The utility of interleukin-23 intraclass switching in the treatment of plaque psoriasis: a retrospective review of 43 cases.

Interleukin (IL)-23 inhibitors are a class of injectable biologics, which include risankizumab, tildrakizumab and guselkumab, used for the treatment of moderate-to-severe psoriasis. This retrospective review sought to determine the value of IL-23 inhibitor intraclass switching among patients with psoriasis after they experienced loss of efficacy to any IL-23 inhibitor. We conducted a retrospective chart review, including 43 patients who underwent any of 6 potential iterations of IL-23 intraclass switching between November 2017 and November 2023.

Low rates of vaccination among atopic dermatitis, alopecia areata, psoriasis, and psoriatic arthritis patients on biologics.

Biologics and Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors are immunomodulating and immunosuppressing medications utilized to treat atopic dermatitis (AD), psoriasis (PSO), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and alopecia areata (AA). Special recommendations must be considered when prescribing vaccinations in this population, as the pneumococcal and herpes zoster vaccine are recommended to patients ≥ 19-years-old (rather than ≥ 65-years-old and ≥ 50-years-old as in the general population, respectively), along with a yearly influenza and up to date COVID-19 vaccination. Additionally, TNF-α and JAK-inhibitors may increase the risk of latent Hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation among high-risk patients.

High performance chitosan/nanocellulose-based composite membrane for alkaline direct ethanol fuel cells.

Polysaccharide anion exchange membranes (AEMs) containing chitosan (CS), cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) and CNFs quaternized with poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (CNF(P)s) were developed for use in alkaline direct ethanol fuel cells (ADEFCs). The resulting composite membranes prepared by the solvent casting process based on an experimental design were comprehensively assessed for morphology, KOH uptake, swelling ratio, EtOH permeability, mechanical properties, ionic conductivity, and cell performance. The fabricated CS-based composite membranes with CNF(P) fillers were superior to the commercial Fumatech FAA-3-50 membrane in terms of Young's modulus and tensile strength (69 % and 85 % higher, respectively), ion exchange capacity (169 % higher), and ionic conductivity (228 % higher).

Rapid topographic growth of the Taiwan orogen since ~1.3-1.5 Ma.

We present the first paleotopographic reconstruction of Taiwan by measuring the hydrogen isotope composition of leaf waxes (δH) preserved in 3-Ma and younger sediments of the southern Coastal Range. Plant leaf waxes record the δH of precipitation during formation, which is related to elevation. Leaf waxes produced across the orogen are transported and deposited in adjacent sedimentary basins, providing deep-time records of the source elevation of detrital organic matter.

Study on Commercially Available Membranes for Alkaline Direct Ethanol Fuel Cells.

This study provides a comparison of different commercially available low-cost anion exchange membranes (AEMs), a microporous separator, a cation exchange membrane (CEM), and an anionic-treated CEM for their application in the liquid-feed alkaline direct ethanol fuel cell (ADEFC). Moreover, the effect on performance was evaluated taking two different modes of operation for the ADEFC, with AEM or CEM, into consideration. The membranes were compared with respect to their physical and chemical properties, such as thermal and chemical stability, ion-exchange capacity, ionic conductivity, and ethanol permeability.

Efficiency of Neat and Quaternized-Cellulose Nanofibril Fillers in Chitosan Membranes for Direct Ethanol Fuel Cells.

In this work, fully polysaccharide based membranes were presented as self-standing, solid polyelectrolytes for application in anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs). For this purpose, cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) were modified successfully with an organosilane reagent, resulting in quaternized CNFs (CNF (D)), as shown by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Carbon-13 (C13) nuclear magnetic resonance (C NMR), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA)/Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), and ζ-potential measurements. Both the neat (CNF) and CNF(D) particles were incorporated in situ into the chitosan (CS) membrane during the solvent casting process, resulting in composite membranes that were studied extensively for morphology, potassium hydroxide (KOH) uptake and swelling ratio, ethanol (EtOH) permeability, mechanical properties, ionic conductivity, and cell performance.

The microstructure, mechanical and electrochemical properties of 3D printed alloys with reusing powders.

CoCrMo and Ti6Al4V are widely used in medical, dental and 3D printing technology, allowing the accurate fabrication of geometrically complicated structures. In order to reduce the costs of printed objects, the reuse of powder is common daily practice. When using 3D printing technology, the direct impact of elevated temperatures and the influence of the laser beam may change the properties of the powder when it is reused, thus affecting the final properties of the printed object.

Tribocorrosion Susceptibility and Mechanical Characteristics of As-Received and Long-Term In-Vivo Aged Nickel-Titanium and Stainless-Steel Archwires.

