Leukoplakia is a predominantly white lesion of the oral mucosa that carries an increased risk of malignant transformation.
(1) To provide insight into the difficulties in arriving at a proper diagnosis, (2) to evaluate the latest research on (bio) markers that may have predictive value with regard to the risk of malignant transformation, and (3) to evaluate the latest research on how patients with oral leukoplakia should be managed.
Research on oral leukoplakia is still very much hampered, mainly because of the rather poor definition. No new (bio)markers have become available that reliably would predict malignant transformation. Surgical and nonsurgical treatments have still not yet been proven to be effective in preventing such transformation.
Only after having solved the shortcomings in the definition and the lack of uniform reporting problem proper, randomized controlled studies on the various aspects of oral leukoplakia can be performed.
This review examines the current literature on the potential of systemic biomarkers for diagnosing and monitoring periodontal diseases and also their role in the interaction with systemic diseases.
Numerous potential biomarkers in saliva or serum samples have been investigated in mainly cross-sectional, but also in some longitudinal studies. Periodontal diseases are multifactorial in nature and clinical findings are the result of the interactions between microorganisms and host response. Moreover, systemic health, genetic factors, psychological stress, and environmental factors can have significant impact on the clinical outcomes. Therefore, it is not realistic to find a single biomarker for diagnosis and monitoring of periodontal diseases. However, there are enzymes and inflammatory cytokines that may discriminate healthy periodontium from gingivitis/periodontitis and some others may partly explain the mechanisms of interaction between periodontal disease and systemic diseases.
Recent publications have revealed some significant associations between various potential biomarkers and clinical periodontal parameters, but larger scale and intervention studies are required to better clarify the issue.
The adsorption mechanism of Cd (II) was investigated by Pennisetum sp. straw biochars (JBC) that were modified by two different methods: KMnO4 impregnation (JMB1) and H2O2 impregnation (JMB2). A scanning electron microscope and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), and a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) specific surface area analysis were employed to examine the physicochemical characteristics of biochars. The Cd(II) adsorption kinetic fit, the Langmuir model well, and the maximum adsorption capacity occurred in the following order: JMB1 (90.32 mg/g) > JMB2 (45.18 mg/g) > JBC (41.79 mg/g), suggesting that JMB1 had an excellent adsorption performance. Finally, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to explore the main adsorption mechanism. Our results showed that JMB1 was an excellent adsorbent in removing Cd(II) from aqueous solution.
Cosmetics, Vol. 6, Pages 4: Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Cosmetics in 2018
Cosmetics doi: 10.3390/cosmetics6010004
Authors: Cosmetics Editorial Office
Rigorous peer-review is the corner-stone of high-quality academic publishing [...]
As much wind power is connected to the power system, the accommodation of the wind power in the power grids becomes a huge challenge to the operation model of China's power system. Releasing and improving the flexibility of the power system will be necessary and important to enable the accommodation of power generated with renewable energy sources, which is connected to the power grids on a large scale and accounts for a high proportion. The paper, with North Hebei as an example, discusses the relationship between the demand for the flexibility of thermal power units and the accommodation of wind power. This paper further analyzes the demand for peak load regulation in North Hebei at both the present and the future as well as the characteristics of power sources in the power grids of North Hebei and the technical potential of power generation. It also compares the quantity of curtailed power before and after the flexibility-oriented transformation of thermal power units in North Hebei and calculates the minimum technical output of thermal power under different levels of accommodation of wind power. The research shows that the peak load regulating resources in the power grids of North Hebei boast huge potential, but in the long term, to achieve the objective of a 10% curtailment rate of power generated with renewable energy sources, the minimum technical output of condensing units must be lower than the internationally advanced level of 25%. So, it is difficult to fulfill the said objective solely relying on the strengthened transformation of generating units. To reach the level of 5% curtailment rate of power generated with renewable energy sources, the minimum technical output must achieve breakthrough improvement, which requires continuous technological innovation and power flexibility in close coordination.
