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Introduction and purpose Obesity is a complex, chronic disease that has recently reached epidemic proportions. According to the World Health Organization, the prevalence of this disease tripled since 1975, reaching 13% of the global population in 2016. A body mass index (BMI) > 30 kg/m² is typically the reference point for obesity in adults, and the mortality risk associated with obesity increases by 100% at BMI > 40 kg/ m² compared to individuals with normal body weight. The aim of the article is to present the benefits of bariatric surgery, encompassing not only weight loss but also a range of other advantages for obese patients undergoing the procedure. Materials and methods The literature included in the PubMed databases is searched through the words such as obesity, bariatric surgery. Description of the state of knowledge: The literature review shows the breadth of the issue. Obesity constitutes a public health crisis and a significant risk factor for many diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, and numerous others. Since in most cases, lifestyle optimization and low-calorie diet alone are not sufficient, pharmacological interventions as well as surgical interventions are often necessary. Bariatric surgery remains the most effective treatment option, as it has been demonstrated to not only reduce body weight but also decrease mortality from cardiovascular diseases and extend overall life expectancy. Conclusions The benefits, complications, and selection of the best surgical method for treating obesity are still under investigation. However, research demonstrates the long-term effectiveness of bariatric surgery in weight loss and the remission of comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes, as well as in preventing obesity-related cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the general challenges of plasma diagnostics for laser-produced plasmas and give a few more detailed examples: spherically bent crystals for X-ray imaging, velocity interferometers (VISAR) for shock studies, and proton radiography.

We studied the interaction of a double-spot laser beam with targets using the Prague Asterix Laser System (PALS) iodine laser working at 0.44 μm wavelength and intensity of about 1015 W/cm2. Shock breakout signals were recorder using time-resolved self-emission from target rear side of irradiated targets. We compared the behavior of pure Al targets and of targets with a foam layer on the laser side. Results have been simulated using hydrodynamic numerical codes.

There is a great interest in the study of p-11B aneutronic nuclear fusion reactions, both for energy production and for determination of fusion cross-sections at low energies. In this context we performed experiments at CELIA in which energetic protons, accelerated by the laser ECLIPSE, were directed toward a solid Boron target. Because of the small cross-sections at these energies the number of expected reactions is low. CR39 Solid-State Nuclear Track Detectors (SSNTD) were used to detect the alpha particles produced. Because of the low expected yield, it is difficult to discriminate the tracks due to true fusion products from those due to natural background in the CR39. To this purpose we developed a methodology of particle recognition according to their direction with respect to the detector normal, able to determine the position of their source. We applied this to the specific experiment geometry, so to select from all the tracks those due to particles coming from the region of interaction between accelerated protons and solid boron target. This technique can be of great help on the analysis of SSNTD in experiments with low yield reactions, but can be also generally applied to any experiment where particles reach the track detector with known directions, and for example to improve the detection limit of particle spectrometers using CR39.

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Abstract Background Peptidyl-prolyl isomerase, NIMA-interacting 1 (PIN1) plays a significant role in the brain and is implicated in numerous cellular processes related to Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative conditions. There are confounding results concerning PIN1 activity in AD brains. Also PIN1 genetic variation was inconsistently associated with AD risk. Methods We performed analysis of coding and promoter regions of PIN1 in early- and late-onset AD and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) patients in comparison with healthy controls. Results Analysis of eighteen PIN1 common polymorphisms and their haplotypes in EOAD, LOAD and FTD individuals in comparison with the control group did not reveal their contribution to disease risk. In six unrelated familial AD patients four novel PIN1 sequence variants were detected. c.58+64C>T substitution that was identified in three patients, was located in an alternative exon. In silico analysis suggested that this variant highly increases a potential affinity for a splicing factor and introduces two intronic splicing enhancers. In the peripheral leukocytes of one living patient carrying the variant, a 2.82 fold decrease in PIN1 expression was observed. Conclusion Our data does not support the role of PIN1 common polymorphisms as AD risk factor. However, we suggest that the identified rare sequence variants could be directly connected with AD pathology, influencing PIN1 splicing and/or expression.