Full Effect Research Articles

Differential Effect of 4H-Benzo[d] [1, 3]oxazines on the Proliferation of Breast Cancer Cell Lines.

A family of 4H-benzo[d][1,3]oxazines were obtained from a group of N-(2-alkynyl)aryl benzamides precursors via gold(I) catalysed chemoselective 6-exo-dig C-O cyclization. The precursors and oxazines obtained were studied in breast cancer cell lines MCF-7, CAMA-1, HCC1954 and SKBR-3 with differential biological activity showing various degrees of inhibition with a notable effect for those that had an aryl substituted at C-2 of the molecules. 4H-benzo[d][1,3]oxazines showed an IC50 rating from 0.30 to 157.4 µM in MCF-7, 0.16 to 139 in CAMA-1, 0.09 to 93.08 in SKBR-3, and 0.51 to 157.2 in HCC1954 cells. We observed that etoposide is similar to benzoxazines while taxol effect is more potent. Four cell lines responded to benzoxazines while SKBR-3 cell line responded to precursors and benzoxazines. Compounds 16, 24, 25 and 26 have the potent effect in cell proliferation inhibition in the 4 cell lines tested and correlated with oxidant activity suggesting a possible mechanism by ROS generation. These compounds represent possible drug candidates for the treatment of breast cancer. However, further trials are needed to elucidate its full effect on cellular and molecular features of cancer.

Фармакоэкономический анализ различных методов лечения акне у детей и подростков

Acne is a widespread dermatological disease affecting children and adolescents that requires the use of innovative approaches to its treatment with the purpose of not only improving the patient's condition but also to minimize the treatment costs. The purpose of this research was to analyze the clinical efficacy, safety and economic feasibility of the use of the cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) in the acne therapy. Materials and methods used: the study included 176 pediatric patients aged 10 to 18 y/o (ME 16 y/o, M:F gender ratio 1:1.2) who were divided into groups depending on the severity of acne as follows: G1 with mild acne, G2 with moderate acne, and randomized into subgroups depending on the treatment methods (TM) as follows: TM1 for monotherapy with a combined external drug containing 0.1% adapalene with 2.5% benzoyl peroxide in the form of a gel, TM2 for CAP monotherapy and TM3 for combined therapy consisting of external therapy with a gel containing 0.1% adapalene with 2.5% benzoyl peroxide and the CAP treatment. The severity of acne was assessed using the acne dermatological index (ADI) and the clinical efficacy was assessed by achieving ADI0, ADI75, and ADI50. Skin moisture and pH were measured in all patients both prior to and immediately after the treatment using the PH98110 pH meter (by Kelilong, China). Adverse events (AE) were assessed during the study. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was used in the pharmacoeconomic analysis. Results: during treatment in the TM1 subgroups, the full clinical effect (DIA0) was achieved in 88.89% of cases with mild acne and in 61.76% of cases with moderate acne, in the TM2 s/g, the full clinical effect was achieved in 95.24% and 68.57% of cases and in the TM3 s/g in 100% and 88.24% of cases, respectively. After the treatment, the skin pH values in patients of the TM1 s/g, G1 and G2 became lower than the reference values, TM2 and TM3 s/gs of both groups returned to normal. Skin moisture after treatment decreased in the TM1 s/g of both groups, remained the same in the TM2 s/g and the TM3 s/g of G1 and approached to normal in the TM2, TM3 s/gs of G2. AEs (lichenification, erythema and/or burning sensation of the skin) were observed in patients of s/gs TM1 and TM3 and were mild (n=24) or moderate (n=25) in severity. The ICER coefficient for the TM1 v TM3 pairwise comparison was 324,254.55 Russian rubles for G1, 184,060.00 Russian rubles for G2, and for the TM2 v TM3 comparison 25,333.33 Russian rubles for G1, 12,800.00 Russian rubles for G2, which is statistically significant (p=0.001 and p=0.04, respectively) and indicates high economic feasibility of using the TM3. Conclusion: the use of CAP in the treatment of mild to moderate acne is effective, safe and cost-effective as well.