Petroleum refinery workers are potentially exposed to a wide range of petrochemical industry pollutants (PIP), such as benzene and 1,3-butadiene, cancer-related compounds classified as carcinogenic to humans. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cytogenetic effects of exposure to PIP from two industrialised areas in South/East Sicily (Italy) using a micronucleus (MN) assay and other nuclear anomalies (ONA) on exfoliated buccal cells. Results highlighted not only a statistically significant high level of increase of MN in petroleum refinery (PR) workers, but also in the subjects not working in PR but living in the industrialised area. The ONA analysis showed a highly significant increase in karyolytic cells in exposed vs unexposed subjects, in contrast to a decrease in differentiated cells. These results suggest the presence of a cytotoxic effect in the oral mucosa cells, probably related to the pollutant compounds present in the environment close to the petrochemical industries. Our data confirm that the analysis of exfoliated buccal cells is a useful and simple non-invasive method to evaluate the genotoxic/cytotoxic effects of pollutants in a specific area. To avoid confounding factors due to the different lifestyles of the human subjects, the above assays could be better applied on farm animals, which have a relatively consistent lifestyle and, in some cases, a very low genetic heterogeneity.
Utilization of lower trapezius island flap (LTIF) provides an alternative in reconstruction of the select defects in head and neck region. When muscle bulk is needed under the skin paddle, it may be important to know the exact location of the inferior edge of the trapezius muscle (TM) in order to design the skin paddle accordingly. Due to the anatomic variations seen especially in the origin of trapezius muscle, there are no reliable surface landmarks to define the inferior edge of TM. We present a simple ultrasound-assisted technique of identifying the inferior border of TM preoperatively.
Level of Evidence: Level V, diagnostic study.
The postnatal gonadotrophin surge is sexually dimorphic: FSH levels predominate in girls and LH levels in boys. However, in preterm (PT) girls, both gonadotrophin levels are higher than in PT boys.
To evaluate how gonadal maturation contributes to the sex differences in FSH and LH.
Monthly follow‐up of 58 full‐term (FT, 29 boys) and 67 PT (33 boys) infants from 1 week (D7) to 6 months of age (M1‐M6). Analyses were also carried out according to postmenstrual (PM) age in PT infants.
Urinary LH, FSH, oestradiol (E2), testosterone (T) and serum inhibin B (InhB) levels.
High gonadotrophin levels in PT girls abruptly decreased (P < .001) by M2, corresponding to a PM age of 38‐42 weeks, and LH levels fell below the levels found in boys. This decrease was parallel to a steep increase in E2 levels (P < .001), and, from M4 to M6, LH and E2 correlated positively in PT girls (P < .01). T levels in PT boys increased earlier than E2 levels in PT girls. In addition, InhB levels were high in PT boys already at D7, in contrast to low InhB in PT girls. InhB and FSH correlated negatively in the whole group (P < .001).
Ovarian hormone synthesis is immature and incapable of responding to gonadotrophin stimulus before 38‐42 PM weeks in PT girls, which may explain their highly elevated FSH and LH levels. The higher InhB levels in boys compared to girls may explain sexual dimorphism in FSH levels.
Limited evidence supports the use of free testosterone (FT) for diagnosing hypogonadism when sex hormone–binding globulin (SHBG) is altered. Low total testosterone (TT) is commonly encountered in obesity where SHBG is typically decreased. We aimed to assess the contribution of FT in improving the diagnosis of symptomatic secondary hypogonadism (SH), identified initially by low total testosterone (TT), and then further differentiated by normal FT (LNSH) or low FT (LLSH).
Prospective observational study with a median follow‐up of 4.3 years.
Three thousand three hundred sixty‐nine community‐dwelling men aged 40‐79 years from eight European centres.
Subjects were categorized according to baseline and follow‐up biochemical status into persistent eugonadal (referent group; n = 1880), incident LNSH (eugonadism to LNSH; n = 101) and incident LLSH (eugonadism to LLSH; n = 38). Predictors and clinical features associated with the transition from eugonadism to LNSH or LLSH were assessed.
