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'Photonic Crystal Nanobeam Cavities' published in 'Encyclopedia of Nanotechnology'

Abstract Background Epigenetic age is an estimator of biological age based on DNA methylation; its discrepancy from chronologic age warrants further investigation. We recently reported that greater polyphenol intake benefitted ectopic fats, brain function, and gut microbiota profile, corresponding with elevated urine polyphenols. The effect of polyphenol-rich dietary interventions on biological aging is yet to be determined. Methods We calculated different biological aging epigenetic clocks of different generations (Horvath2013, Hannum2013, Li2018, Horvath skin and blood2018, PhenoAge2018, PCGrimAge2022), their corresponding age and intrinsic age accelerations, and DunedinPACE, all based on DNA methylation (Illumina EPIC array; pre-specified secondary outcome) for 256 participants with abdominal obesity or dyslipidemia, before and after the 18-month DIRECT PLUS randomized controlled trial. Three interventions were assigned: healthy dietary guidelines, a Mediterranean (MED) diet, and a polyphenol-rich, low-red/processed meat Green-MED diet. Both MED groups consumed 28 g walnuts/day (+ 440 mg/day polyphenols). The Green-MED group consumed green tea (3–4 cups/day) and Mankai ( Wolffia globosa strain) 500-ml green shake (+ 800 mg/day polyphenols). Adherence to the Green-MED diet was assessed by questionnaire and urine polyphenols metabolomics (high-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time of flight). Results Baseline chronological age (51.3 ± 10.6 years) was significantly correlated with all methylation age (mAge) clocks with correlations ranging from 0.83 to 0.95; p < 2.2e − 16 for all. While all interventions did not differ in terms of changes between mAge clocks, greater Green-Med diet adherence was associated with a lower 18-month relative change (i.e., greater mAge attenuation) in Li and Hannum mAge (beta = − 0.41, p = 0.004 and beta = − 0.38, p = 0.03, respectively; multivariate models). Greater Li mAge attenuation (multivariate models adjusted for age, sex, baseline mAge, and weight loss) was mostly affected by higher intake of Mankai (beta = − 1.8; p = 0.061) and green tea (beta = − 1.57; p = 0.0016) and corresponded with elevated urine polyphenols: hydroxytyrosol , tyrosol , and urolithin C ( p < 0.05 for all) and urolithin A ( p = 0.08), highly common in green plants. Overall, participants undergoing either MED-style diet had ~ 8.9 months favorable difference between the observed and expected Li mAge at the end of the intervention ( p = 0.02). Conclusions This study showed that MED and green-MED diets with increased polyphenols intake, such as green tea and Mankai, are inversely associated with biological aging. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first clinical trial to indicate a potential link between polyphenol intake, urine polyphenols, and biological aging. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03020186.

This letter demonstrates that features embossed on the surface of a layer of photoresist can direct UV light in the photoresist layer. These topographical features act as optical elements: they focus/disperse and phase shift incident light in the optical near field, inside the resist layer. A number of different surface topographies have been examined, which give 50–250 nm features after exposure and development. This method gives patterns of complex features over large areas, in a parallel process, that can then be transferred into silicon or metal. It provides a method for controlling the intensity of light inside a thin film of photoresist.

The authors followed two cohorts of children born in northern Finland in 1966 (n = 12,058) and 1985–1986 (n = 9,432) to examine whether associations between maternal sociodemographic factors assessed during pregnancy and intellectual disability in the offspring changed over a 20-year interval. Both of the cohorts were followed up to the age of 11.5 years using similar methods and definitions of intellectual disability. Data on sociodemographic factors were based on comparable questionnaires returned by the mothers during the 25th week of gestation. Despite an interval of 20 years between the cohorts, the main indicators of socioeconomic disadvantage and maternal multiparity remained as having the largest impact on the incidence of intellectual disability, while single factors such as older maternal age at delivery, being single, and living in a remote area lost their association with intellectual disability. Over 20 years, prepregnancy maternal obesity (body mass index ≥30) became a newly associated factor (adjusted odds ratio = 2.8, 95% confidence interval: 1.5, 5.3). A future challenge is to explore the mediating mechanisms between intellectual disability and its associated preventable intergenerational environmental or lifestyle factors.