How Does Online Shopping Shape the Sense of Community? The Mediating Role of Various Social Activities

The rapid expansion of digital commerce, particularly same-day-delivery and next-day-delivery online shopping, is transforming daily life and community dynamics in urban settings. This study explores how these shopping behaviors impact the sense of community by mediating various social activities at both individual and community levels. Using an online survey design, this study analyzes the mediating roles of different types of social interactions, including informal social gatherings and organized community events, in shaping a sense of community. The findings reveal that while both unplanned, low-threshold interactions and more structured, organized activities contribute to a sense of community, their effects vary in strength. Stronger, more deliberate social interactions, such as resident-led events, show a full mediation effect, whereas casual, spontaneous encounters provide partial mediation. Similarly, organized community events demonstrate different levels of influence, with community-organized activities fully mediating certain sense of community dimensions and resident-engaged activities providing more comprehensive impacts. These findings highlight that same-day-delivery and next-day-delivery online shopping behaviors significantly shape the sense of community by facilitating both informal and organized social interactions.

Unraveling the environmental Kuznets curve: The influence of economic diversity, energy efficiency, and industrial dynamics on carbon emissions in developing economies

A new path of economic development among emerging and developing nations has a distinct impact on the environment than seen in the past. The current study attempts to examine how these growth patterns in the developing world have impacted the degradation of the environment. This study contends that merely considering GDP per capita and the proportion of manufacturing in GDP fails to encapsulate the complete growth dynamics of developing and emerging countries. Consequently, such an approach does not adequately reflect the impacts of environmental degradation. As a result, the economic complexity index (ECI) is introduced to the model to reflect the full effects of new growth trajectories on CO2 emissions by using the Panel Fully Modified OLS (PFMOLS) model of 67 emerging and developing countries during 1996–2020. The results indicate that the complexity of developing and emerging economies, on the one hand, raises CO2 emissions, likely through expanding economic activities (the scale effect). Moreover, ECI reduces CO2 emissions by moving the economy toward more high-tech and environmentally friendly technologies and industries and favorable changes in the energy mix (the efficiency effect). Overall, the empirical outcomes emphasize that the final impact of ECI on the environment was negative in most samples, indicating an improving impact of economic complexity on environmental degradation, reflecting that the “efficiency effect” outweighed the “scale effect.” The findings imply that technology and knowledge transfer are essential for energy efficiency and sustainability.

Chemical Diversity of Aspergillus alliaceus Phenotypes: Discovery of Brominated Bianthrones with Activity against Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cell Lines.

Marine-derived fungi have emerged as a source for novel metabolites with a broad range of bioactivities. However, accessing the full potential of fungi under standard laboratory conditions remains challenging. LC-MS-based metabolomics in combination with varied culture conditions is a fast and powerful tool to detect new metabolites. Here, three developmental forms of the marine-derived fungus Aspergillus alliaceus were analyzed and 14 fungal metabolites, including new brominated polyketides (11-14) were isolated. Structure elucidation relied mainly on 1D and 2D NMR techniques and was supported by low- and high-resolution mass spectrometry and DFT-based computations. We sequenced the A. alliaceus genome, identified the bianthrone-producing biosynthetic gene cluster, and conducted expression analysis on genes involved in sexual development and biosynthesis. The NCI-60 cell line panel revealed selective in vitro activity against triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) for the halogenated allianthrones and their full antiproliferative and cytotoxic effects were evaluated in five TNBC cell lines.

Performance-based design of strip foundation considering the full effect of ground improvement

Ground improvement is an effective way to improve the bearing capacity of a shallow foundation. However, the benefit of reducing uncertainties in soil parameters for shallow foundation design is rarely recognized. This study investigated the full effect of rapid impact compaction (RIC) on a strip foundation design. The finite difference method coupled Monte Carlo simulation were used to calculate the failure probability and the required width of the strip foundation, where the friction angle of soil was treated as a random variable. The results show that the foundation width reduces by 48.5% when considering the full effect of RIC, and a significant part of the reduction came from the decrease in the uncertainty of friction angle. Although the adopted relationship between the friction angle and tip resistance of cone penetration test affects the designed width of the foundation, the full effect of ground improvement contributed by the uncertainty reduction of soil parameters is still significant. The implication of the present study provides a basis for the performance-based bearing capacity design of shallow foundations.

