Al Ain University of Science and Technology

Platysma prominence (PP) is a common aesthetic concern associated with aging, leading to visible neck bands and loss of jawline definition. OnabotulinumtoxinA has emerged as a minimally invasive treatment; however, data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) remain fragmented. To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of onabotulinumtoxinA for treating moderate to severe PP through meta-analysis of RCTs. PubMed, Cochrane CENTRAL, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched from inception to March 2025 for RCTs comparing onabotulinumtoxinA with placebo in adults with PP. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed bias using the Cochrane RoB 2.0 tool. The primary outcomes were ≥ 1-grade and ≥ 2-grade improvement on the Clinician (C-APPS) and Participant (P-APPS) Allergan Platysma Prominence Scales. Secondary outcomes included patient satisfaction and treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs). Random-effects meta-analysis was used to estimate pooled risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Three RCTs (n = 912) were included. OnabotulinumtoxinA significantly increased ≥ 1-grade (RR = 4.11; 95% CI, 3.60-4.69) and ≥ 2-grade (RR = 1.83; 95% CI, 1.54-2.17) improvements compared to placebo. Patient satisfaction was higher in the treatment group (RR = 5.55; 95% CI, 4.15-7.43). The incidence of TEAEs was similar between groups (RR = 0.95; 95% CI, 0.76-1.20), with most being mild and transient. OnabotulinumtoxinA is an effective and well-tolerated minimally invasive option for improving platysma prominence, offering significant aesthetic and patient-reported benefits without increasing adverse effects.

Medical imaging contributes approximately 1% of global carbon emissions and 10% of healthcare waste. Diagnostic radiographers influence this impact through decisions related to energy use, waste generation, and sustainable practice adoption. This study examined the training and educational needs of diagnostic radiographers in Ghana regarding sustainable radiography and mapped these needs against the WHO Operational Framework (Component 2: Climate-Smart Health Workforce) and the UNFCCC Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) pillars. A descriptive cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 126 diagnostic radiographers in Ghana between December 2024 and April 2025, representing 72% of the calculated target sample size of 175. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire via Google Forms, coordinated through the Ghana Society of Radiographers. Descriptive statistics and Spearman's rank correlations (p < .05) were performed. The findings were interpreted as post-hoc using the WHO and ACE frameworks to identify alignment with global sustainability competencies. Most participants (65.9%) were at least somewhat familiar with sustainability concepts, and 85.0% considered them highly relevant. However, only 35.7% felt very confident in eco-friendly practices. Nearly 40% had received no prior training, and over half reported no workplace programmes. Priority training areas included reducing energy consumption (75.4%), developing eco-friendly protocols (73.0%), and waste management (67.5%). Key barriers were lack of resources and funding (68.3%), limited knowledge (62.7%), and limited management support (61.9%). Familiarity correlated positively with confidence (ρ = 0.319, p < .001) and negatively with perceived knowledge gaps. Radiographers in Ghana recognize the importance of sustainable radiography but face knowledge, training, and resource limitations that restrict implementation. Developing targeted, cost-effective, and context-specific training that are aligned with the WHO Operational Framework and UNFCCC ACE pillars is essential to strengthen capacity for climate-smart radiography in Ghana and comparable lower-middle-income countries.

ABSTRACT This study examines the dynamic relationship between disaggregated oil price shocks (risk, supply, and demand) and 12 MSCI African nation equity indices, as well as the S&P Africa 40 index, from October 2010 to November 2023. Using Wavelet Local Multiple Correlation and frequency-based quantile connectedness analysis, we aimed to clarify complex interactions and spillover effects. Results indicate that short-term market responses to oil price shocks have a significant influence on African stock indices, while long-term effects are less pronounced. Dynamic net return spillovers revealed shifting roles between net transmitters and receivers across different quantiles and frequencies, particularly during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia–Ukraine conflict. The correlation patterns between oil shocks and African markets varied over time and across different time scales. These findings underscore the importance of adaptive risk management strategies, advising investors to closely monitor specific types of oil shocks to make informed portfolio adjustments. For policymakers, the results emphasize the importance of targeted interventions, such as strengthening financial market resilience during periods of high oil market uncertainty, to promote financial stability in African economies.