Background Epidemiologic studies on the relationship between avocado intake and long‐term cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk are lacking. Methods and Results This study included 68 786 women from the NHS (Nurses’ Health Study) and 41 701 men from the HPFS (Health Professionals Follow‐up Study; 1986–2016) who were free of cancer, coronary heart disease, and stroke at baseline. Diet was assessed using validated food frequency questionnaires at baseline and then every 4 years. Cox proportional hazards regressions were used to estimate hazard ratios and 95% CIs. A total of 14 274 incident cases of CVD (9185 coronary heart disease events and 5290 strokes) were documented over 30 years of follow‐up. After adjusting for lifestyle and other dietary factors, compared with nonconsumers, those with analysis‐specific higher avocado intake (≥2 servings/week) had a 16% lower risk of CVD (pooled hazard ratio, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.75–0.95) and a 21% lower risk of coronary heart disease (pooled hazard ratio, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.68–0.91). No significant associations were observed for stroke. Per each half serving/day increase in avocado intake, the pooled hazard ratio for CVD was 0.80 (95% CI, 0.71–0.91). Replacing half a serving/day of margarine, butter, egg, yogurt, cheese, or processed meats with the equivalent amount of avocado was associated with a 16% to 22% lower risk of CVD. Conclusions Higher avocado intake was associated with lower risk of CVD and coronary heart disease in 2 large prospective cohorts of US men and women. The replacement of certain fat‐containing foods with avocado could lead to lower risk of CVD.

The development of high-throughput and scalable techniques for patterning inorganic structures is useful for the improved function and efficiency of photonic and energy conversion devices. Here we demonstrate a facile and rapid electrochemical method for patterning periodic metallic and nonmetallic submicron structures over large areas. Si substrates have been patterned with arrays of periodically spaced lines, rings, squares, and terraces of main-group and transition-metal oxides. In addition to planar substrates, three-dimensional surfaces and their vertical sidewalls have been patterned. The features are 20(±1) nm high and 360(±15) nm wide, and their period is finely tunable in situ from 500 nm to 7 μm. These features exhibit <3% variation in period and are rapidly patterned in <2 min. We demonstrate the versatility of the technique by rapidly patterning an efficient water splitting catalyst, Co phosphate oxide (CoPi), and show that the integrated materials system performs water splitting with complete Faradaic efficiency. More generally, the ability to pattern submicron structures over large areas in a facile, reliable, and timely manner may be useful for the fabrication of devices for energy, meta-material, and sensing applications.

OBJECTIVE—Several large prospective studies have shown that baseline levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) are an independent predictor of cardiovascular events among apparently healthy individuals. However, prospective data on whether CRP predicts cardiovascular events in diabetic patients are limited so far. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—To investigate the association between plasma CRP levels and incidence of cardiovascular events among men with type 2 diabetes, we followed prospectively a cohort of 746 American men aged 46–81 years who were free of cardiovascular diseases at the time of blood collection in 1993–1994. RESULTS—During an average of 5 years of follow-up (3,986 person-years), we identified 103 incident cardiovascular events (18 myocardial infarction, 70 coronary artery bypass grafting or angioplasty, and 15 stroke), confirmed by medical records. After adjustment for age, BMI, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, family history of coronary heart disease, history of high blood pressure, history of high serum cholesterol, aspirin use, and fasting status as well as for fibrinogen, creatinine, HbA1c, and non-HDL cholesterol levels, CRP remained significantly associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events. The relative risks for quartiles were 1.00, 1.51, 2.52, and 2.62 (95% CI: 1.29–5.32; P for trend: 0.011). We observed no effect modifications by plasma levels of LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol, apolipoprotein B, HbA1c, and fibrinogen or by BMI. CONCLUSIONS—High plasma levels of CRP were associated with an increased risk of incident cardiovascular events among diabetic men, independent of currently established lifestyle risk factors, blood lipids, and glycemic control.