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Fulltext Consumer Flow Experience of Senior Citizens in Using Social Media for Online Shopping

Xu Y, Wang Y, Khan A, Zhao R

Front Psychol, 2021;12:732104.
PMID: 34603153 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.732104

The senior market signifies an enormous, rapidly expanding segment, and this research aimed to investigate this segment by proposing a theoretical model incorporating the antecedents of consumer flow experience, flow theory, and technology acceptance model (TAM) devised for determining social media purchase intention. This study focuses on the senior citizens engaged in shopping using social media located in Pakistan. A total of 300 senior citizens were selected. An online survey was conducted with the help of a marketing research agency located in Pakistan. The data were analyzed using the partial least squares (PLS) method. According to the results, the antecedents, such as feedback, enjoyment, and time distortion were found to be in a positive relationship with flow experience, however, the concentration did not have a significant effect on the flow. Furthermore, the flow was found to be in a significant relationship with social media purchase intention and TAM. Finally, TAM was also found to be in a positive significant relationship with social media purchase intention. This research contributes to the constantly expanding volume of the utilization of social media by the senior market segment population for buying and producing the highly valuable knowledge for manufacturers, wholesalers, vendors, and a huge number of senior customers.
Fulltext Effect of the national lifestyle guidance intervention for metabolic syndrome among middle-aged people in Japan

Li Y, Babazono A, Jamal A, Liu N, Liang L, Yamao R, et al.

J Glob Health, 2024 Feb 09;14:04007.
PMID: 38334270 DOI: 10.7189/jogh.14.04007

BACKGROUND: Japan has implemented a national lifestyle guidance intervention programme for potential metabolic syndrome among adults aged 40-74 years; however, there is limited evidence regarding the causal impact of this intervention. The study aims to determine the causal effect of this intervention on health outcomes and health care utilisation.
METHODS: We performed a regression discontinuity design study. A total of 46 975 adults with ≥1 cardiovascular risk factor in 2015 were included in the study. A two-stage evaluation process (stage 1: waist circumference ≥85 cm for men or ≥90 cm for women and ≥1 cardiovascular risk factor; stage 2: body mass index (BMI)≥25 kg/m2 and ≥2 cardiovascular risk factors) was applied. Changes in obesity, cardiovascular outcomes, and health care utilisation were evaluated in a one-year follow-up in the fiscal year 2016.
RESULTS: Participants who received lifestyle guidance intervention based on the waist circumference had a statistically significant reduction in obesity outcomes (Δ weight: -0.30 kg, 95% CI = -0.46 to -0.11; Δ waist circumference: -0.26 cm, 95% CI = -0.53 to -0.02; Δ BMI = -0.09 kg/m2, 95% CI = -0.17 to -0.04) but not in other cardiovascular risk factors and health care utilisation. Analyses based on BMI and results according to demographic subgroups did not reveal significant findings.
CONCLUSIONS: The provision of this intervention had a limited effect on health improvement and a decrease in health care costs, health care visits, and length of stay. A more intensive intervention delivery could potentially improve the efficacy of this intervention programme.
The impact of lifestyle guidance intervention on health outcomes among Japanese middle-aged population with metabolic syndrome: A regression discontinuity study

Li Y, Babazono A, Jamal A, Liu N, Fujita T, Zhao R, et al.

Soc Sci Med, 2022 Dec;314:115468.
PMID: 36327638 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115468

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) prevalence has increased globally with considerable morbidity and economic burden at both individual and national levels. Japan is the first and only country that has introduced a nationwide lifestyle guidance intervention program to manage and control MetS. We conducted a quasi-experiment approach-regression discontinuity design-to evaluate the impact of this intervention on health outcomes at the population level. We retrospectively collected data of adults aged ≥35 years who participated in health checkups in 2015. Age in 2015 was used as the assignment variable, and an age of 40 years old was the threshold because those with MetS aged ≥40 were required to receive lifestyle guidance intervention. Among 26,772 MetS adults, those who received the intervention had significant reductions in obesity measurements (bodyweight, waist circumference, and body mass index [BMI]) after 1 year of this intervention. Blood pressure was also significantly reduced in men after 1 year of undertaking the intervention. The results were similar when including demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral covariates and using alternative functional forms to estimate the impact, or when bandwidths around intervention thresholds were changed. Our results showed that lifestyle guidance intervention for MetS has an important impact on weight loss and blood pressure reduction at the population level. This intervention could address the high burden of obesity and cardiovascular diseases in Japan and other countries with an unmet need for MetS prevention and management.
Fulltext ATP-induced cell death: a novel hypothesis for osteoporosis