Treatment of anal fissures using the new TRPM8 receptor therapy - own experience.

<b>Introduction:</b> Anal fissure, a longitudinal or oval crack in the anal anoderm above the dentate line, is one of the most common diseases of the anal area. The following article shows the effectiveness of anal fissure treatment based on our own experience, using new receptor therapy in the form of Procto-Zac Memethol Barrier Spray [(1R,2S,5R)-2-isopropyl-5-methylcyclohexanol, sodium hydrogen carbonate, 7-(dimethylamino) phenothiazin-3-ylidene]- dimethylazanium; chloride, 1,2-propanediol, purified water], preparation containing soluble fiber and oral probiotic.<b>Aim:</b> The aim of the following article is to present our experience and observations in the conservative treatment of acute and chronic anal fissure using Procto-Zac Memethol Barrier Spray and preparations containing soluble fiber and oral probiotic.<b>Material and methods:</b> The study included a group of 120 patients with anal fissure between 18 and 45 years of age. Each patient in the group received a therapy consisting of Procto-Zac Memethol Barrier Spray (8 sprays once a day, 2 packages) and preparation containing fiber and oral probiotic. A high-fiber, gluten-free and lactose-free diet was also recommended. A follow-up was carried out in our clinic after 4 and 8 weeks. If the symptoms do not disappear completely, also after 3 months from the start of treatment.<b>Results:</b> Complete relief of symptoms was achieved in 62 patients after 4 weeks of treatment. After 8 weeks, complete relief of symptoms was achieved in another 49 people. In 6 people, after 3 months of treatment, the symptoms were partially relieved, but the anal fissure was not completely healed. Three people did not come for a follow-up visit. In 20 patients, skin burning around the anus was observed during the above therapy.The above symptoms did not require discontinuation of Procto-Zac Memethol Barrier Spray therapy and disappeared after completion of treatment. No other side effects of the preparations used were found.<b>Conclusions:</b> According to our observations, the use of new TRPM8 receptor therapy MemeThol Barrier Spray, a preparation containing soluble fiber and oral probiotic, turned out to be an effective method of treating anal fissure. In the future, it is advisable to conduct further studies, including multicenter studies, to assess the full tolerability and effectiveness of the described therapy.

Analysis of specialized sports-related anglicisms

The aim of this study is to provide updated evidence of the use of non-adapted, adapted and false sports-related anglicisms in the European Spanish press. Specifically, this piece of research attempts to unveil technical/semi-technical English borrowings and to explore the pragmatic functions of these English lexical units in the current digital Spanish newswire. The method consisted of examining eight different media by using the constantly updating database of anglicisms ‘Observatorio Lázaro’ throughout a period of 9 months. A sample of 130 English lexical items was collected and subjected to an in-depth qualitative and descriptive analysis. Each borrowing was looked up in DAD ‒the most recent dictionary of sports-related English lexical items in Spanish‒ and was illustrated by a real example of its use in context excerpted from present-day Spanish newspapers. Terminology associated to a broad spectrum of specific sports –such as golf, basketball, rugby, cycling, etc.– was delved into. Results show that, while some terms have no connection to the rest of borrowings, many of them can be grouped according to certain parameters. Considering pragmatic functions, the use of some anglicisms proved not to be random but to respond to news reporters’ and journalists’ purposes. The study concludes that the pervasive influence exerted by English on Spanish concerning technical/semi-technical sports anglicisms remains in full force and effect nowadays, as this impact affects the vocabulary of a wide variety of sports games and exercises.

Level of expression of MHCI-presented neoepitopes influences tumor rejection by neoantigen-specific CD8+ T cells.