The cumulative incidence of LNSH and LLSH over 4.3 years was 4.9% and 1.9%, respectively. Baseline obesity predicted both LNSH and LLSH, but the former occurred more frequently in younger men. LLSH, but not LNSH, was associated with new/worsened sexual symptoms, including low desire [OR = 2.67 (1.27‐5.60)], erectile dysfunction [OR = 4.53 (2.05‐10.01)] and infrequent morning erections [OR = 3.40 (1.48‐7.84)].
These longitudinal data demonstrate the importance of FT in the diagnosis of hypogonadism in obese men with low TT and SHBG. The concurrent fall in TT and FT identifies the minority (27.3%) of men with hypogonadal symptoms, which were not present in the majority developing low TT with normal FT.
The northern Beibu Gulf is one of the major habitats for the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis) in China. In this habitat, the core distribution zone of humpback dolphins was confined to the Sanniang Bay (SNB) and Dafengjiang River Estuary (DRE) areas. In our present research, the sediments of 14 sampling sites across the SNB and DRE waters were collected and further conducted for microbiomic and environmental analysis to explore the ecosystem characteristics of major humpback dolphin habitats in Northern Beibu Gulf. The environmental condition includes ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N), nitrate nitrogen (NO3−-N), dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP), sulfur content in the form of sulfuric acid (SO42−-S), Fe, and heavy metals (including Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, and As). The composition of the bacterial community was characterized by 16S ribosomal DNA analysis of the V3–V4 regions using the Illumina-based sequencing platform. The environmental characteristic of the nutrient elements and heavy metals indicated that SNB suffered more anthropogenic impact than DRE. The comparably higher concentration of NH4+-N, NO3−-N, DRP, Pb, and Cd in the SNB region was detected. The comparably higher nutrients in the SNB may have resulted in higher biomass and lower dissolved oxygen (DO) profile, which was further proved by Landsat thermal image data. The microbiome analysis showed that the DRE region was oligotrophic and SNB reflected an anaerobic environment in the sediments. Environmental factors rather than the spatial distance determined the similarity of bacterial community among different sites. Ecological associations between environmental, oceanographic, and bacterial characteristics were illustrated, which exhibited strong mutual associations. Our findings presented a feasibility that integrates empirical and remote sensing data to distinguish ecological features and evaluate ecosystem healthiness for the humpback dolphin habitats.
This study mainly focuses on welfare impacts from improving considerably degraded river stretches of Heihe river basin and to determine the impact of spatial heterogeneity on willingness-to-pay (WTP) for integrated river basin management (IRBM). The significant WTP values for ecological attributes improvement revealed that the respondents of Heihe river basin significantly support the integrated ecological restoration program. However, socioeconomic characteristics and residential location have a significant impact on WTP values for different ecological attributes. The results demonstrate that water quality is the most preferred variable among all the river attributes in the study area. For example, in Zhangye, Gaotai, Ejinaqi, Minle, and Sunan the respondents were willing to pay 90.6, 160.44, 377.15, 65.40, and 139.21 Yuan per year, respectively, for a one-grade improvement in current water quality. Our findings also show that all the major counties of the basin concern more about water quality representing the relative importance of river water and express the maximum WTP for its improvement, while all major counties also share a low WTP for improvements in conditions of the leisure and entertainment. The differences in socioeconomic characteristics and ecological status of the respondents partially explain the disparity in utility from IRBM. In conclusion, the results based on only specific sub-basin of river basin may over or underestimate the welfare estimate.
