO phonon resonance by some 10 cm −1. Theoretical calculations account for the coupling scenario and underline the relevance of inter-phonon interactions for the nonlinear phonon response of few-layer materials.

This study aimed at assessing the influence of an 11 weeks intervention with a resistant starch-enriched whole grain diet (HI-RS-WG, 25% RS) compared to a WG control diet (LOW-RS-WG, 6.9% RS) on serum profile of polyphenols (PPs) in 20 Zucker Diabetic Fatty rats. Five PPs were identified and quantified in serum samples of rats belonging to both intervention groups. HI-RS-WG rats had 2.6 folds higher serum concentrations of total PPs than LOW-RS-WG rats. An explorative data reduction approach, based on the Principal Component Analysis identified two principal components related to the gut microbiota fermentation and food intake, respectively. Results showed that the abundance of hippuric acid and dihydroferulic acid in HI-RS-WG rats was explained by the stronger gut microbiota fermentation in those rats than in LOW-RS-WG rats.

Our purpose was to determine the impact of ascorbic acid and α-tocopherol on bovine sperm motility following short-term storage or cryopreservation. Semen was collected from mature Angus bulls (n = 4). The experimental design was a randomized complete block, with bull serving as block, and treatments were structured as a 4 × 4 factorial with four concentrations of ascorbic acid (0, 5, 10, 20 mM) and four concentrations of α-tocopherol (0, 0.05, 0.5, 5 mM). Sperm motility characteristics were evaluated using computer assisted sperm analyses at 0, 4, and 8 h of incubation (39˚C) and post-cryopreservation. Initial sperm motility was (79.6% ± 1.6) and decreased to (6.1% ± 1.6%) after cryopreservation. Cryopreserved spermatozoa had lower (P 0.1) by α-tocopherol. Addition of 20 mM ascorbic acid to storage media decreased (P < 0.05) sperm velocity traits, but the addition of 5 or 10 mM ascorbic acid did not alter sperm velocity. Sperm cell oxidation following cryopreservation/post-thaw was affected by an interaction (P < 0.05) between concentrations of ascorbic acid and α-tocopherol. Stepwise regression models predicted (P < 0.05) post-thaw motility and velocity characteristics of cryopreserved spermatozoa. Our results suggest that adding ascorbic acid and α-tocopherol was not beneficial for short-term storage of spermatozoa; however, our results were inconclusive with regards to inclusion of ascorbic acid and α-tocopherol in egg yolk-based cryopreservation media.

Cattle in some parts of the world graze pastures that consist of tall fescue that may contain ergot alkaloid contamination. Those ergot alkaloids are associated with reduced reproductive rates in cattle. Our objective was to determine if ergot alkaloids [dihydroergotamine (DHET), ergonovine (EN), and ergotamine (ET)] directly affect bovine sperm characteristics. Spermatozoa were collected from mature Angus (n = 2) and Balancer (n = 4) bulls. Within bull, treatments were structured as a 3 × 5 factorial with three alkaloids (DHET, EN, and ET) and five concentrations of each alkaloid (0, 33, 66, 100, or 200 μM). Spermatozoa (25 × 106) were incubated (39˚C) in 1 mL of modified sperm medium. Sperm motility characteristics were evaluated using CASA (Hamiliton Thorne IVOS, Beverly, MA) at 0, 3, and 6 h after initial alkaloid exposure. Initial sperm motility was (69% ± 1.1%) and declined (P = 0.01) to (35% ± 2.6%) at 6 h. Sperm motility decreased (P < 0.05) with increasing concentrations of DHET and ET, but not EN. As concentration of ET or DHET increased all CASA sperm characteristics were altered. The interaction of alkaloid concentration and incubation length affected sperm velocity and head size; exposure to 200 μM of ET or DHET for six hours decreased (P < 0.05) both characteristics. Our results demonstrate that ergot alkaloids (ET and DHET) can directly alter bovine sperm motility and morphology, which adds to our understanding of how ergot alkaloids may hinder cattle reproductive rates.