Neoantigen-targeted therapy holds an array of benefits for cancer immunotherapy, but the identification of peptide targets with tumor rejection capacity remains a limitation. To better define the criteria dictating tumor rejection potential, we examined the capacity of high-magnitude T cell responses induced towards several distinct neoantigen targets to regress MC38 tumors. Surprisingly, despite their demonstrated immunogenicity, vaccine-induced T-cell responses were unable to regress established MC38 tumors or prevent tumor engraftment in a prophylactic setting. However, T cells were functional with robust killing capacity towards neoantigen peptide-loaded cells. Furthermore, tumor cell killing was rescued in proportion to the expression level or saturation of target peptide-loaded MHCs on the cell surface. Overall, this study demonstrates a pivotal role for target protein expression levels in modulating the tumor rejection capacity of neoantigens. Thus, inclusion of this metric, in addition to immunogenicity analysis, may benefit antigen prediction techniques to ensure the full anti-tumor effect of cancer vaccines.

7392 Unilateral Adrenal Embolization In Cushing Disease-A Lifesaving Emergent Procedure

Abstract Disclosure: M. Sadiq: None. B. Irshad: None. A. Haider: None. Case presentation: A 59-year-old female was diagnosed with Cushing Disease (CD) thirteen years ago with symptomatic hypercortisolism. Hypokalemia and elevated 24-hour urine cortisol (392 ug/24 hr, n 0-50 ug/24 hr) were noted at the time of diagnosis. Following LDDST, morning cortisol was 30.5 ug/dl, and HDDST showed greater than 50% suppression. A pituitary macroadenoma with bilateral cavernous sinus extension was noted on MRI Sella. Due to cavernous sinus invasion, she was not considered a surgical candidate and underwent Gamma knife radiation. 24-hour urine cortisol decreased significantly (20 ug/24 hours). Two years follow-up MRI brain showed an empty Sella and AM cortisol was noted to be normal at 12.2 ug/ dl with no evidence of AI. She was lost to follow-up and reestablished almost ten years after her initial gamma knife and was symptomatic from hypercortisolism. 24-hour urine cortisol at 85.4 mcg/24 hr, abnormal salivary cortisol x 2 (0.24 and 0.20 mcg/dl n < 0.09 mcg/dl) confirming hypercortisolism. MRI of Sella showed recurrent adenoma with bilateral sellar masses. She was referred to Neurosurgery and was started on Ketoconazole and Paseriotide once-monthly injections. She developed new onset diastolic heart failure & upper GI bleeding, requiring hospitalization. High ACTH level of 668 pg/ml (n. 6.6- 65 pg/ ml). 8 am cortisol was 107.6 ug/dl which was suppressed to 16.1 after 8 mg overnight Decadron. Repeat Gamma knife was planned but due to her decline, it was decided to do unilateral adrenal artery embolization to reduce hypercortisolism. IR-guided adrenal artery embolization of the left middle & inferior adrenal arteries was performed. She required stress dosing of HC post-embolization which was tapered off while monitoring 8 am cortisol which started to rise & 24-hour cortisol levels were noted to be normal (51.2 mcg/24 H) on post-embolization day eight. Gamma knife radiation treatment was performed a month later after which she was noted to have GWS and required Hydrocortisone 15/10 mg twice daily, which she has been taking to date. 24-hour urine cortisol remains normal at 11.8 mcg/24 h. Discussion: Treatment for CD is primarily surgical. Radiotherapy is a second-line alternative in tumors that are non-amenable to surgery. Radiotherapy takes time to achieve its full effect. Cushing Disease patients with significant hypercortisolism and resultant complications require urgent treatment. Unilateral Adrenalectomy is described in literature to curb the cortisol burden . Similarly Unilateral Adrenal artery embolization offers less invasive approach to treat patients considered unfit for surgery. Conclusion: Unilateral adrenal artery embolization can be considered a bridging treatment in CD to reduce cortisol burden and improve the metabolic profile following which a more definitive treatment such as repeat surgery or radiotherapy can lead to long-term remission. Presentation: 6/1/2024

