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Iron deficiency remains the most common nutritional deficiency. Oral iron supplementation is the recommended first line treatment and used as a preventive measure as well. Enhancers of iron absorption are highly sought after to improve supplementation outcomes. Evidence from animal and human studies exists that prebiotics can enhance iron absorption. The purpose of this present narrative review of the literature was to summarize the existing evidence on the effects of prebiotics on human iron absorption. Relevant articles were identified from Pubmed, Scopus and Web of Science from inception to November 2021. Only human trials investigating the effect of prebiotics on iron absorption were included. 11 articles were identified and included for review. There are promising findings supporting an enhancing effect of certain prebiotics, but inconsistencies between the studies and results exist. The most convincing evidence exists for the prebiotics galacto-oligosaccharides and fructo-oligosaccharides combined with the commonly used iron compound ferrous fumarate, from studies in adult women with low iron stores and anemic infants. Many factors seem to play a role in the enhancing effect of prebiotics on iron absorption such as type of prebiotic, dose, acute (single dose) or chronic (long term feeding) prebiotic consumption, iron compound, iron status, inflammatory status, and age of the population studied. More research investigating the optimal combination of prebiotic, iron compound and dose as well as the effect of long-term application on iron status outcomes is needed.

Introduction The Optilume Urethral Drug Coated Balloon (DCB) is a novel endoscopic treatment for recurrent male anterior urethral strictures. An important topic of discussion with patients during counseling on treatment options includes the potential affect of treatment on sexual function and fertility. The ROBUST III study was a prospective, randomized study comparing standard of care endoscopic therapy against treatment with the Optilume DCB. Assessments included evaluation of sexual function and andrology parameters. Objective The objective was to study the potential affect of treatment with the Optilume DCB on sexual function and, for younger patients, fertility. Methods A total of 79 men were randomized to receive treatment with the Optilume DCB. Sexual function was assessed via the 15 item International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire. Erectile function, orgasmic function, and overall satisfaction sub-domains were assessed at 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment in patients that were sexually active at baseline. Fifteen additional subjects were enrolled in a non-randomized pharmacokinetic sub-study that included assessments of paclitaxel concentration in semen and sperm quality parameters through 6 months post-treatment. Results Average erectile function and overall satisfaction scores improved from baseline to 12 months post-treatment, while orgasmic function was not changed (Figure). The improvement in satisfaction was statistically significant at 12 months (p=0.003). No adverse events of de novo erectile or ejaculatory dysfunction were reported. Average ejaculate sperm concentration did not change from baseline to 6 months (49 million/mL vs 46.6 million/mL, p=0.88), nor did total spermatozoa per ejaculate (107.2 million vs 104.0 million, p=0.94). Paclitaxel concentration in semen after treatment was maximal at 30 days (2.99 ng/mL) and was reduced near the limit of quantitation of the analytical method by 6 months (0.12 ng/mL). Conclusions Treatment of male anterior urethral strictures with the Optilume DCB did not appear to have an impact on sexual function as measured by the IIEF and adverse event assessments. Average sperm quality parameters did not differ from baseline to 6 months post-treatment. Low levels of paclitaxel were detected in semen after treatment but were nearly undetectable by 6 months. Disclosure Yes, this is sponsored by industry/sponsor: Urotronic Inc. Clarification Industry funding only - investigator initiated and executed study. Any of the authors act as a consultant, employee or shareholder of an industry for: Boston Sci, Coloplast, Medtronic USA Inc., PROCEPT BioRobotic Corporation, NeoTract Inc., Janssen Biotech Inc., Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc., Tolmar Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 180 Medical Inc., AbbVie Inc., Pfizer Inc., Bluewind Medical, Astellas Pharma US Inc., Antares Pharma Inc., Axonic Modulation Technologies Inc., Allergan Inc., Terumo Medical Corporation, Dendreon Pharmaceuticals llc, Blue Earth Diagnostics Limited, Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc., Olympus America Inc., Karl Storz Endoscopy-America, Clovis Oncology Inc., Dornier MedTech America Inc., Travere Therapeutics Inc., Valeant Pharmaceuticals North America LLC

The Measurement Model of Derivatives (MMOD; Estabrook, 2015) provides the opportunity to evaluate and refine measurement scales used in longitudinal studies to clarify their theoretical distinctions and relationship to academic achievement. We demonstrate this using three teacher-rated scales of child self-regulatory behavior obtained from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Kindergarten Class of 2010-11 (ECLS-K:2011; Tourangeau et al., 2019). Data-driven factor structures were generated using a training sample (N = 2821), then compared using the MMOD to the theoretical measurement structure on a holdout sample (N = 2822). Finally, to externally validate their utility, the best-fitting data-driven measurement structure was compared to the theoretical structure in their ability to predict academic achievement on a validation sample (N = 5643). We discuss theoretical implications for self-regulation, as well as the MMODs applicability to other educational data sets.

Prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) increase iron absorption from fortification-level iron doses given as ferrous fumarate (FeFum) in women and children. Whether GOS or other fibers, such as prebiotic fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) and acacia gum, increase iron absorption from higher supplemental doses of FeFum is unclear.In iron-depleted [serum ferritin (SF)25 μg/L] women, we tested if oral coadministration of 15 g GOS, FOS, or acacia gum increased iron absorption from a 100 mg Fe supplement given as FeFum.In a randomized, single-blind, crossover study, 30 women (median age: 26.2 y; median SF: 12.9 μg/L) consumed a 100 mg Fe tablet labeled with 4 mg 57Fe or 58Fe, given with either 1) 15 g GOS; 2) 15 g FOS; 3) 15 g acacia gum; or 4) 6.1 g lactose and 1.5 g sucrose (control; matching the amounts of sucrose and lactose present in the GOS powder providing 15 g GOS), dissolved in water. The primary outcome, fractional iron absorption (FIA), was assessed by erythrocyte isotopic incorporation 14 d after administration. Data were analyzed using a linear mixed-effect model. We also tested, in vitro, iron solubility at different pH and dialyzability from the different supplement combinations administered in vivo.FIA from FeFum given with GOS and FOS was significantly higher (+45% and +51%, respectively; P 0.001 for both) than control; median [IQR] total iron absorption was 34.6 mg [28.4-49.1 mg], 36.1 mg [29.0-46.2 mg], and 23.9 mg [20.5-34.0 mg], respectively. Acacia gum did not significantly affect FIA from FeFum (P = 0.688). In vitro, iron dialyzability of FeFum + GOS was 46% higher than that of FeFum alone (P = 0.003).In iron-depleted women, both GOS and FOS coadministration with FeFum increased iron absorption by ∼50% from a 100 mg oral iron dose, resulting in an additional 10-12 mg of absorbed iron. Thus, GOS and FOS may be promising new enhancers of supplemental iron absorption.This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT04194255.

OBJECTIVES: Prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) have shown promising results in enhancing the absorption of oral supplemental iron in form of ferrous fumarate (FeFum) in iron depleted adults. The mechanism behind this effect is unknown. We aimed to assess the absorption profile of FeFum given with and without GOS using stable isotope appearance curves (SIACs). METHODS: We conducted a controlled, single-center, prospective cross-over trial in iron depleted women between Sept and Nov 2019 at the Laboratory of Human Nutrition, ETH Zurich, Switzerland. All women (n = 11; median SF = 15.2 µg/L) received two supplemental iron doses of 14 mg in form of FeFum containing 6 mg of isotopic tracers ((57)Fe or (58)Fe). The supplemental iron doses were administered in random order on d 1 and 15 after an overnight fast. The supplement combinations were: 1) (57)FeFum + 300 ml water; and 2) (58)FeFum + 15 g GOS + 300 ml water. Eleven blood samples were collected up to 24 h after administration of the iron supplements to determine serum iron appearance. Fractional iron absorption (FIA) of the isotopic tracers was calculated in whole blood collected 14 days after administration of each of the supplemental iron doses on the basis of the shift in iron isotope ratios according to the principle of isotope dilution. RESULTS: There was a trend towards increased FIA and total absolute AUC of the SIAC from FeFum given with 15 g GOS compared to without (P = 0.064; P = 0.080 respectively). Estimated timepoints of the peak serum isotope concentration were not different (P = 0.096). Relative SF and relative bioavailability correlated significantly (P = 0.037). In subjects with a lower SF the increase in bioavailability of iron when given with GOS was more pronounced compared to participants with higher SF. CONCLUSIONS: Adding 15 g GOS to FeFum did not result in a different absorption profile compared to without GOS. The enhancing effect of GOS seems to depend on iron status, even though overall the improvement of iron absorption when given with 15 g GOS did not reach significance, probably due to the small sample size. Since women with a low iron status can benefit the most from an increase in iron bioavailability, the use of GOS for the improvement of iron bioavailability from FeFum in women with very low iron stores is promising. FUNDING SOURCES: Innosuisse, Swiss Innovation Agency, in collaboration with Antistress AG - Burgerstein Vitamine.