An aluminum nitride (AlN) quasi-vertical Schottky barrier diode (SBD) was fabricated on an AlN bulk substrate. An undoped AlN layer, a Si-doped Al0.9Ga0.1N current spreading layer and an AlN buffer layer were grown by plasma-enhanced molecular beam epitaxy. The epitaxial AlN layer was etched down to the n-Al0.9Ga0.1N layer to form an Ohmic contact. Ni/Au and V/Al/Ni/Au were deposited on the top AlN layer as Schottky contacts and on the exposed n-Al0.9Ga0.1N layer as Ohmic contacts, respectively. The Ohmic characteristics on the n-Al0.9Ga0.1N layer, capacitance–voltage (C–V) and current–voltage (I–V) characteristics of the AlN SBD were investigated.

We study shallow and deep levels in carbon-doped hexagonal boron nitride crystals precipitated from a molten metal solution in a high-temperature furnace. Reflectance and photoluminescence under deep ultraviolet excitation are complemented by spatially resolved experiments by means of a scanning confocal micro-photoluminescence setup operating in the ultraviolet. Isotopically controlled carbon doping does not induce any energy shift of the well-known deep-level emission at 4.1 eV. Our detailed characterization in a series of carbon-doped crystals reveals that the incorporation of carbon during the growth process results in a distinct class of shallow and deep levels in hexagonal boron nitride, calling into question the exact role of carbon in the growth of hexagonal boron nitride and its direct or indirect influence on the formation of the crystal defects.

Gastrointestinal tract (GIT) responses to a high-amylose resistant starch (RS) product were compared to those observed when RS was combined with whole grain (WG) and to controls with low RS intake in rats fed moderate or high fat diets. Regardless of fat intake, rats fed RS or WG + RS diets had higher cecum weights, higher intestinal quantities of short chain fatty acids, and lower intestinal content pH, and their GIT cells had increased gene expression for gluconeogenesis and barrier function compared to controls. Whereas RS resulted in greater GIT content acetate and propionate and lowest pH, the WG + RS diets yielded higher butyrate. Rats fed the RS diet with MF had higher cecum weights than those fed either the RS diet with HF or the WG + RS diet with either MF or HF. Diets containing combinations of RS and other dietary fibers should be considered for RS-mediated GIT benefits.

Phosphorene is a promising candidate as a membrane material additive because of its inherent photocatalytic properties and electrical conductance which can help reduce fouling and improve membrane properties. The main objective of this study was to characterize structural and morphologic changes arising from the addition of phosphorene to polymeric membranes. Here, phosphorene was physically incorporated into a blend of polysulfone (PSf) and sulfonated poly ether ether ketone (SPEEK) doping solution. Protein and dye rejection studies were carried out to determine the permeability and selectivity of the membranes. Since loss of material additives during filtration processes is a challenge, the stability of phosphorene nanoparticles in different environments was also examined. Furthermore, given that phosphorene is a new material, toxicity studies with a model nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, were carried out to provide insight into the biocompatibility and safety of phosphorene. Results showed that membranes modified with phosphorene displayed a higher protein rejection, but lower flux values. Phosphorene also led to a 70% reduction in dye fouling after filtration. Additionally, data showed that phosphorene loss was negligible within the membrane matrix irrespective of the pH environment. Phosphorene caused toxicity to nematodes in a free form, while no toxicity was observed for membrane permeates.

OBJECTIVES: Consumption of resistant starch (RS) has positive gut health benefits, but RS has been associated with increased serum trimethylamine oxide (TMAO). Increased serum TMAO has been linked to enhanced risk of cardiovascular death. A human study found that RS and a high fat (41% of energy) diet resulted in higher TMAO levels compared to a low RS diet, but this was not seen in a high carbohydrate diet (27% energy as fat). We wanted to ascertain serum TMAO in rats fed a high-RS diet with moderate (MF) or high fat (HF) diets compared to controls. METHODS: Twenty-four male, Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 6) were fed either 23% RS type 2, high-amylose diet or a control diet using 100% amylopectin with either MF (30% energy) or HF (42% energy) levels. A 2X choline amount had been used in the AIN-93M diets as substrate for ultimate production of TMAO. After six weeks, serum TMAO was measured using stable isotope dilution liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Data were analyzed as a 2 × 2 factorial followed by Tukey test (P