The impact of unilateral extended autologous latissimus dorsi (EALD) flap harvest and axillary surgery on shoulder function has been well described, but the impact of bilateral EALD flap harvest not clearly defined. Nor is it clear whether reconstructions should be synchronous, or staged.
http://bit.ly/2CnZXaF
Total rib-preserving free flap breast reconstruction (RP-FFBR) using internal mammary vessel (IMV) recipients usually involves vessel exposure in the 2nd or 3rd intercostal spaces (ICS). Although the 3rd is more commonly used no direct comparisons between the two have hitherto been performed.
http://bit.ly/2RuMMic
Mammalian bites account for 1% of all Emergency Department (ED) visits in the United Kingdom, with infection rates varying from 2% to 20%.1,2 Mammalian bites on the hand, where tendons and joints are more superficial, are more prone to infection and should be considered separately.
http://bit.ly/2Cl2aU4
Eyebrow descent commonly occurs after ptosis repair or blepharoplasty surgery. The procedures used to correct acquired blepharoptosis are primarily classified into four groups. These procedures target the levator aponeurosis, Müller's muscle, both the aponeurosis and Müller's muscle, or the frontalis muscle. In this study, we used a new technique called external Müller's muscle tucking (EMMT) on 51 patients (94 eyelids), which targets the Müller's muscle for involutional blepharoptosis. The patients were assessed by means of a comparative analysis using pre- and postoperative digital photographs.
http://bit.ly/2RwIjM3
Diagnostic imaging of truncal lymphatics is a diverse field with several modalities available. The growing popularity of vascularized lymph node transfer (VLNT) for the treatment of lymphedema has brought the topic into focus of plastic reconstructive surgeons worldwide. During this procedure, it is physiologically advantageous to perform lymph node efferent lymphatico-lymphatic anastomosis (ELLA) by including efferent lymphatic vessels in the flap while avoiding excess soft tissue 3. However, in practice it is difficult to identify these vessels.
http://bit.ly/2CoifID
The repair of retracted flexor tendons is a challenging problem for hand surgeons. The tendon stump should be handled in an atraumatic manner because any microtrauma to the sheath and tendon can lead to poor functional outcomes.
http://bit.ly/2RrKq3D
Flexor zone 2 tendon injuries often present with tendon retraction into the palm. This is particularly the case when the injury occurs with the hand clenched over a sharp object such as a knife. To minimize tendon sheath and annular pulley injury, multiple techniques have been described for flexor tendon retrieval using dental wire,1 paediatric feeding tubes2,3 and skin hooks.
http://bit.ly/2CqTbAG
Increasing numbers of women are undergoing appearance-altering surgery for the treatment and/or prevention of breast cancer. However, women's experiences of seeing the results of their breast surgery for the first time, and the support available to them, are currently omitted from the research literature. This study aimed to explore women's initial experiences of seeing their appearance after mastectomy and/or breast reconstruction.
http://bit.ly/2RtK5NV
We appreciate the comments by Dickson and colleagues in their letter to the editor on our published article.1 We agree with them that non-operative management is a pragmatic approach for penetrating trauma and our paper is the first documented attempt to apply this approach to a UK trauma population. It is inevitable and appropriate that conservative management of trauma is scrutinized as it is counter to most current plastic surgical doctrine, though conservative management of other types of trauma is commonplace.
http://bit.ly/2CoaYZc
We read with great interest the recently published cohort study by Hettiaratchy et al1 comparing penetrating extremity injury examination results to operative findings. The increasing rate of crime involving a knife or sharp object2 is of concern to all trauma surgeons, and a great pressure to develop safe and effective clinical pathways for penetrating trauma. We agree with the authors that more pragmatic methods may be appropriate to treat these injuries, but question the author's assertion that their data has shown selective non-operative management to be a safe alternative to surgical exploration.
http://bit.ly/2RvCI8M
We believe there is an under-estimation on the burden and cost toward the NHS regarding dog bites. It is estimated that £9.5 million per year is spent on managing dog bites.
http://bit.ly/2CoV7cY
Breast reconstruction should be routinely offered to patients undergoing mastectomy surgery for breast cancer.1 Post-operative recovery-time, the patient's occupation, hobbies and lifestyle must be considered when determining the most appropriate reconstruction technique for individual patients. Generally, patients prefer autologous breast reconstruction over implant-based methods for cosmetic and psychological reasons.2 The Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator (DIEP) flap is considered the gold-standard technique in free-flap autologous breast reconstruction however the Profunda Artery Perforator (PAP) flap is increasing in popularity amongst selected patients.