Psychotic Experiences Questionnaire. Part 2

BACKGROUND: On the basis of the concept of psychotic and psychotic-like experiences, delusions and auditory hallucinations presented in Part 1 of this article, the structure of the links between psychotic experiences and social anxiety and its components and psychological parameters is analyzed. A mediator model of the relationship between social anxiety and the phase of psychotic alienation — "experiencing external control" — is discussed. AIM: To investigate the parameters and stages of development of psychotic and psychotic-like experiences registered with the Psychotic Experiences Questionnaire in the context of analyzing the structure of relationships with psychological variables (social anxiety, metacognitive and cognitive phenomena). Тo construct a mediator model of the indirect effect of social anxiety components on the “experience of being controlled externally” mediated by thought suppression (“polar bear effect”). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The sample — 122 respondents, includes non-clinical and two clinical groups — with symptoms of the affective spectrum and with symptoms of the psychotic spectrum. The author's ‘Psychotic Experiences Questionnaire’ was used to assess the severity of psychotic experiences, the scales of which represent the phases of the unfolding of the experiences. Social anxiety and its components (author's “Social Anxiety and Social Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire”), cognitive (“Cognitive Flexibility Questionnaire”, “Behavioural Self-Regulation Style — SSPM 2020” questionnaire) and metacognitive (Thought Suppression Scale, author's “Self-Focused Attention Questionnaire”) strategies were determined. RESULTS: Pearson correlation analysis showed significant ‘direct’ associations of early and moderate psychotic and psychotic-like experiences with social anxiety and its components, metacognitive (self-focused attention and thought suppression) parameters, and ‘inverse’ links with cognitive parameters (cognitive component of conscious self-regulation and cognitive flexibility). Correlations with psychological parameters become insignificant in intense psychotic experiences. Using mediator analysis, the full indirect effects of the social anxiety components influence on the enhancement of “experiencing being controlled externally” as a phase of psychotic experiences maximum intensity were measured (mediator — thought suppression). CONCLUSION: Metacognitive strategies, social anxiety, disturbed self-regulation and flexibility play an important role in the genesis and maintenance of psychotic experiences. Significant correlations of the parameters with psychotic experience are shown, but at the height of alienation the significant correlations weaken. At the height of psychotic experience in the absence of direct effects it is possible to explicate the indirect influence of the predictor — social anxiety on the experience of controllability from the outside, mediated by thought suppression. This article is a continuation of the article by Sagalakova OA, Truevtsev DV, Zhirnova OV. Psychotic Experiences Questionnaire. Part 1. Neurology Bulletin. 2024;56(1):23–36. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17816/nb623959

Influence of soft skills on career development: Exploring performance appraisal as a mediating mechanism

Performance appraisal plays a crucial mediating role in the complex interaction between soft skills and career development. This practice provides a comprehensive view of workers’ competencies and directly influences their professional trajectories. This investigation checked the significance of these competencies in career development, employing performance appraisal as a mediating mechanism. The sample comprised 262 employees in Portugal. Data were collected from a convenience sample using the snowball sampling method, in which participants were asked to invite their contacts to participate in the study. The questionnaire included the short skills inventory, the career growth scale, and the performance management scale. The more developed the soft skills, the greater the tendency for employees to progress in their careers. Performance appraisal has a significant influence on employees’ career trajectories, as the possibility of career advancement largely depends on their performance. The data further revealed that by mediating the relationship between soft skills and career progression, performance appraisal helps guide and support the organization’s strategic decisions. However, when the mediating variable is introduced into the model, the influence of soft skills on career development is no longer significant, indicating a full mediation effect. The results suggest that 26.8% of the possibility of progressing in the career is explained by the performance appraisal results. These results act as a critical link between soft skills and career development. Soft skills exert a significant influence on career development, and performance appraisal emerges as a valuable means to recognize and promote these competencies.

Exploring organizational aspects that promote health-related preventive behavior: using the example of work-related SARS-CoV-2 infection control measures in Germany, August 2020 to November 2021.