As an investigation into alternatives to the predominant assumptions of conventional audio recording, the described research has sought to explore how field-recording of very large outdoor acoustic environments might be achieved. This was accomplished through real-time multi-channel recording from multiple locations using several surround microphone arrays, synchronized with wireless broadcast of conventional timecode. Such locations were as large as a half-mile in diameter. The resultant recordings of extended sound-fields represent complex auditory networks that are otherwise impossible for normal human perception to experience. The applicable technical details are outlined and several examples of their deployment put forth. Contrasting considerations for the application of these recording techniques to predominantly non-human versus anthropocentric sound environments are discussed. While this paper largely constitutes a report on preliminary investigations, it necessitates a broader discussion beyond its technical methods. A variety of aesthetic, perceptual, and scientific implications (including both explored and potential analytical methods) are presented as are strategies for multi-channel playback of the resultant recordings in installation venues or as binaurally encoded audio for headphone monitoring.

Gut microbiota profiles contribute to differences in obesity phenotype. We examined the abundance of the species Clostridium butyricum in relation to obesity phenotype.In outbred Sprague -Dawley rats we examined effects of dietary fat, resistant starch (RS), and a microbiota transplant on obesity phenotype. Using targeted qPCR, we examined the abundance of total gut bacteria and C. butyricum in relation to the propensity of obesity prone and obesity resistant rats to accumulate abdominal fat.Before inclusion of dietary RS, obesity resistant (OR) rats had higher amounts of total bacteria, and C. butyricum compared to obesity prone (OP) rats (P0.005 in study I, P0.0001 in study II). A high fat diet (HF) lowered C. butyricum levels while RS had no effect. Dietary RS elicited robust fermentation and increased total bacteria only in OP rats. In preparation for the transplant, antibiotics were administered to recipient rats. Four weeks thereafter, total bacteria levels were restored but, C. butyricum levels were not. The transplant between the two phenotypes had no effect on abundance of C. butyricum and obesity phenotype.While C. butyricum is a known saccharolytic, its proliferation is not enhanced by fermentation of resistant starch. C. butyricum maybe one of the species that constitute a core microbiota involved in energy storage and metabolism through mechanisms that are not yet known.

Wurtzite aluminum nitride (AlN) has attracted increasing attention for high-power and high-temperature operations due to its high piezoelectricity, ultrawide-bandgap, and large thermal conductivity k. The k of epitaxially grown AlN on foreign substrates has been investigated; however, no thermal studies have been conducted on homoepitaxially grown AlN. In this study, the thickness dependent k and thermal boundary conductance G of homoepitaxial AlN thin films were systematically studied using the optical pump–probe method of frequency-domain thermoreflectance. Our results show that k increases with the thickness and k values are among the highest reported for film thicknesses of 200 nm, 500 nm, and 1 μm, with values of 71.95, 152.04, and 195.71 W/(mK), respectively. Our first-principles calculations show good agreement with our measured data. Remarkably, the G between the epilayer and the substrate reported high values of 328, 477, 1180, and 2590 MW/(m2K) for sample thicknesses of 200 nm, 500 nm, 1 μm, and 3 μm, respectively. The high k and ultrahigh G of homoepitaxially grown AlN are very promising for efficient heat dissipation, which helps in device design and has advanced applications in micro-electromechanical systems, ultraviolet photonics, and high-power electronics.

Objective This study used CD obesity-prone (OP) and obesity-resistant (OR) rats to examine how weight gain and fat accretion relate to fermentation levels and microbiota composition after feeding resistant starch (RS). Methods After feeding OP rats and OR rats a high-fat (HF) diet for 4 weeks, rats were stratified into three groups: they were fed either an HF diet (group 1: HF-HF) or were switched to a low-fat (LF) diet (group 2: HF-LF) or an LF diet supplemented with 20% RS by weight for 4 weeks (group 3: HF-LFRS). Energy intake, body weight, fermentation variables, and microbiota composition were determined. Results In OP rats, RS elicited robust fermentation (increased cecal contents, short-chain fatty acids, and serum glucagon-like peptide 1). Total bacteria, species of the Bacteroidales family S24-7, and the archaean Methanobrevibacter smithii increased. The robust fermentation did not elicit higher weight or fat accretion when compared with that of control rats fed the same isocaloric diets (HF-LF ± RS). In OR rats, body weight and fat accretion were also not different between HF-LF ± RS diets, but RS elicited minimal changes in fermentation and microbiota composition. Conclusions Robust fermentation did not contribute to greater weight. Fermentation levels and changes in microbiota composition in response to dietary RS differed by obesity phenotype.