http://bit.ly/2RrKmAV
Following the reading of the original article "Surgical-site infection following lymph node excision indicates susceptibility for lymphedema: A retrospective cohort study of malignant melanoma patients", the authors reviewed the literature for the discussed therapeutic value of complete lymph node dissection (CLND), the major complications and the current treatment for lymphedema. The authors also share their experience and protocol for CLND, and treating lymphedema using lymph node flap transfer and multiple lymphatic-venous anastomoses.
http://bit.ly/2CjPLjo
Osmidrosis surgery is still recognized as one of the best ways to treat body odor,1 especially the liposuction assisted curettage due to the relatively small incision that does not leave any scars, which, nevertheless, may still cause many complications. One of the most common complications is the erosion of the skin flap, where the necrosis of the flap incision edge is about 4%.2 Therefore, physicians who perform such surgeries often observe varying degrees of manifestations, some of which are relatively common superficial erosions (Figure 1) and some of which are proportionately deep erosions.
http://bit.ly/2Rv6R8k
Extensive resection is an effective treatment for sarcomas in the groin and medial thigh region; however, various complications may develop postoperatively.1,2 Infection, lymphorrhea, and lymphedema frequently develop in the groin/medial thigh because of the important lymphatic pathways from the lower extremities. Prolonged lymphorrhea and lymphatic cysts are causes of chronic lower-extremity lymphedema.1 Symptoms become further exacerbated because of repeated cellulitis and movement limitations.
http://bit.ly/2TSyJQz
We sought to evaluate the concept of Live Surgery, a novel, modern method of surgical education utilising interactive tele-conferencing, immersive 360-degree recording and accompanying focused lectures. Through Live Surgery, we set out to improve general understanding of Plastic Surgery, whilst driving innovation to deliver novel ways to complement the current undergraduate curriculum.
http://bit.ly/2DaXIsJ
In this study, aqueous solutions of gallic acid (GA) were irradiated in an electron beam (EB) accelerator under different experimental conditions (various initial GA concentrations, presence or absence of oxidant and oxygen). For an initial GA concentration of 50 μM, complete GA degradation was achieved with an absorbed dose of 850 Gy in the presence of dissolved oxygen. Both GA removal and mineralization are favored when oxygen is present. The addition of persulfate anions (S2O82−) or hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) also increased the efficiency of GA degradation and mineralization. For an absorbed dose of 14 kGy, GA mineralization reached approximately 45%, 55%, and 72% for the EB, EB/H2O2, and EB/S2O82−systems, respectively. Three transformation products were tentatively identified in the presence of oxygen, these are the result of hydroxylation and ring opening reactions. No specific transformation product was found for the sulfate radical anion (SO4–●) reaction. Four additional compounds, including a dimer, were identified in oxygen-free solutions. These findings demonstrate that water radiolysis based on EB irradiation is an efficient process to activate H2O2 and S2O82− anions and is an advanced oxidation process (AOP).
In the current study, the toxicity bioassay of three pollutants abamectin (ABM), thiamethoxam (TMX), and acrylamide (ACR) against land snails Theba pisana was measured. Also, the ecotoxicological effects of dietary exposure to sublethal concentration (1/20 LC50) of these pollutants for 2-week exposure and 1-week recovery on some physiological endpoints evaluated as feeding activity, growth response, and carbonic anhydrase activity as a marker in charge of shell formation and seromucoid level as a marker in charge of mucus synthesis of the snails were studied. The results exhibited that the 48-h LC50 values were 0.91, 313.8, and 45.7 μg/g dry food for ABM, TMX, and ACR, respectively. The sublethal concentrations of these pollutants in the diet after 2-week exposure were found to reduce the food consumption and inhibit growth rate of the snails. Also, the data illustrated that carbonic anhydrase activity was significantly decreased. On the other hand, there was a significant increase in the seromucoid level as a marker responsible for mucus synthesis in ABM- and TMX-exposed snails, while ACR showed significantly decreased level when compared to control. After 1-week recovery, the tested endpoints of treated snails were slightly repaired but still less than that of the untreated animals. The overall outcome of this investigation suggests the utility of this animal as a good bioindicator organism for ABM, TMX, and ACR exposure in pollution monitoring studies.