During the communicable coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, organizational infection control measures (oICMs) were introduced in the workplace. The employees' positive attitudes and active participation are relevant for full effectiveness regarding disease prevention. Therefore, we explore changes in employees' attitudes toward oICM at work from August-October 2020 (T0) over January 2021 (T1) to October-November 2021 (T2). We further investigate the role an organization can play in supporting health-related preventive behavior. We considered repeated cross-sectional and longitudinal panel survey data from 5,554 employees of a global supplier of technology and services in Germany. A total of 16 items constitute the attitude scores toward oICM (5-point Likert scale). Via mixed-effect model, aspects associated with employees' attitudes toward oICM were explored. Via 'extreme-group' approach, we compared the 20% of participants with the largest changes into less favorable to the 20% with the largest changes into more favorable attitudes toward oICM over time. The overall positive attitudes toward work-related oICM were more favorable at T1 (mean ± SD: 4.2 ± 0.6, median (IQR): 4.3 (0.8), n = 2,515) compared to T0 (4.1 ± 0.6, 4.1 (0.8), n = 2,417) but less favorable at T2 (3.9 ± 0.7, 4.0 (0.9), n = 2,062). Among others, feeling well-informed about possible work-related risks of infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), perceived psychosocial demands through work environment aspects, and perceived management's commitment to safety and health were associated with long-term positive attitudes toward oICM. Individuals developing more favorable attitudes toward oICM reported feeling well-informed about possible work-related SARS-CoV-2 infection risks and improved COVID-19-specific resilience over time. Individuals developing less favorable attitudes toward oICM reported decreased perceptions of COVID-19-associated risks. oICMs in the workplace were perceived appropriate even after COVID-19 vaccines were widely available although the perceived affective risks about SARS-CoV-2 decreased. Taken together, our findings highlight how organizations can support employees in adopting health-related preventive behavior. Among others, we found that feeling well-informed about possible work-related health risks was positively associated with long-term favorable attitudes toward work-related oICM. We expect that the results contribute to the development of interventions to prepare and adapt to future global public health concerns.

Tourist experience and destination evangelism: the mediating role of inspiration

ABSTRACT Even though tourist experience (TX) and destination evangelism are crucial research priorities, a substantial paucity of empirically derived insights into these concepts and their relationships exists. Therefore, this study investigates the TX’s impact on tourist inspiration and destination evangelism by proposing and empirically validating a structural model by collecting data from 384 tourists and then validating it by conducting semi-structured interviews. The study also envisages tourist inspiration to mediate the proposed relationships, thereby contributing further to the tourism and travel literature. This study applies mixed-method explanatory sequential design that consists of two phases. In the first phase, proposed hypotheses were tested by applying the structural equation modelling technique and mediation analysis. The findings revealed that various dimensions of TX exert differential impacts on destination evangelism. The study also confirmed the partial mediation role of tourist inspiration between three dimensions of TX (sensory, cognitive and affective) and destination evangelism; however, the full mediation effect was observed between behavioural TX and destination evangelism. In the second phase, a qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews was conducted. These findings were found in alignment with the findings of the quantitative study. The study concludes by offering key implications and avenues for further research.

Project Lifeline-II: Feasibility of Implementing Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

US community pharmacies are a unique and underused health service setting for identifying and potentially intervening with patients at risk of opioid overdose or opioid use disorder with evidence-based practices such as screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT). The aim of our study was to assess the feasibility of implementing SBIRT in community pharmacies in an urban county in terms of engagement, reach, and equity across the cascade of pharmacy screening and care. Patients aged 18 years or older receiving a schedule II or III opioid prescription at 1 of 17 participating community pharmacies in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, were invited to engage in SBIRT as part of Project Lifeline-II from June 2020 through January 2023. Participants completed a prescreen and/or a full screen. We calculated the percentage of patients who participated across the cascade of pharmacy screening and care, overall and by sex (male and female) and race (Black and White). During the study period, 1952 unique adults (79.6%) were screened at least once (52.1% female; 58.0% White, 30.7% Black). Patients who identified as male (vs female) and Black (vs White) were more likely to have a positive prescreen (14.7% male vs 9.8% female; 16.4% Black vs 9.5% White), receive and complete a full screen (82.7% male vs 80.0% female; 83.6% Black vs 78.4% White), and score positively on the full screen (26.6% male vs 20.4% female; 26.8% Black vs 21.9% White). Although additional research is needed to characterize the full effect of Project Lifeline-II on patient outcomes, our findings help reinforce the benefits of multipronged public health initiatives that include community pharmacists to address the substance use disorder crisis in the United States.