We have built a fast signal-processing and readout application-specific integrated circuit (PPrAsic) for the preprocessor system of the ATLAS level-1 calorimeter trigger. Our novel ASIC design environment incorporates algorithm development with digital hardware synthesis and verification. The purely digital ASIC was designed in Verilog hardware description language and embedded in a system-wide analog and digital simulation of implemented algorithms. We present here our design environment and experience gained from the design process.

A possibility to improve the luminosity in hadron colliders is to apply electron cooling. For the e–p and possibly in the future for e-ion a cooling scheme is proposed for the HERA collider which improves the brightness of the hadron beam in two steps. In a first step the hadron beam is cooled at an energy of 15–20 GeV in the pre-accelerator PETRA. In a second step the hadrons are cooled at top energy in HERA, mainly to maintain the beam quality. The first part of the cooler in PETRA consists of a thermionic gun which delivers electron bunches of 120 keV. These bunches are then compressed so that they fit into a 208 MHz travelling wave linac where they are accelerated to an energy of 10 MeV. Gun, compressor, and linac are surrounded by a solenoid so that emittance growth is avoided especially at the low energy end. In order to reduce the energy spread of the electron beam and to lengthen it, the electrons run through a decompressor before they are brought together with the hadron beam in a 40 m long cooling section which is again surrounded by a solenoid. In this paper a schematic layout of the system will be presented and simulation results of the first part of the cooler will be shown. The cooler in HERA consists of a small electron storage ring with two long straight sections. It is shown that all requirements of such a ring running at an energy between 180 and 450 MeV can be met to fight emittance growth in case of light hadron beams (protons) and to cool heavy ions sufficiently fast.

It is under discussion to operate HERA with heavy ions instead of protons. Because of the heavily increased intrabeam scattering of heavy ions compared to protons, the achievable luminosity is much smaller than desired by the experiments. A way to increase luminosity could be electron cooling of the heavy ion beam. Because of the high electron energy of 180 MeV necessary for cooling heavy ions in HERA the conventional approach using electrostatic DC sources is not possible. Instead an electron storage ring could be used. For this ring there are special requirements like small damping times, emittances and energy spread. The feasibility of such an electron storage ring has been studied, and the results with a possible solution are presented in this paper. Electron cooling of the HERA proton beam is also discussed briefly.

At the 3.5 GeV electron accelerator ELSA of Bonn University, polarized electrons have been accelerated up to 2.0 GeV, crossing several depolarizing resonances without significant depolarization. The polarized electrons were produced by photoemission from an AlGaAs–GaAs superlattice crystal using circularly polarized laser light. A harmonic correction scheme was successfully applied to the third imperfection resonance ( γa =3) and the polarization required for the planned experiments was conserved up to 2.0 GeV.

A variety of factors, including government activities, have enabled a factor of 700 reduction in the cost of photovoltaics (PV) over the past six decades. No single determinant predominantly explains the improvement to date; R&D, economies of scale, learning by doing, and knowledge spillovers from other technologies have all played a role in reducing system costs. The observed cost reductions in PV are due to both incremental and nonincremental technical improvements. Although policy models have typically emphasized incremental changes, this chapter describes the prevalence of nonincremental changes. Informing the important policy decisions related to PV depends on the development of models that reliably characterize both types of change.

At the electron stretcher accelerator ELSA of Bonn University an external fixed target experiment using a polarized electron beam has been started. To provide a polarized beam with sufficient intensity a dedicated source for polarized electrons is used (with a GaAs-AlGaAs superlattice photocathode). To prevent depolarization during acceleration in the circular accelerators several depolarizing resonances have to be corrected for. One type of resonances (the intrinsic ones) is compensated using two pulsed betatron tune jump quadrupoles. This method is applied because adiabatic crossing techniques that became popular in proton accelerators in the last years cannot be used in an electron accelerator due to synchrotron radiation effects at higher energies.

LISA, a Light Source for industrial and Scientific Application, has been proposed to be built in the Bonn region of Germany. For the lattice a modified "Quadrupole Bend Achromat" (QBA) will be used. The novel feature of this lattice is the application of two types of bending magnets with a vertical focusing component and different deflection angles to keep the radiation integrals small. The long bending magnets (20/spl deg/) will be used in the are of the achromat and the small (10/spl deg/) are foreseen to perform the matching of the twiss functions from the are to the straight sections without blowing. Up the emittance determined by the magnets in the arcs. With a sixfold symmetry, a circumference of 125 m an emittance smaller than 20 nm rad can be obtained. The natural chromaticities and the sextupole strength are moderate, the dynamic aperture is +/- 30 mm (100 /spl sigmasub x/ and 170 /spl sigmasub y/), the momentum acceptance is more than +/- 9% and the tune shift with amplitude is very promising. >