International audience; We study shallow and deep levels in carbon-doped hexagonal boron nitride crystals precipitated from a molten metal solution in a high-temperature furnace. Reflectance and photoluminescence under deep ultraviolet excitation are complemented by spatially resolved experiments by means of a scanning confocal micro-photoluminescence setup operating in the ultraviolet. Isotopically controlled carbon doping does not induce any energy shift of the well-known deep-level emission at 4.1 eV. Our detailed characterization in a series of carbon-doped crystals reveals that the incorporation of carbon during the growth process results in a distinct class of shallow and deep levels in hexagonal boron nitride, calling into question the exact role of carbon in the growth of hexagonal boron nitride and its direct or indirect influence on the formation of the crystal defects.

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to determine fermentation of four novel resistant starch (RS) type 4 products (RSA, B, C, and D) in Sprague Dawley male rats compared to control (CON). Assessment was by standard measures: empty cecum weight (ECW), cecal contents weight (CCW), cecal contents pH (pH), cecal contents short-chain fatty acids: acetate, propionate and butyrate, cecal contents RS (CCRS), and serum active glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1). Abdominal cavity fat (abfat)/body weight was determined. METHODS: Forty weanling rats (Envigo), after a week quarantine, were randomly assigned to five groups (n = 8) for a 3-week study. Starches (Ingredion Incorporated) were RS products as 10% of weight of RS diets (equivalent to human fiber requirement) and AMIOCA® starch (100% amylopectin) comprised 53.6% weight of CON and 43.6% weight of the RS diets (RSA – RSD). The RS products varied by % purity and origin (e.g.,potato, tapioca, corn). Other ingredients (DYETS) were used (AIN-93 G). A one-way ANOVA was followed by Tukey post hoc test (P

Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) has been grown on sapphire substrates by ultra-high temperature molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). A wide range of substrate temperatures and boron fluxes have been explored, revealing that high crystalline quality hBN layers are grown at high substrate temperatures, $>$1600$^\circ$C, and low boron fluxes, $\sim1\times10^{-8}$ Torr beam equivalent pressure. \emph{In-situ} reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) revealed the growth of hBN layers with $60^\circ$ rotational symmetry and the $[11\bar20]$ axis of hBN parallel to the $[1\bar100]$ axis of the sapphire substrate. Unlike the rough, polycrystalline films previously reported, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterization of these films demonstrate smooth, layered, few-nanometer hBN films on a nitridated sapphire substrate. This demonstration of high-quality hBN growth by MBE is a step towards its integration into existing epitaxial growth platforms, applications, and technologies.

We report on GaN-based field effect transistors with laterally-gated multiple 2DEG channels, called BRIDGE FETs (buried dual gate FETs). Unique operation principle of the transistors demonstrated unprecedented device characteristics suitable for efficient and linear millimeter-wave power amplifier applications. Multiple 2DEG channels formed in AlGaN/GaN and AlN/GaN material systems are compatible with the BRIDE FET structure, adding design flexibility for an increased drain current density with higher frequency performance. The BRIDGE FET fabricated on a 4-channel epi structure with a net 2DEG density of 1.2×1013 cm-2 exhibited 1.7× higher saturation current density than those on a single-channel with the same 2DEG density. This is attributed to a higher saturation velocity of 2DEG with a lower density per channel. Finally, hexagonal micro-scale device cells consisting of segmented BRIDGE FETs construct a power amplifier (PA) unit cell, where distributing heat sources uniformly over an entire PA cell area maximizes its area power density while minimizing a rise of the peak junction temperature.

Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) films were grown by ultra high temperature molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on insulating sapphire substrates. Characterization of the films reveals smooth, highly crystalline and layered hBN grown on the substrate at ultra-high substrate thermocouple temperatures $(> 1600^{\circ}\mathrm{C})$ and low impinging boron flux; films grown under different conditions exhibited rough and polycrystalline morphology. Chemical analysis by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), combined with analysis of in-situ reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) patterns suggest the presence of a thin interfacial layer of aluminum nitride between the bulk sapphire substrate and the hBN layers caused by sapphire surface nitridation during early stages of growth. Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) analysis confirmed the uniform and layered morphology of the hBN films as well as the nitridated sapphire surface. Absorption spectroscopy demonstrated a sharp absorption peak at ~6.1 eV, characteristic of hBN. Tauc's method allows the bandgap of the material to estimated from the absorption spectrum; a value of ~5.8 eV was obtained for the indirect bandgap of hBN, close to the 5.9 eV reported value. This work represents a step toward the integration of hBN into existing, mature epitaxial platforms and devices.

Objective Effective screening for concussion is increasingly important, and medical professionals play a critical role in diagnostic and return-to-play decisions. However, few well-validated measures are available to assist in those decisions. This study aims to determine whether previously validated measures assessing neurocognitive and neurobehavioral abilities can predict Centers for Disease Control (CDC) concussion symptom endorsement in a sample of child or youth athletes. Method Participants were 113 individuals, aged 6–17, representing 29 consecutive cases undergoing a post-concussion evaluation by a pediatric neurologist and 84 consecutive cases completing standardized baseline assessments (i.e., not being evaluated as a follow-up to a concussion). All participants completed the same standardized battery of tests comprised of the Connors’ Continuous Performance Test (CPT 3), the Balance Error Scoring System (BESS), and the NIH 4-Meter Gait Test as well as completing a checklist of CDC concussion symptoms. Results Regression analyses indicate that the screening battery explained 33% of the variance (d = 1.4) in concussion symptom endorsement, after controlling for age. The neurocognitive test alone (CPT 3) accounts for 21.5% of the variance (d = 1.05) in symptoms after controlling for age, and the neurobehavioral measures (BESS and NIH 4-Meter Gait) then account for an additional 11.5% variance (accounting for 18.6% variance, d = .96, when entered first). These effect sizes are considered large to very large and reflect a marked increase in predictive validity relative to existing measures commonly used in concussion assessments. Conclusions A relatively brief screening battery can function in medical settings to predict significant and substantial variability in CDC concussion symptoms in a pediatric sample.

Single-crystal Aluminum Nitride (AlN) crystals enable the epitaxial growth of ultrawide bandgap Al(Ga)N alloys with drastically lower extended defect densities. Here, we report the plasma-MBE growth conditions for high Al-composition AlGaN alloys on single-crystal AlN substrates. An AlGaN growth guideline map is developed, leading to pseudomorphic AlxGa1−xN epitaxial layers with x ∼0.6–1.0 Al contents at a growth rate of ∼0.3 μm/h. These epitaxial layers exhibit atomic steps, indicating step flow epitaxial growth, and room-temperature band edge emission from ∼4.5 to 5.9 eV. Growth conditions are identified in which the background impurity concentrations of O, C, Si, and H in the MBE layers are found to be very near or below detection limits. An interesting Si segregation and gettering behavior is observed at the epitaxial AlGaN/AlN heterojunction with significant implications for the formation and transport of 2D electron or hole gases. Well-controlled intentional Si doping ranging from ∼2 × 1017 to 3 × 1019 atoms/cm3 is obtained, with sharp dopant density transition profiles. In Si-doped Al0.6Ga0.4N epilayers, a room-temperature free electron concentration of ∼3 × 1019/cm3, an electron mobility of ∼27 cm2/V s, and an n-type resistivity of ∼7.5 m Ω cm are obtained. The implications of these findings on electronic and photonic devices on single-crystal AlN substrates are discussed.