Currently, the quantitative assessment of the public excess risk for the update of the air quality guidelines only considered the mortality and morbidity without disease burden indicators. To provide evidences for the update of air quality guidelines and the policy analysis of air control, a simple framework to identify the excess disease burden of PM10 was used in this study. Daily data on PM10, meteorological factors, and deaths were collected in this 10-year (2001–2010) time series study in Tianjin, China. The excess disease burden advanced by PM10 was assessed when the PM10 levels exceeded the expected levels. Generalized additive model was used to estimate the associations of PM10 with mortality and years of life lost (YLL). Our study found that the exposure of PM10 was associated with the increasing of mortality and YLL in different diseases. The excess deaths and YLL of different diseases advanced by PM10 when the PM10 levels exceeded the expected levels were high and showed a decreasing trend from 2001 to 2010. The annual deaths and YLL standardized per million population advanced by PM10 when the annual PM10 levels exceeded the China national ambient air quality secondary standard targets (70 μg/m3) and WHO guideline (20 μg/m3) were 126 persons, 2670 person years and 260 persons, 5449 person years, respectively. This study may provide a simple framework to identify the excess disease burden of PM and provide basic and intuitive evidences to update the air quality guidelines. Furthermore, these findings may also provide decisionmakers with intuitive quantitative information for policymaking and emphasize health considerations in air quality policy discussions.
Subcorneal pustular dermatosis (SPD) is a rare pustular neutrophilic dermatosis in which groups of sterile pustules appear in the superficial (subcorneal) skin. This chronic condition can be associated with significant morbidity and decreased quality of life. Dapsone is the first‐line therapy for subcorneal pustular dermatosis, but some patients fail to respond or cannot tolerate it. In these instances, patients may be treated with second‐line therapies such as phototherapy, topical corticosteroids, or systemic agents including glucocorticoids, acitretin, immunosuppressive or biologic medications. These therapies may not always be efficacious and can be associated with intolerable adverse effects. Here, we report a case of a patient who sustained long‐term remission and no side effects with the novel use of pentoxifylline, a tumor necrosis factor – alpha (TNF‐α) inhibitor, as monotherapy. Pentoxifylline should be considered as a possible therapy in patients with subcorneal pustular dermatosis intolerant to dapsone.
This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Injection site reactions (ISRs) are a local phenomenon defined as a constellation of symptoms, including swelling, erythema, pruritus and pain around the site of injection. This article reviews the different aspects of ISRs, including their epidemiology and pathogenesis, and provides practical guidance to diagnose and treat such reactions. More focus is given to FDA‐approved biological agents and biosimilars, which are licenced mainly for the treatment of dermatological conditions, including psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and chronic urticaria. ISRs are major complications of all FDA‐approved self‐injectable biological agents, both in adults and children, with studies showing an incidence rate of 0.5‐40%. The article emphasizes that ISRs are not correlated with drug efficacy or development of anti‐drug antibodies. Therefore, misunderstanding of the pathophysiology of the ISRs, most of them not being allergic or immunogenic reactions, might result in unnecessary discontinuation of the treatment. Almost all local reactions to subcutaneously administered biological agents can be prevented by changing the injection techniques, patient education and training.
