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Summary: Background: A temporal relationship between hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) and obesity has not been established. Objectives: To compare baseline body mass index (BMI) and change in BMI for patients with HS and controls before and after diagnosis. Methods: We performed a retrospective case–control analysis of 1284 patients with HS and controls matched for age, sex, race and calendar year between 1 January 1999 and 9 September 2019. BMI 7 years prior to first HS diagnosis, and rate of BMI change, were compared for patients with HS and controls using linear mixed effects models. Results: Baseline BMI was higher among patients with HS than controls [mean difference 3·03 kg m−2, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2·44–3·62; P < 0·001)]. This difference was larger for women [mean difference 3·37 kg m−2 (95% CI 2·73–4·01)] than men [mean difference 1·27 kg m−2 (95% CI − 0·20–2·73; interaction P = 0·01)], and for patients with HS diagnosed before age 40 years [mean difference 4·10 kg m−2 (95% CI 3·15–5·06)] than those diagnosed after age 40 years [mean difference 2·38 kg m−2 (95% CI 1·63–3·12; interaction P < 0·001)]. Prior to diagnosis, average annual increase in BMI among patients with HS was slightly higher than controls. There was no statistically significant change in annual BMI among patients with HS following diagnosis. Conclusions: Baseline BMI and, to a lesser extent, rate of BMI change appear to be risk factors for developing HS. The influence of BMI may play a larger role among female patients and younger patients. What is already known about this topic? The association between hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) and obesity is well established.However, whether obesity influences the development of HS or is a consequence of having HS is unknown. What does this study add? We have observed that obesity and, to a lesser extent, rate of change in body mass index appear to be risk factors for developing HS. Linked Comment: L.A.V. Orenstein. Br J Dermatol 2021; 185:6–7. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Thomson Web of Science search for the topic "leaf age" AND potassium AND tropic* identified just one similar study, which reported a similar strong decline in foliar K with leaf age ([16]). This scientific commentary refers to 'Changes in leaf functional traits with leaf age: When do leaves decrease their photosynthetic capacity in Amazonian forests? Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS WorldCat 6 Kitajima K, Mulkey SS, Wright SJ (1997 a) Decline of photosynthetic capacity with leaf age in relation to leaf longevities for five tropical canopy tree species. The LDO model integrates seasonality in the timing of leaf production and abscission, total leaf area present and the contribution of expanding, mature and old leaves to successfully explain seasonality in gross ecosystem production. [Extracted from the article]

Dear Editor, Within the U.K., Wales has some of the highest rates of skin cancer annually, and skin cancer diagnosis rates have increased 63% in 10 years.[1] The charity Skin Care Cymru (SCCym) provides a voice for skin health in Wales. This novel campaign promoted the importance of sun protection to reduce skin cancer rates in Wales and, by extension, the U.K. Using the extensive support and coverage of #DontBeALobster, SCCym will further expand and develop the campaign to measure its effect on skin cancer knowledge and sun-protection behaviour. While more evidence is needed to show that mass media campaigns are as effective as multicomponent campaigns in increasing sun-safe behaviour,[2] social media can improve knowledge and attitudes toward skin cancer.[3]. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Osteoporosis (OP) is a major and increasing health problem worldwide, especially in European countries, where the modern, sedentary lifestyle from an early age leads to brittle bones later in life. Patients affected by OP tend to move less and have a lower quality of life (QoL). This study aims to evaluate how OP affects individual markers for QoL in postmenopausal women and assess the influence of exercise on these markers. Methods: The EQ-5D questionnaire was administered to evaluate Mobility, Self-care, Usual Activities, Pain/Discomfort and Anxiety/Depression in a sample of Italian women with osteoporotic vertebral fractures, aged 60-75. Markers linked to QoL were compared for these women with those of an average female Italian population (AFIP) of similar age. Concurrently, a 6-month exercise trial was conducted, in which the OP patients were divided into two groups: an exercise group (EG) and a control group (CG). The QoL was assessed for both groups at the end of the trial. Results: A larger proportion of OP patients reported some problems with Mobility as compared to the AFIP (37.5% versus 31.2% respectively, p = 0.001) and in performing Usual Activities (45% versus 23.9%, p = 0.002). OP patients (77.5%) experienced some Pain/Discomfort, compared to 48.1% of the AFIP (p = 0.001). Anxiety/Depression was reported by 40% of OP patients and 18.8% of the AFIP (p = 0.001). Concerning the exercise trial, the results indicated a positive trend for Mobility and Usual Activities in the EG, while the CG markers remained unchanged. Conclusions: Overall, results confirm that OP significantly affected QoL in postmenopausal women. In particular, OP negatively influenced the markers Mobility, Usual Activities, Pain/Discomfort and Anxiety/Depression. Exercise programs tailored to OP patients can improve some markers linked to QoL. Evidence suggests that health policy makers in Europe can consider including OP-adapted exercise programmes in guidelines for OP management. Key messages: Osteoporosis negatively affects the quality of life for postmenopausal women. In particular, Mobility, Usual Activities, Pain/Discomfort and Anxiety/Depression markers were affected. Exercise can improve some markers linked to quality of life (Mobility and Usual Activities). Thus, it could be proposed as a treatment for osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strong gravitational lensing provides a powerful test of cold dark matter (CDM) as it enables the detection and mass measurement of low-mass haloes even if they do not contain baryons. Compact lensed sources such as active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are particularly sensitive to perturbing subhaloes, but their use as a test of CDM has been limited by the small number of systems which have significant radio emission that is extended enough to avoid significant lensing by stars in the plane of the lens galaxy, and red enough to be minimally affected by differential dust extinction. Narrow-line emission is a promising alternative as it is also extended and, unlike radio, detectable in virtually all optically selected AGN lenses. We present first results from a Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) grism narrow-line survey of lensed quasars, for the quadruply lensed AGN HE 0435–1223. Using a forward modelling pipeline that enables us to robustly account for spatial blending, we measure the [O III] 5007 Å flux ratios of the four images. We find that the [O III] fluxes and positions are well fit by a simple smooth mass model for the main lens. Our data rule out a M600 > 108(107.2)M⊙ Navarro–Frenk–White perturber projected within ~1.0 (0.1) arcsec of each of the lensed images, where M600 is the perturber mass within its central 600 pc. The non-detection is broadly consistent with the expectations of ΛCDM for a single system. The sensitivity achieved demonstrates that powerful limits on the nature of dark matter can be obtained with the analysis of ~20 narrow-line lenses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]