We live in an era of edited selfies and ever-evolving standards of beauty. The advent and popularity of image-based social media have put Photoshop and filters in everyone's arsenal. A few swipes on Snapchat can give your selfie a crown of flowers or puppy ears. A little adjusting on Facetune can smoothen out skin, and make teeth look whiter and eyes and lips bigger. A quick share on Instagram, and the likes and comments start rolling in. These filters and edits have become the norm, altering people's perception of beauty worldwide.Earlier, photo-editing technology was widely available only for celebrities. Models and actors were made to look perfect in magazines and ads, but the general public did not have easy access to methods to alter their own appearance. They instead were left to idolize the standard of beauty present in the media, although most were aware of the editing and alterations that went into making celebrities look flawless. 1 Today, with apps like Snapchat and Facetune, that same level of perfection is accessible to everyone. Now, it is not just celebrities propagating beauty standards: it is a classmate, a coworker, or a friend. The pervasiveness of these filtered images can take a toll on one's self esteem, make one feel inadequate for not looking a certain way in the real world, and may even act as a trigger and lead to body dysmorphic disorder (BDD).Body dysmorphic disorder is an excessive preoccupation with a perceived flaw in appearance, classified on the obsessive-compulsive spectrum. 2 The disorder is more than an insecurity or a lack of confidence. Those with BDD often go to great lengths to hide their imperfections, engage in repetitive behaviors like skin picking or grooming, and may visit dermatologists or plastic surgeons frequently, hoping to change their appearance. A recent study 3 analyzed the effect of edited selfies on body dissatisfaction among adolescent girls and found that those who manipulated their photos more reported a higher level of concern with their bodies and an overestimation of body shape and weight. The study also suggested that those with a dysmorphic body image may seek out social media as a means of validating their attractiveness. Finally, those with a higher level of engagement on social media-including those actively trying to present a specific image of oneself or analyzing and commenting on other's photos-may have a higher level of body dissatisfaction. 3 The desire for cosmetic surgery is an important component of BDD. It is known that the angle and close distance at which selfies are taken may distort facial dimensions and lead to dissatisfaction. 4 Patients VIEWPOINT

No abstract

The innate immune response is characterized by activation of transcription factors, nuclear factor kappa B and activator protein-1 and their downstream targets, the pro-inflammatory cytokines including interleukin 1β and interleukin 6. Normal development of this response in the intestine is critical to survival of the human neonate and delays can cause the onset of devastating inflammatory diseases such as necrotizing enterocolitis. Previous studies have addressed the role of nuclear factor kappa B in the development of the innate immune response in the enterocyte, however despite its central role in the control of multiple pro-inflammatory cytokine genes, little is known on the role of Activator Protein 1 in this response in the enterocyte. Here we show that the canonical Activator Protein 1 members, cJun and cFos and their upstream kinases JNK and p38 play an essential role in the regulation of interleukin 6 in the immature enterocyte. Our data supports a model whereby the cFos/cJun heterodimer and the more potent cJun homodimer downstream of JNK are replaced by less efficient JunD containing dimers, contributing to the decreased responsiveness to interleukin 1β and decreased interleukin 6 secretion observed in the mature enterocyte. The tissue specific expression of JunB in colonocytes and colon derived tissues together with its ability to repress Interleukin-1β induction of an Interleukin-6 gene reporter in the NCM-460 colonocyte suggests that induction of JunB containing dimers may offer an attractive therapeutic strategy for the control of IL-6 secretion during inflammatory episodes in this area of the intestine

Summary Background Appearance‐based messages have shown promise in improving sun protection habits among Caucasians but have scarcely been investigated in Hispanic populations. Objective To compare the effectiveness of appearance‐based vs health‐based messages in an ethnic patient population, where hyperpigmentation disorders are prevalent and often cosmetically concerning. Methods One hundred thirty‐seven patients were randomized to receive images of (a) skin cancer, (b) hyperpigmentation, or (c) wrinkles. Analysis of variance tests for repeated measures were used to estimate the effects of the different stimuli on participants’ knowledge and intention to sun protect. Results Appearance‐based interventions were more effective in improving intentions to sun protect among both Hispanics and non‐Hispanic Whites (P < 0.05). They were furthermore more effective among younger patient populations (≤40 years old) and patients who thought that a tanned appearance is attractive (P < 0.05). Conclusions Appearance‐based photos of sun damage were more effective than health‐based messages among Hispanics, younger patient populations, and those who find tanned appearances to be attractive.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

Both pictorial and textual stimuli were more effective than SOC in improving intentions to sun protect, but there was no differential effect between the two.