To evaluate the effect of long-term in-vivo aging on orthodontic archwires, we aimed to assess the triboelectrochemical and mechanical characteristics of as-received and in-vivo aged nickel-titanium (NiTi) and stainless-steel (SS) orthodontic archwires. Four consecutive tribocorrosion cycles on six NiTi and six SS archwires, as-received and in-vivo aged, were performed on a reciprocal tribometer. Electrochemical noise and friction coefficient measurements, three-dimensional surface profiling, and hardness measurements were performed.

Accelerated mass extinction in an isolated biota during Late Devonian climate changes.

The fossil record can illuminate factors that contribute to extinction risk during times of global environmental disturbance; for example, inferred thermal tolerance was an important predictor of extinction during several mass extinctions that corresponded with climate change. Additionally, members of geographically isolated biotas may face higher risk because they have less opportunity to migrate to suitable climate refugia during environmental disturbances. Here, we investigate how different types of risk intersect in the well-preserved brachiopod fauna of the Appalachian Foreland Basin during the two pulses of the Frasnian-Famennian mass extinction (Late Devonian, ~ 372 Ma).

Characterizing Steel Corrosion in Different Alkali-Activated Mortars.

Alkali-activated materials (AAMs) present a promising potential alternative to ordinary Portland cement (OPC). The service life of reinforced concrete structures depends greatly on the corrosion resistance of the steel used for reinforcement. Due to the wide range and diverse properties of AAMs, the corrosion processes of steel in these materials is still relatively unknown.

Sensor Development for Corrosion Monitoring of Stainless Steels in HSO Solutions.

Equipment made of different stainless steels is often used in the hydrometallurgical processing industry. In this study, an electrical resistance sensor was developed for monitoring corrosion in acidic solutions at high temperature. Two types of stainless steel were used as the electrode materials, namely grade 316L stainless steel (EN 1.

Short-term occupations at high elevation during the Middle Paleolithic at Kalavan 2 (Republic of Armenia).

The Armenian highlands encompasses rugged and environmentally diverse landscapes and is characterized by a mosaic of distinct ecological niches and large temperature gradients. Strong seasonal fluctuations in resource availability along topographic gradients likely prompted Pleistocene hominin groups to adapt by adjusting their mobility strategies. However, the role that elevated landscapes played in hunter-gatherer settlement systems during the Late Pleistocene (Middle Palaeolithic [MP]) remains poorly understood.

Carboniferous plant physiology breaks the mold.

How plants have shaped Earth surface feedbacks over geologic time is a key question in botanical and geological inquiry. Recent work has suggested that biomes during the Carboniferous Period contained plants with extraordinary physiological capacity to shape their environment, contradicting the previously dominant view that plants only began to actively moderate the Earth's surface with the rise of angiosperms during the Mesozoic Era. A recently published Viewpoint disputes this recent work, thus here, we document in detail, the mechanistic underpinnings of our modeling and illustrate the extraordinary ecophysiological nature of Carboniferous plants.

Geochemical Evidence for the Control of Fire by Middle Palaeolithic Hominins.

The use of fire played an important role in the social and technological development of the genus Homo. Most archaeologists agree that this was a multi-stage process, beginning with the exploitation of natural fires and ending with the ability to create fire from scratch. Some have argued that in the Middle Palaeolithic (MP) hominin fire use was limited by the availability of fire in the landscape.

A Case of 'Sweet' Hydrothorax in a Patient on Peritoneal Dialysis.

Unlabelled: Non-infectious complications are an important cause of peritoneal dialysis failure. Increased intra-abdominal pressure resulting from dialysate inflow into the peritoneal cavity can cause leaks, including hydrothorax due to pleuroperitoneal communication. The authors describe a patient on peritoneal dialysis with a newly discovered pleural effusion with a high glucose level.

[Ru(tpy)(bpy)Cl]-Catalyzed reduction of carbon dioxide. Mechanistic insights by carbon-13 kinetic isotope effects.

In this work, we examine the use of competitive 13C kinetic isotope effects (13C KIEs) on CO2 reduction reactions that produce CO and formic acid as a means to formulate reaction mechanisms. The findings reported here mark a further advancement in the combined 13C KIE measurements and theoretical calculations methodology for probing CO2 conversion reactions.

The Slovene version of the Juvenile Arthritis Multidimensional Assessment Report (JAMAR).

The Juvenile Arthritis Multidimensional Assessment Report (JAMAR) is a new parent/patient reported outcome measure that enables a thorough assessment of the disease status in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). We report the results of the cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the parent and patient versions of the JAMAR in the Slovene language. The reading comprehension of the questionnaire was tested in 10 JIA parents and patients.

Reconstructing vapor pressure deficit from leaf wax lipid molecular distributions.

Estimates of atmospheric moisture are critical for understanding the links and feedbacks between atmospheric CO and global climate. At present, there are few quantitative moisture proxies that are applicable to deep time. We present a new proxy for atmospheric moisture derived from modern climate and leaf biomarker data from North and Central America.