SCOPE: The possible mechanisms of production of four novel RS4 products for total cecal fermentation in an in vivo rodent model were evaluated. METHODS AND RESULTS: Forty weanling rats were randomly assigned to five groups (n=8) for a 3-week study. Starches were the RS type 4 products as 10% of weight of RS diets (RSA-RSD), and AMIOCA® starch (100% amylopectin) comprised of 53.6% weight of control (CON) and 43.6% weight of RS diets. The RS products varied by percent purity and origin (potato, corn, tapioca). At euthanasia, cecal contents, serum, GI tract, and abdominal fat were collected. Emboweled body weight (EBW) was calculated as body weight minus GI contents. RSB, RSC, and RSD fed rats had greater empty cecum weights, lower cecal contents pH, higher cecal contents wet weight, higher total cecal contents acetate and propionate than the CON and RSA fed rats. Two other indicators of fermentation, total cecal contents butyrate and GLP-1, did not have significant ANOVA F values, which required more subjects for 80% power. CONCLUSIONS: RS4 products that are produced from different starch origins with varying amounts of RS4 content and different methods of production are not uniformly fermented in an in vivo model.

The following paper deals with acoustic flame suppression mechanics in a microgravity environment with measurements taken from an Arduino-based sensor system and validation of the technique. A Zippo lighter is ignited in microgravity and then displaced from the base of the flame and suppressed using surface interactions with single tone acoustic waves to extinguished the flame. The analysis of data collected shows that the acoustic flame suppression measurementtechniques are effective to finding qualitative differences in extinguishing in microgravity and normal gravity. Further, the results suggest that the suppression may be more effective in a microgravity environment than in a normal (1g) environment and may be a viable method of extinguishing fires during space flight.

This study used CD obesity-prone (OP) and obesity-resistant (OR) rats to examine how weight gain and fat accretion relate to fermentation levels and microbiota composition after feeding resistant starch (RS).After feeding OP rats and OR rats a high-fat (HF) diet for 4 weeks, rats were stratified into three groups: they were fed either an HF diet (group 1: HF-HF) or were switched to a low-fat (LF) diet (group 2: HF-LF) or an LF diet supplemented with 20% RS by weight for 4 weeks (group 3: HF-LFRS). Energy intake, body weight, fermentation variables, and microbiota composition were determined.In OP rats, RS elicited robust fermentation (increased cecal contents, short-chain fatty acids, and serum glucagon-like peptide 1). Total bacteria, species of the Bacteroidales family S24-7, and the archaean Methanobrevibacter smithii increased. The robust fermentation did not elicit higher weight or fat accretion when compared with that of control rats fed the same isocaloric diets (HF-LF ± RS). In OR rats, body weight and fat accretion were also not different between HF-LF ± RS diets, but RS elicited minimal changes in fermentation and microbiota composition.Robust fermentation did not contribute to greater weight. Fermentation levels and changes in microbiota composition in response to dietary RS differed by obesity phenotype.

A radiation beam, for example a therapeutic radiation beam such as an IMRT or VMAT X-ray beam is monitored using a Monolithic Active Pixel Sensor (MAPS) detector. Photons of the radiation beam can interact with the MAPS detector, and the radiation beam configuration can be estimated from the determined positions of the interactions. The detector is made sufficiently thin that it interacts only very weakly with the X-ray photons. For example, less than 1 in 103 of the X-ray photons might interact with the detector. Hence, the disturbance to the X-ray beam is negligible.

A unique combination of high mobility, high velocity and high sheet density of the 2DEG formed in GaN-based heterostructures has enabled GaN-based HEMTs to be used in a wide range of applications from RF power amplifiers to efficient power converters. Today’s complex communication systems require transceivers to process RF signals efficiently with large bandwidth and high fidelity. While GaN-based HEMT technology has advanced to reach higher power densities, it has not fundamentally changed the power requirements for the linearity performance. To address fundamental limitations of HEMT’s power/linearity/efficiency/frequency tradeoff, we proposed a transistor structure called BRIDGE FET (buried dual gate FET) where gate electrodes are buried into AlGaN/GaN heterostructures and contact laterally with multiple 2DEG channels [1]. A deliberate elimination of a conventional top-contact gate leads to a unique device operation principle and performance advantages for improved linearity and efficiency at large signal operations; (1) The drain-source current is controlled solely by modulating the width of the 2DEG channels by the lateral gate electric field while maintaining the 2DEG density. (2) The MESFET-like device operation enables gradual pinch-off, greatly reducing g m derivatives near pinch-off. (3) Lack of density modulation with V gs leads to a constant electron velocity at high electric field, eliminating a typical g m roll-off at high V gs. This results in a constant gain along a resistive load line. (4) The buried gates forms Schottky contacts to the GaN channels below the 2DEG layers. This enhances electron confinement and improves electrostatic isolation between the source and drain, significantly reducing g d at high V ds. (5) Elimination of the top-contact gate prevents electrons from being trapped on the surface, suppressing current collapse at high voltage operations. (6) An absence of inverse piezoelectric effect due to the reduced vertical electric field at the drain-side of the gate improves device reliability under high voltage stress. In this presentation, current status of our development of multi-2DEG channel BRIDGE FETs will be discussed. This work was sponsored by DARPA-MTO DREaM program under DARPA/CMO Contract No. FA8650-18-C-7807. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the official policies, either expressly or implied, of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency or the U.S. Government. [1] K. Shinohara et al., IEEE EDL, vol. 39, no. 3, p. 417, March 2018.

