Impurity centres in diamond have recently attracted attention in the context of quantum information processing. Now their use as magnetic-field sensors is explored, promising a fresh approach to single-spin detection and magnetic-field imaging at the nanoscale.

http://yacoby.physics.harvard.edu/Publications/High-sensitivity%20diamond%20magnetometer%20with%20nanoscale%20resolution%20_2008.pdf

High-sensitivity diamond magnetometer with nanoscale resolution

/pdf/high-sensitivity-diamond-magnetometer-with-nanoscale-258nr48ltc.pdf

Biomedical science has little considered the relevance of life history theory and evolutionary and ecological developmental biology to clinical medicine. However, the observations that early life influences can alter later disease risk--the "developmental origins of health and disease" (DOHaD) paradigm--have led to a recognition that these perspectives can inform our understanding of human biology. We propose that the DOHaD phenomenon can be considered as a subset of the broader processes of developmental plasticity by which organisms adapt to their environment during their life course. Such adaptive processes allow genotypic variation to be preserved through transient environmental changes. Cues for plasticity operate particularly during early development; they may affect a single organ or system, but generally they induce integrated adjustments in the mature phenotype, a process underpinned by epigenetic mechanisms and influenced by prediction of the mature environment. In mammals, an adverse intrauterine environment results in an integrated suite of responses, suggesting the involvement of a few key regulatory genes, that resets the developmental trajectory in expectation of poor postnatal conditions. Mismatch between the anticipated and the actual mature environment exposes the organism to risk of adverse consequences-the greater the mismatch, the greater the risk. For humans, prediction is inaccurate for many individuals because of changes in the postnatal environment toward energy-dense nutrition and low energy expenditure, contributing to the epidemic of chronic noncommunicable disease. This view of human disease from the perspectives of life history biology and evolutionary theory offers new approaches to prevention, diagnosis and intervention.

https://www.pinniped.net/gluckman2007.pdf

Early life events and their consequences for later disease: a life history and evolutionary perspective.

Chemistry of Acyl Radicals

Information on the energy that is needed to transfer an electron from the valence band of an inorganic compound to a trivalent lanthanide impurity is presented. The energy is a measure of the location of the ground state of the divalent lanthanide relative to the top of the valence band. A variation with type of lanthanide is found that is the same irrespective of the type of compound (fluorides, chlorides, bromides, iodides, oxides, sulfides). The variation is anti-correlated with the known variation in fd transition energies in divalent lanthanides. Because of the anti-correlation, the energy difference between the first 4fn−15d state and the bottom of the conduction band is relatively invariant with type of lanthanide ion. The difference is largest for Eu2+, and decreases gradually towards the end of the lanthanide series by 0.5 eV for Y b2+. Based on the systematic variation in charge transfer energy and fd energy, a three-parameter model is presented to position the energy levels for each divalent lanthanide relative to valence and conduction band states. Using a similar model the levels of trivalent lanthanides are positioned.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0953-8984/15/49/018/pdf

Systematic behaviour in trivalent lanthanide charge transfer energies

Effects of diabetic pregnancy on the fetus and newborn.

Time domain electron spin resonance

A molecular quasi-hydrodynamic free-space model for molecular rotational relaxation in liquids

The calculations previously made by Schwartz, Slawsky, and Herzfeld are extended to three dimensions. As before, an exponential repulsion is fitted to the Lennard‐Jones potential, with constants found from viscosity data. While the transition probability is determined directly by the short range repulsion forces, the attractive forces and the effect of the centrifugal quasi‐potential modify the effective velocity of the colliding molecules. The agreement with experiment is fairly good, although high up on the repulsion curve (O2,N2) the Lennard‐Jones 6—12 curve seems to be not quite steep enough.

Vibrational Relaxation Times in Gases (Three‐Dimensional Treatment)

In adults, glucose infusion results in a decreased glucose production rate (GPR) as a mechanism for maintaining euglycemia. To document the development of glucose homeostasis, we derived the GPR in 23 preterm appropriate for gestational age infants, 14 term appropriate for gestational age infants, and in 6 adults. After a 3-h fast, the average plasma glucose and insulin concentration was measured and the GPR was derived. During glucose infusion (5.6 +/- 0.3 mg X kg-1 min-1), compared with saline controls, the preterms had a rise in plasma glucose and plasma insulin, and the GPR was 1.4 mg X kg-1 min-1 (range, 0-4.4) vs. 3.0 mg X kg-1 min-1 (range, 1.8-4.1) (saline controls). In the term infants, only the plasma insulin concentration was elevated when the glucose infused (5.7 +/- 0.3 mg X kg-1 min-1) infants were compared with the saline controls and GPR was 0.4 X kg-1 min-1 (range, 0-2.6) vs. 3.4 mg X kg-1 min-1 (range, 2.8-5.7) (saline controls). In comparison to saline infused adults, glucose infusion (3.2 +/- 0.1 mg X kg-1 min-1) resulted in a significant rise in plasma glucose and in plasma insulin; and the GPR was reduced to 0.1 mg X kg-1 min-1 (range, 0-0.3) from 2.0 mg X kg-1 min-1 (range, 1.5-2.4). 5 of 13 preterms and 2 of 7 term infants had persistent GPR during glucose infusion; in contrast, the GPR in all adults was unmeasurable. There was no correlation between the plasma glucose concentration and the GPR in the newborn or in the adult. Both newborns and adults did have a correlation between plasma insulin concentration and the GPR; however, there was considerable variability in the neonate. We conclude that there are significant developmental differences in neonatal glucose homeostasis and that insulin is important in neonatal hormonal control of glucose production.

/pdf/persistent-glucose-production-during-glucose-infusion-in-the-1esul6zo9i.pdf

Robert N. Schwartz

Papers

Effects of diabetic pregnancy on the fetus and newborn.

Time domain electron spin resonance

A molecular quasi-hydrodynamic free-space model for molecular rotational relaxation in liquids

Vibrational Relaxation Times in Gases (Three‐Dimensional Treatment)

Persistent glucose production during glucose infusion in the neonate.