A beam diagnostic system, which is based on capacitive beam-position monitors combined with fast electronics, has been developed. The position signal of each monitor is digitized at an adjustable sampling rate, and the most recent 8192 position and intensity values are buffered. This allows a wide range of different beam diagnostic measurements. The main purpose is the closed-orbit correction, which can be carried out on various time scales. To optimize the duty factor of the extracted beam, the system can be used as a fast relative intensity monitor resolving the intensity distribution of the bunches or of the injected beam. >

The Electron Stretcher Accelerator (ELSA) of Bonn University is used to provide an external electron beam of high duty factor in the energy range from 0.5-3.5 GeV for fixed target experiments. In the near future polarized electron beams will be accelerated up to the highest energies. In order to avoid depolarization of the beam by imperfection and intrinsic resonances the control of the closed orbit and the symmetry of the ring lattice has to be improved. For calibration of the optics model of ELSA the orbit response matrix has been measured and fitted with help of the program CALIF. The strengths of the two quadrupole families and the relative scaling factors for the beam position monitors and corrector magnets have been determined this way. The results of the fits and a comparison with measurements of the optical functions of ELSA will be presented.

At the 3.5 GeV electron accelerator ELSA (Bonn University) an upgrade for polarized electrons is under way. A source of polarized electrons (GaAs crystal, electrons produced by photoeffect using circular polarized laser light) is operational. Recently, studies have been started to minimize the losses in polarization level due to crossing of depolarizing resonances, which necessarily exist in circular accelerators (storage rings). Calculations concerning different correction schemes for the depolarizing resonances in ELSA are presented, and first results of measurements, done by means of a Moller polarimeter in one of the external beamlines, are mentioned.

The future medium energy physics program at the electron stretcher accelerator ELSA of Bonn University mainly relies on experiments using polarized electrons in the energy range from 1 to 3.2 GeV. To provide a polarized beam with high polarization and sufficient intensity a dedicated source has been developed and set into operation. To prevent depolarization during acceleration in the circular accelerators several depolarizing resonances have to be corrected for. Intrinsic resonances are compensated using two pulsed betatron tune jump quadrupoles. The influence of imperfection resonances is successfully reduced applying a dynamic closed orbit correction in combination with an empirical harmonic correction on the energy ramp. In order to minimize beam depolarization, both types of resonances and the correction techniques have been studied in detail. It turned out that the polarization in ELSA can be conserved up to 2.5 GeV and partially up to 3.2 GeV which is demonstrated by measurements using a Moller polarimeter installed in the external GDH1-beamline.

Polarized electrons have been accelerated in the electron stretcher accelerator ELSA for the first time. Up to 2.1 GeV the polarization of the electron beam supplied by the 120 keV polarized electron source has been measured with a Mo/ller polarimeter. Preliminary results of polarization measurements at high energies and the performance of the source are presented.

Angular distributions of the differential cross section for the reaction γ +p→ π 0 +p have been measured at the Bonn 2.5 GeV Synchrotron at c.m. angles between 0° and 65° in the energy range from 1.3 GeV to 2.2 GeV. The π 0 mesons were detected by their two decay photons. The data are compared with data of other laboratories and the Metcalf-Walker analysis.

Angular distributions of the target symmetry for the reaction γ + p → π0 + p have been measured at the Bonn 2.5 GeV Electron Synchrotron at pion c.m. angles between 13° and 63° and photon energies of 1.0 and 1.1 GeV. The π0 mesons were detected by their two decay photons with total absorption lead-glass Cerenkov counters. Butanol was used as target material in a continuous flow 3He cryostat operating at 0.5 K and 25 kG. The π0 counting rate from free protons in the butanol target was derived from the measurements of the differential cross section on hydrogen. The data are compared with data of other laboratories and the results of two recent partial-wave analyses.

Four angular distributions of the differential cross section of the reaction γ + p → π 0 + p have been measured at the Bonn 2.5 GeV Synchrotron at pion c.m. angles between 3° and 63° in the photon energy range from 0.9 GeV to 1.2 GeV. The π 0 mesons were detected by their two decay photons. The data are compared with data of other laboratories and predictions of two recent partial-wave analyses.

The polarization degree of accelerated longitudinally polarized electrons has been measured employing the spin dependence of the elastic electron-electron cross section. We observe strong depolarization as well as polarization flips in the neighbourhood of imperfection and intrinsic resonances. Measures to maintain the initial polarization degree up to the highest available energies are discussed.