ABSTRACT Introduction Advanced artificial intelligence (AI) frameworks particularly, large language models (LLMs) have recently attracted attention for automating Drug–drug interactions (DDIs) extraction and prediction tasks. However, there is a scarcity of reviews on how LLMs can rapidly identify known and novel DDIs. Areas covered This review summarizes the state of LLM-based DDI extraction and prediction, based on a broad literature search from PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, IEEE Xplore, the Cochrane Library, ACM Digital Library, Google Scholar, and Semantic Scholar published between January 2000 and February 2025. For DDI extraction from biomedical text and databases, we detail methods utilizing transformer-based models, such as domain-specific BioBERT and general GPT-based architectures. For DDI prediction, we discuss prediction frameworks including hybrid models (e.g. SmileGNN, DrugDAGT), conversational agents (e.g. ChatGPT), and prompt-based methods (e.g. DDIPrompt). Expert opinion LLMs offer potential for advancing pharmacovigilance and clinical decision support. However, realizing this and establishing clinical trust requires urgently addressing current limitations, particularly enhancing model explainability, improving reliability (mitigating hallucinations), and resolving data quality issues. Future research must prioritize rigorous clinical validation (prospective studies), developing robust explainable AI (XAI) techniques, refining data curation, and integrating multimodal patient data.

PurposeAsthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are chronic respiratory diseases that result from persistent inflammation of the bronchial tubes. This study aimed to evaluate general attitudes and knowledge of Iraqi individuals towards asthma and COPD and to determine factors associated with higher knowledge levels, particularly considering the increase in pollution levels in developing countries.Patients and MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted using a Google Forms questionnaire distributed across various social networking platforms. The questionnaire collected demographic data (age, gender, marital status, and economic status) alongside participants’ knowledge about chronic respiratory diseases.ResultsA total of 1033 Iraqi adults participated, 61% of whom were women. Most participants were non-smokers (82.4%) and did not report having chronic diseases (85.7%). Although majority demonstrated high levels of knowledge about COPD and asthma (68.8% and 59.8%, respectively). Nearly half of the participants believed that smoking is the main cause of asthma. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that female gender, working in the medical field, and presence of chronic conditions were significantly associated with higher asthma knowledge levels (p < 0.05). While younger age, higher income levels, and working in the medical field were significantly associated with higher COPD knowledge levels (p < 0.05).ConclusionThis study showed that while most Iraqis possess good knowledge of chronic respiratory diseases, awareness remains limited and influenced by factors such as socioeconomic status. It is essential to conduct further research on awareness related to respiratory diseases and to develop incentive programs aimed at improving societal awareness.

Purpose This study aims to investigate the effect of financial globalization and economic and political institutions on macroeconomic volatility in the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). In addition, the study examines the absorptive capacity of economic and political institutions in the link between financial globalization and macroeconomic volatility. Design/methodology/approach This study extracted data from twenty-seven SSA countries between 1991 and 2021. The study applies cross-sectional dependency tests, second-generation unit root tests and Driscoll and Kraay (1998) panel spatial correlation consistent (PSCC) standard errors to drive out the study’s conclusion. Findings The result suggests that financial globalization significantly contributes to macroeconomic volatility in the direct model, whereas its indirect effect rests largely on the indicators of economic and political institutions. For economic and political institutions, bureaucratic quality, democratic accountability and government stability negatively influence macroeconomic volatility. However, the effect of corruption control and law and order is insignificant. The interactive term of financial globalization and institutions shows that financial globalization interacted with democratic accountability, government stability and law and order, negatively affect macroeconomic volatility. On the other hand, the interactive effect of financial globalization with bureaucratic quality is significantly positive, whereas the interactive impact of financial globalization with corruption control is not significant. The net effect reveals that bureaucratic quality, democratic accountability, government stability and law and order moderate the positive effect of financial globalization on macroeconomic volatility in the region. Practical implications This study recommends the need to strengthen the economic and political institutions and develop the financial sector to cushion the effect of financial globalization on macroeconomic volatility. Originality/value This study adds to the body of knowledge by unearthing the moderating effect of economic and political institutions in the linkages between financial globalization and macroeconomic volatility, especially in SSA.

Dysregulation of protein synthesis, folding, and secretion leads to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, triggering the unfolded protein response (UPR). While the UPR is essential for cell survival under stress, its chronic activation in cancer cells supports tumorigenesis, metastasis, and chemoresistance by enabling cellular adaptation to hypoxia, nutrient deprivation, and oxidative stress. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the roles of key UPR mediators - binding immunoglobulin protein (BiP), protein kinase R (PKR)-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK), inositol-requiring enzyme 1α (IRE1α), and activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6) - in cancer progression and therapy resistance. Furthermore, it discusses strategies to target UPR pathways, including small molecule inhibitors, gene therapies, natural compounds, and combination therapies, while it evaluates their preclinical and clinical relevance. Finally, it explores how modulating UPR signaling can overcome therapeutic resistance, improve immunotherapy outcomes, and reshape the tumor microenvironment. This review emphasizes the promise of UPR-targeted approaches in enhancing the efficacy of current cancer treatments and achieving better patient outcomes.