Novel modalities for hair growth & skin repair

Background/Objectives: Evaluate the efficacy and long-term results of established and novel treatment modalities on skin repair and hair growth. Examine the deleterious effects of inflammation in aging and disease. We present a thorough literature review on the reported and actual statistical significance of laser and radiofrequency studies that is often contradictory, on both skin repair and hair growth. Some RF and laser studies postulate short-term improvement on skin repair, and substantial results on hair health, but without following up to control for adverse side effects, effects reversal or reoccurrence or certain skin disorders such as pigmentation which generally reoccur following laser or RF treatments. A main issue pertaining to such technologies is the results of inflammation. Laser and RF companies claim reduction of inflammation. Yet, a large body of research demonstrates significant inflammation increase after trauma-based procedures. A diligent evaluation of other methods and techniques is also conducted based on research and clinical studies presented, with inflammation being the centrepiece. Methods: In our randomized, double-blind longitudinal clinical research, we followed 22 clinical cases treated with a novel resonance anti-inflammatory technology for up to 4 years. Results: All subjects evidenced irreversible skin repair and hair growth. Results on hair were slower to appear and ranged from two weeks to one month before observing the full effect. The number of treatments required for substantial repair depended on the chronicity and severity of skin condition, and the extent of hair loss, rather than age. More chronic, difficult cases required more treatments irrespective of whether the subject was younger or older. These results on age-independent skin repair and hair growth advocated for the importance of anti-inflammatory techniques to counterbalance immune insufficiency, age-accumulated oxidative stress, and disrupted cellular communications. Conclusions: Focus should be shifted from the immediacy of results to the long-term effects of the results with respect to evaluating different treatment modalities on skin repair and hair growth. Inflammation is one of the main reasons for both aging and disease. In assessing the efficacy of a technology, it is important to diligently look for evidence pertinent to the absence of inconspicuous, or insidiously forming inflammation following the procedure, a perspective that most published and unpublished clinical studies fail to consider, since they do not test for inflammatory interleukins or levels of the C-reactive protein that would evidence the presence of inflammation.

Visible-Near Infrared Independent Modulation of Hexagonal WO3 Induced by Ionic Insertion Sequence and Cavity Characteristics.

Dual-band electrochromic materials have attracted significant attention due to their ability to independently control sunlight and solar heat. However, these materials generally exhibit notable limitations, and the mechanisms for their dual-band independent regulation remain poorly understood. Here, the visible-NIR-independent regulation capabilities of hexagonal WO3 (h-WO3) are introduced for the first time. A structure-activity relationship that perfectlylinks the microscopic ion insertion sequence and cavity characteristics to the macroscopic dual-band electrochromic properties is established. The progressive ion intercalation process and the distinctive optical activity of the cavities are keys for enabling h-WO3 to independently modulate "bright," "cool," and "dark" modes. Notably, h-WO3 demonstrates superior dual-band electrochromic performance with a broadband full shielding effect from 550 to 2000nm, achieving the widest full shielding band in dual-band electrochromic studies. Additionally, h-WO3 shows a high discharge capacity of 270.9 mAh m- 2 at 0.25 A m- 2, and requires only 49.1 and 209.7 mAh m- 2 to complete a full round-trip switch between "bright-cool" and "bright-dark" modes, respectively. The constructed device offers a dynamic temperature control range of up to 10.5°C and supports a maximum voltage of 2.86V, underscoring its considerable potential for practical applications and energy efficiency.

A cost comparison of GLP-1 receptor agonists and bariatric surgery: what is the break even point?

With the prevalence of obesity rising in the US, medical management is of increasing importance. Two popular options for the treatment of obesity are bariatric surgery (e.g. sleeve gastrectomy and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass) and the increasingly popular GLP-1 Receptor Agonists (GLP-1s). This study examines the initial and long-term costs of GLP-1s compared to bariatric surgery. We compared average 2023 national retail prices for GLP-1s to surgical cost estimates from 2015 adjusted for inflation. We then plotted the cumulative medication cost over time against the flat cost of each surgery, thus calculating "break-even points" (when medication costs equal surgery costs). The findings revealed a crucial insight, for some GLP-1s like Saxenda and Wegovy, the high cost of ongoing use surpasses the cost of RYGB in less than a year and sleeve gastrectomy within nine months. Even the most affordable option, Byetta, becomes costlier than surgery after around 1.5years. This highlights the importance of looking beyond the initial financial investment when considering cost-effectiveness. Additionally, while not directly assessed, this study acknowledges that GLP-1s take time to reach full effectiveness, potentially delaying weight loss while accumulating costs. Concerns also exist about weight regain after discontinuing the medication. This study is limited by the real-world variation for individual treatment costs (e.g. insurance), a limited evaluation of long-term costs associated with either treatment modality and their co-morbidities, and the reality of patient preference providing subjective value to either modality. Overall, the study offers insights into the financial trade-offs between GLP-1s and bariatric surgery.