Wang W, Zhang H, Sandai D, Zhao R, Bai J, Wang Y, et al.

Front Cell Dev Biol, 2023;11:1324213.
PMID: 38161333 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1324213

ATP-induced cell death has emerged as a captivating realm of inquiry with profound ramifications in the context of osteoporosis. This study unveils a paradigm-shifting hypothesis that illuminates the prospective involvement of ATP-induced cellular demise in the etiology of osteoporosis. Initially, we explicate the morphological attributes of ATP-induced cell death and delve into the intricacies of the molecular machinery and regulatory networks governing ATP homeostasis and ATP-induced cell death. Subsequently, our focus pivots towards the multifaceted interplay between ATP-induced cellular demise and pivotal cellular protagonists, such as bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells, osteoblasts, and osteoclasts, accentuating their potential contributions to secondary osteoporosis phenotypes, encompassing diabetic osteoporosis, glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis, and postmenopausal osteoporosis. Furthermore, we probe the captivating interplay between ATP-induced cellular demise and alternative modalities of cellular demise, encompassing apoptosis, autophagy, and necroptosis. Through an all-encompassing inquiry into the intricate nexus connecting ATP-induced cellular demise and osteoporosis, our primary goal is to deepen our comprehension of the underlying mechanisms propelling this malady and establish a theoretical bedrock to underpin the development of pioneering therapeutic strategies.
Fulltext Adenosine triphosphate induced cell death: Mechanisms and implications in cancer biology and therapy

Zhang HL, Sandai D, Zhang ZW, Song ZJ, Babu D, Tabana Y, et al.

World J Clin Oncol, 2023 Dec 24;14(12):549-569.
PMID: 38179405 DOI: 10.5306/wjco.v14.i12.549

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) induced cell death (AICD) is a critical cellular process that has garnered substantial scientific interest for its profound relevance to cancer biology and to therapeutic interventions. This comprehensive review unveils the intricate web of AICD mechanisms and their intricate connections with cancer biology. This review offers a comprehensive framework for comprehending the multifaceted role of AICD in the context of cancer. This is achieved by elucidating the dynamic interplay between systemic and cellular ATP homeostasis, deciphering the intricate mechanisms governing AICD, elucidating its intricate involvement in cancer signaling pathways, and scrutinizing validated key genes. Moreover, the exploration of AICD as a potential avenue for cancer treatment underscores its essential role in shaping the future landscape of cancer therapeutics.
Precessing jet nozzle connecting to a spinning black hole in M87

Cui Y, Hada K, Kawashima T, Kino M, Lin W, Mizuno Y, et al.

Nature, 2023 Sep;621(7980):711-715.
PMID: 37758892 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06479-6

The nearby radio galaxy M87 offers a unique opportunity to explore the connections between the central supermassive black hole and relativistic jets. Previous studies of the inner region of M87 revealed a wide opening angle for the jet originating near the black hole1-4. The Event Horizon Telescope resolved the central radio source and found an asymmetric ring structure consistent with expectations from general relativity5. With a baseline of 17 years of observations, there was a shift in the jet's transverse position, possibly arising from an 8- to 10-year quasi-periodicity3. However, the origin of this sideways shift remains unclear. Here we report an analysis of radio observations over 22 years that suggests a period of about 11 years for the variation in the position angle of the jet. We infer that we are seeing a spinning black hole that induces the Lense-Thirring precession of a misaligned accretion disk. Similar jet precession may commonly occur in other active galactic nuclei but has been challenging to detect owing to the small magnitude and long period of the variation.