This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Atopic dermatitis (AD) usually begins in infancy, commonly involving the cheeks and extensor surfaces of the extremities. It is associated with a dysfunctional skin barrier, which can be measured as increased transepidermal water loss (TEWL) in both lesional and non‐lesional skin in AD patients. Dry skin, a cardinal sign of AD, is associated with higher TEWL in adult AD patients. The documentation of the prevalence and manifestation of dry skin in infancy and its association to TEWL, is however limited. Therefore, we aimed to determine the prevalence of dry skin in early infancy and to assess if dry skin in general, or more specifically on cheeks and extensor surfaces of the extremities, was associated with dysfunctional skin barrier.
This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
To identify the changes in the lipid profile of the tear film in two human populations exposed to different levels of particulate material, and its relationship with dry eye, by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) detection. A panel study involving 78 volunteers, who live and work in two locations in Argentina with different pollution levels: urban zone (n = 44) and industrial zone (n = 34). We measured the mean levels of particulate matter (PM) exposure. The tear samples were analyze by gas GC-MS detection and the dry eye was diagnose using Schirmer test, fluorescein breakup time, vital staining with fluorescein and lissamine green, and lid parallel conjunctival folds (LIPCOF). Statistical analysis was performed using Chi-Square, Bartlett's, Mann-Whitney tests, and Multiple Correspondence Analysis. PM10 level was significantly higher in industrial zone than in urban area (p < 0.05). Subjects exposed to higher levels of PM10 in outdoor air presented more presence of fatty acids (FA) of long chain, a higher proportion of saturated fatty acids (SFA), and lower unsaturated fatty acids (UFA), showing a differentiated profile, which may be associated with a PM level. The incidence of dry eye was greater in the industrial zone (p < 0.001), showing in both populations for this pathology higher FA ω-6 levels, which are responsible for the inflammation process. The lipid profile in populations exposed to higher levels of PM10, like the industrial zone, shows a differentiated profile of FA and more incidence of dry eye with higher FA ω-6 levels, which are responsible for the inflammation process.
Diprosopus is a rare craniofacial anomaly and is considered a subgroup of conjoined twinning. It encompasses a broad spectrum of duplications from single structure doubling to two completely formed heads on one neck. The aetiology of diprosopus remains a controversial topic, and many hypotheses exist. A multifactorial causal relationship is feasible because of the coexistence of other internal system anomalies of cardiac, gastrointestinal, neurological and respiratory origin. Ovid and PubMed databases were searched, using the key words: "diprosopus", "craniofacial duplication" and "duplicated mandible". The identified literature and key referenced articles therein were examined. The purpose was to consolidate the existing body of knowledge on the aetiology and management of diprosopus in order to improve our understanding of this rare condition. Our case report is relatively unique in that it represents a complete duplication of the mandible. Other tissues that were duplicated include the tongue, floor of mouth and the lower lip. It was hypothesised that associated growth abnormalities of the facial skeleton could undergo spontaneous correction if the duplicated mandible and associated tissues were excised early. On review, surgery is the only treatment that can offer functional, aesthetic and psychological improvement. Most patients who were offered surgery (in the reviewed literature) had a partial facial duplication. Surgery is usually deferred until the patient is older when more soft tissue is available to perform the reconstruction and when there would possibly be less growth restriction due to growth centre manipulation. This finding on the timing of surgery was in direct conflict with our hypothesis.
Level of Evidence: Level V, therapeutic study.
Sodium laurylsulphate (SLS) induced contact dermatitis is a commonly used model for testing effects of different topical formulations. Volar forearms are preferred testing site by the guidelines, but other anatomical locations were used in previous research, especially upper back, as the clinically used site for testing different antigens.
Aim of the present study was to investigate existence of anatomical variations of skin response to irritation and its' effects on response to treatment.
Irritation was induced with SLS on symmetrical sites on both forearms and sides of upper back with additional sites exposed to water as controls. Half of the sites were treated with emollient cream while the other half were left untreated. Irritation was assessed using bioengineering methods and clinical scoring.