A calibrated model for N-body dynamical friction acting on supermassive black holes

Abstract Black holes are believed to be crucial in regulating star formation in massive galaxies, which makes it essential to faithfully represent the physics of these objects in cosmological hydrodynamics simulations. Limited spatial and mass resolution and the associated discreteness noise make following the dynamics of black holes especially challenging. In particular, dynamical friction, which is responsible for driving massive black holes towards the centres of galaxies, cannot be accurately modelled with softened N-body interactions. A number of subgrid models have been proposed to mimic dynamical friction or directly include its full effects in simulations. Each of these methods has its individual benefits and shortcomings, while all suffer from a common issue of being unable to represent black holes with masses below a few times the simulated dark matter particle mass. In this paper, we propose a correction for unresolved dynamical friction, which has been calibrated on simulations run with the code KETJU, in which gravitational interactions of black holes are not softened. We demonstrate that our correction is able to sink black holes with masses greater than the dark matter particle mass at the correct rate. We show that the impact of stochasticity is significant for low-mass black holes (MBH ≤ 5MDM) and propose a correction for stochastic heating. Combined, this approach is applicable to next generation cosmological hydrodynamics simulations that jointly track galaxy and black hole growth with realistic black hole orbits.

Fine mapping-based multi-omics analysis interprets the gut-lung axis function of SGLT2 inhibitors.

Currently, Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors demonstrate additional effects beyond glucose control on the gut microbiota and circulating metabolites. The gut microbiota and metabolites have been found to be useful in elucidating potential biological mechanisms of pulmonary diseases. Therefore, our study aims to investigate the effects of gut microbiota and metabolites mediating SGLT2 inhibition in 10 pulmonary diseases through Mendelian randomization (MR) research. We conducted a two-sample, two-step MR study to assess the association between SGLT2 inhibition and 10 pulmonary diseases and to investigate the mediating effects of gut microbiota and metabolite. Gene-fine mapping and annotation of mediators by FUMA and Magma analyses were performed, and causal associations of mapped genes with diseases were assessed by muti-omics MR analyses. Possible side effects of SGLT2 inhibition were assessed by PheWAS analysis. SGLT2 inhibition was linked to a reduced risk of T2DM, Interstitial lung disease (ILD), Pneumoconiosis, Pulmonary tuberculosis, and Asthma(OR=0.457, 0.054, 0.002, 0.280, 0.706). The family Enterobacteriaceae and order Enterobacteriales were associated with SGLT2 inhibition and ILD(95% CI:0.079-0.138). The family Alcaligenaceae and X-12719 were linked to pneumoconiosis (95% CI: 0.042-0.120, 0.050-0.099). The genus Phascolarctobacterium was connected to pulmonary tuberculosis (95% CI: 0.236-0.703).The degree of unsaturation (Fatty Acids), ratio of docosahexaenoic acid to total fatty acids, and 4-androsten-3beta,17beta-diol disulfate 2, were associated with asthma(95% CI: 0.042-0.119, 0.039-0.101, 0.181-0.473). Furthermore, Fuma and Magma analyses identified target genes for the four diseases, and proteomic MR analysis revealed six overlapping target genes in asthma. PheWAS analysis also highlighted potential side effects of SGLT2 inhibition. This comprehensive study strongly supports a multi-omics association between SGLT2 inhibition and reduced risk of interstitial lung disease, tuberculosis, pneumoconiosis, and asthma. Four identified gut microbiota, four metabolites, sixteen metabolic pathways, and six target genes appear to play a potential role in this association. The results of the comprehensive phenome-wide association analysis also identified the full effect of SGLT2 inhibitors.