OBJECTIVES: Gut microbiota profiles contribute to differences in obesity phenotype. The contribution of specific bacterial species has not been shown. In two sequential studies, we examined the abundance of total bacteria, and the species Clostridium butyricum in relation to the propensity of outbred Sprague-Dawley CD rats to accumulate abdominal fat. As a probiotic, C. butyricum is associated with enhanced butyrate production, reduced inflammation and prevention of diet induced weight gain. Outbred CD rats have two obesity phenotypes; obese‐resistant rats (OR) remain lean while obese‐prone (OP) rats develop obesity within 4 weeks when fed the same high calorie diet. Hypothesis: Propensity of Outbred CD rats to gain fat correlates with abundance of specific bacterial species. METHODS: In study I, we fed both OP (N = 32) and OP rats (N = 32) either a low fat (LF) diet, a high fat diet (HF) or a HF diet supplemented with Resistant starch (RS). In study II, we fed all rats; OP (N = 28) and OR (N = 28) a HF diet supplemented with RS and 4 weeks later, after administering antibiotics we performed a microbiota transplant between the two phenotypes. We evaluated the bacterial profile and fat accumulation. RESULTS: As expected OP rats gained fat while OR rats remained lean; P

The nitride semiconductor materials GaN, AlN, and InN, and their alloys and heterostructures have been investigated extensively in the last 3 decades, leading to several technologically successful photonic and electronic devices. Just over the past few years, a number of new nitride materials have emerged with exciting photonic, electronic, and magnetic properties. Some examples are 2D and layered hBN and the III-V diamond analog cBN, the transition metal nitrides ScN, YN, and their alloys (e.g. ferroelectric ScAlN), piezomagnetic GaMnN, ferrimagnetic Mn4N, and epitaxial superconductor/semiconductor NbN/GaN heterojunctions. This article reviews the fascinating and emerging physics and science of these new nitride materials. It also discusses their potential applications in future generations of devices that take advantage of the photonic and electronic devices eco-system based on transistors, light-emitting diodes, and lasers that have already been created by the nitride semiconductors., 16 pages, 3 figures

cope To determine if whole-grain (WG) flour with resistant starch (RS) will produce greater fermentation than isolated RS in obese Zucker Diabetic Fatty (ZDF) rats, and whether greater fermentation results in different microbiota, reduced abdominal fat, and increased insulin sensitivity. Methods and results This study utilized four groups fed diets made with either isolated digestible control starch, WG control flour (6.9% RS), isolated RS-rich corn starch (25% RS), or WG corn flour (25% RS). ZDF rats fermented RS and RS-rich WG flour to greatest extent among groups. High-RS groups had increased serum glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) active. Feeding isolated RS showed greater Bacteroidetes to Firmicutes phyla among groups, and rats consuming low RS diets possessed more bacteria in Lactobacillus genus. However, no differences in abdominal fat were observed, but rats with isolated RS had greatest insulin sensitivity among groups. Conclusions Data demonstrated ZDF rats (i) possess a microbiota that fermented RS, and (ii) WG high-RS fermented better than purified RS. However, fermentation and microbiota changes did not translate into reduced abdominal fat. The defective leptin receptor may limit ZDF rats from responding to increased GLP-1 and different microbiota for reducing abdominal fat, but did not prevent improved insulin sensitivity.