ELSA (Electron Stretcher and Accelerator) operates in two different modes. Up to the maximum energy of the synchrotron it works at a constant magnetic field. The electrons from the synchrotron which runs at 50 Hz repetition rate are injected, stored, and ejected at a constant rate. In this operation mode the macroscopic duty cycle is 95 % at least. In the operation mode of post acceleration which is possible up to 3.5 GeV the duty cycle is reduced to 60 %. The intensity in this operation mode is 5 % of that in the stretcher mode. Higher intensities are available at lower duty cycle. ELSA mainly is dedicated to feed a tagged photon facility.

At the Bonn 500 MeV Electronsynchrotron the spectrum of the Bremsstrahlung has been investigated for several maximum-energies between 250 MeV and 450 MeV and under various angles to the axes of theγ-ray. The upper limit of the spectrum has been measured carefully in respect to later experiments with photon difference method. The absolute errors of 4.5% permitted a control of the quantameter calibration or the cross-section for electron pair production.

The differential cross section of the reaction γ + p → p + πo has been measured at the Deutsches Elektronen- Synchrotron, Hamburg, at mean phonon energies of 1.36, 2.0 and 3.0 GeV and pion center of mass angles between 0o and 70o. The results are compared with some theoretical calculations based on elementary and reggeized 1- meson exchange.

Auf der Schleimhaut von Tonsillarregion und Nasopharynx von 506 Versuchspersonen wurde nach dem naturlichen Vorkommen vonN. flavescens gefahndet. Ein einziger Stamm dieser Keimart wurde von der Rachenschleimhaut eines 20jahrigen Soldaten gezuchtet. Der Stamm verhielt sich biochemisch typisch, bildete aber aus Maltose Saure. Da er in der Rauhform vorlag, agglutinierte er in einem spezifischen Antiserum nur relativ schwach.N. flavescens ist also offenbar ein seltener Epiphyt der Rachenschleimhaut.

The differential cross-section of the reaction γ + p → p + π0was measured at the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, Hamburg, at mean photon energies of 4.0, 5.0 and 5.8 GeV and pion center of mass angles between 0° and 60°. The results are compared wiht theoretical calculations based on Reggeized vector meson exchange.

Polarized electrons have been accelerated in a synchrotron for the first time. The experiments clearly state that acceleration of a polarized beam in a synchrotron is possible without loosing polarization at least up to 2 GeV. Strong depolarization is observed only in narrow energy bands due to imperfection and intrinsic resonances. Careful measurements of a certain imperfection resonance allows to do a very precise absolute energy calibration of the synchrotron.

A design study is being carried out for the European Science Foundation of an electron storage ring which will, if built, be an extremely intense dedicated source of x-radiation. The objective is to provide many ports from bending magnets, with a characteristic wavelength (?c) of 1 A; a few hard x-ray ports from wigglers, with ?c < 1/4 A, and six tunable undulators providing quasi-monochromatic radiation from 1 A to 25 A. A very high brightness is required. The paper describes a well-behaved magnet lattice giving a very low emittance coupled with appropriate beam parameters in different regions of the lattice. A preliminary outline of some of the other main features of the proposed storage ring is included.

The concept of wigglers as insertions in storage rings dedicated to synchrotron radiation is now old, but only recently have multipole wigglers for S.R. sources actually been brought into use. This confirmed the flexibility of such sources, though experience of matching experimental rigs to them is still somewhat limited. The flexibility arising from the use of wigglers, plus the fact that the radiation flux no longer depends only on the beam current and energy but can be adjusted, at each source point, by choosing the number of wiggler poles and the wiggler field, means that the efficiency of a synchrotron radiation source can be increased. Whereas a conventional x-ray ring may allow extraction of 10% of its radiated power, an "Allwiggler-Machine" (AWM) with 40 wigglers may allow 50% of its radiated power to enter the beam lines. This concept has been developed for the European x-ray source now under discussion and an example of an outline design is described in the paper.

Polarized electrons have been accelerated for the first time in a synchrotron with the results that the polarization is maintained to a high degree up to 2.0 GeV. Strong depolarization only is observed in narrow energy bands due to imperfection and intrinsic resonances.

ELSA (Electron Stretcher and Accelerator) operates in two different modes. Up to the maximum energy of the synchrotron it works at a constant magnetic field. The electrons from the synchrotron which runs at 50 Hz repetition rate are injected, stored and ejected at a constant rate. In this operation mode the macroscopic duty cycle is 95% at least. In the case of post acceleration which is possible up to 3.5 GeV the duty cycle is reduced to 70%. The intensity in this operation mode is 6% of that in the stretcher mode. Higher intensities are available at lower duty cycle. ELSA mainly is designed to feed a tagged photon facility.