Upper back skin showed higher reactivity to irritants with stronger barrier disruption (measured by Tewameter, 80·2±18·3 vs 48·0±24·2 gm−2h−1), more pronounced erythema (measured by Mexameter, 186·5±88·4 vs 92·1±58·2 AU) and dryness (measured by Corneometer, ‐28·6±14·5 vs 2·7±16·9 AU). Skin recovery rates were also influenced by anatomical location with the upper back showing faster recovery (316·7±223·1 vs 156·2±198·5). Treatment didn't lead to improvement in measured parameters, regardless of anatomical location.
Skins' reaction to irritant and recovery were dependant on anatomical location. Location where testing was conducted should always be reported as treatments tested across different locations could not be directly compared to each other.
This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Antimelanogenic peptides are potentially useful to treat hyperpigmentation, but many peptides have limited application because of high cost and/or low activity.
To identify small and potent peptide inhibitors of cellular melanin synthesis useful for cosmetic and medical applications.
A positional scanning synthetic tetrapeptide combinatorial library was used for screening of potentially active peptides. Antimelanogenic activities of the peptide pools and individual peptides were evaluated in B16‐F10 melanoma cells and human epidermal melanocytes (HEMs) treated with alpha‐melanocyte‐stimulating hormone (α‐MSH).
The predicted active tetrapeptide sequences were R‐(F/L)‐(C/W)‐(G/R)‐NH2. Of the individual tetrapeptides tested, D3 (RFWG‐NH2) and D5 (RLWG‐NH2) exhibited high antimelanogenic activities. Tetrapeptide D9 (FRWG‐NH2) with a sequence identical to that of a portion of α‐MSH also showed antimelanogenic activity. Of the tripeptides tested, E5 (FWG‐NH2), E6 (LWG‐NH2), and E7 (RWG‐NH2) were relatively more active. Dipeptide F1 (WG‐NH2) and monopeptide G1 (G‐NH2, glycinamide) retained activity, but G2 (Ac‐G‐NH2) and G3 (glycine) did not. The antimelanogenic activities of peptides D3, E5, F1, and G1 were verified in α‐MSH‐stimulated HEMs. Commercially available G‐NH2·HCl suppressed the phosphorylation levels of cAMP‐responsive element binding protein, protein levels of microphthalmia‐associated transcription factor and tyrosinase, L‐tyrosine hydroxylase activity of tyrosinase, and the melanin levels in stimulated cells.
Small peptides, including glycinamide and tryptophanyl glycinamide, are potent antimelanogenic agents with potential value for the treatment of skin hyperpigmentation.
This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) is a potentially disfiguring, chronic autoimmune disease with extremely variable skin manifestations, negatively affecting quality of life (QoL) of patients. Patient‐reported outcome (PRO) measures used in assessing QoL in CLE patients have been either generic or developed without input from patients with CLE.
To demonstrate the reliability and validity of a disease‐specific QoL measure for CLE – the cutaneous lupus erythematosus quality of life (CLEQoL).
A total of 101 patients with a clinical diagnosis of CLE were recruited, and each patient was asked to complete the CLEQoL. Internal consistency was used as a measure of reliability. Validity was measured in two ways – structural validity via exploratory factor analysis and convergent validity via Spearman correlations between CLEQoL and the Short Form 36 (SF‐36). Patient demographic and disease characteristics were collected. Data was analyzed using SPSS and significance was set to p<0·05.
The average age of our CLE patients was 48±13 with discoid lupus (n=72, 71·3%) being the most predominant CLE subtype. Patients were mostly female (n=88, 87·1%) and African‐American/Black (n=59, 58·4%). Internal consistency ranged from 0·67 to 0·97. A total of five domains, functioning, emotions, symptoms, body image/cosmetic effects and photosensitivity, were extracted with a total explained variance of 71·06%. CLEQoL‐related domains correlated with SF‐36 domains (r ranging from ‐0·39 to ‐0·65).
The CLEQoL was found to be a valid and reliable PRO measure for assessing QoL in patients with CLE. Demonstrating that the CLEQoL has strong psychometric properties is an important step towards the development of a disease‐specific PRO measure that future clinical trials can use.
This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
