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Τρίτη 16 Οκτωβρίου 2018

The colors of biotechnology: general overview and developments of white, green and blue areas

Abstract
Biotechnology is responsible for the manipulation of living organisms or their components for the production of products that are of benefit to human kind. Due to the wide range of applications, colors have been used to differentiate the main areas of research, such as white (industrial), green (agricultural) and blue (marine and fresh-water), among others. Thus, this review outlines the impacts of these areas of biotechnology, emphasizing their impact and potential to replace carbon-based technologies with more sustainable technologies.

The Smallest Intestine (TSI)—a low volume in vitro model of the small intestine with increased throughput

Abstract
There is a growing interest in understanding the fate and behaviour of probiotic microorganisms and bioactive compounds during passage of the human gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Here, we report the development of a small volume in vitro model called The smallest Intestine (TSI) with increased throughput focusing on simulating passage through the stomach and small intestine (SI). The basic TSI module consists of five reactors, with a working volume of 12 ml each. During the simulated passage through the SI, bile is absorbed and pH is adjusted to physiologically relevant values for duodenum, jejunum and ileum. A consortium of seven representative bacterial members of the ileum microbiota is included in the ileal stage of the model. The behaviour of three putative probiotic Lactobacillus strains during in vitro simulated upper GIT passage was tested in the model and results were compared to previous studies describing probiotic survival. It was found, that probiotic persistence is strongly related to whether food was ingested, but also to presence of the ileal microbiota, which significantly impacted probiotic survival. In conclusion, TSI allows testing a substantial number of samples, at low cost and short time, and is thus suitable as an in vitro screening platform.

Effects of topical 0.8% piroxicam and 50+ sunscreen filters on actinic keratosis in hypertensive patients treated with or without photosensitizing diuretic drugs: an observational cohort study



Assessment of community pharmacy professionals’ knowledge and counseling skills achievement towards headache management: a cross-sectional and simulated-client based mixed study

Headache is one of the most common disabling medical condition affecting over 40% of adults globally. Many patients with headache prefer to alleviate their symptom with a range of over-the-counter analgesics t...

Determinants of Fasting Hyperglucagonemia in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Nondiabetic Control Subjects

Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders, Ahead of Print.


Acute Physical Effort Increases Sympathovagal Balance Responses to Autonomic Stimulation in Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders, Ahead of Print.


Absence of efficacy of everolimus in neurofibromatosis 1-related plexiform neurofibromas: results from a phase IIa trial



Continuous Negative Pressure Drain is Associated with Better Outcome: A Randomized Prospective Trial in Plastic Surgery Patients

Abstract

Background

A randomized prospective trial to compare the effects on minimizing complications using continuous negative pressure drain and intermittent suction mode in plastic surgeries.

Methods

There were 174 cases of stage II post-auricular flap expansion and ear reconstruction, 76 cases of skin expansion flap repair, 56 cases of breast augmentation surgery, 58 cases of abdominoplasty, and 76 cases with free skin grafts. Patients were randomized to intermittent suction mode group (control group) and continuous negative pressure external drain group (intervention group) stratified by surgery types. In the intervention group, different pressure levels were applied according to the surgery types. The drainage volume, the length of time of external drainage, incidence of seroma, flap necrosis, the first intending healing rate and drain-associated bleeding were recorded and compared.

Results

Generally, fewer complications and better healing were observed in the intervention group. In patients with stage II post-auricular flap expansion and ear reconstruction, lower incidence of flap necrosis and seroma, higher first intention healing rate, greater drain volume but shorter time of drainage were observed in the intervention group (p < 0.05 for all). Similar results were shown in patients with skin expansion flap repair, breast augmentation, abdominoplasty, and free skin grafts. In patients who underwent free skin grafts, a higher graft success rate and lower graft infection rate were also observed (p < 0.01 for both). No drain-associated bleeding was observed.

Conclusions

A continuous negative pressure drain was associated with better outcomes in patients underwent various plastic surgeries and is a powerful technique in the postoperative management of plastic surgery.

Level of Evidence II

This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.



Chinese Facial Beauty Preference



Synkinesis Between Orbicularis Oculi and Procerus Muscles: Video Presentation of an Unusual Type of Aberrant Innervation after Cosmetic Rhinoplasty

Abstract

Background

Synkinesis is a recognized complication following peripheral facial nerve paralysis. Different types of synkinesis have been described, with oral–ocular and ocular–oral synkinesis being the most common. Ocular–nasal synkinesis has been reported in two patients following cosmetic rhinoplasty. However, synkinesis between the orbicularis oculi and procerus muscles has not been reported by now.

Methods

This is an interventional case report.

Results

Two women, aged 42 and 37 years, presented with unilateral contraction of the medial eyebrow muscles (procerus) with spontaneous or voluntary blinking, 4 and 5 months after cosmetic rhinoplasty, respectively. Both were successfully treated with injection of botulinum toxin A.

Conclusions

Surgical trauma is inevitable during every procedure, including rhinoplasty, and may damage the fine structures including branches of the facial nerve innervating the muscles. Gentle tissue handling may minimize iatrogenic injury to the fine motor branches of the facial nerve and prevent subsequent aberrant innervation and synkinesis. Botulinum toxin A injection can effectively, yet temporarily, resolve the unintentional contractions and provide significant patient comfort.

Level of Evidence V

This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these evidence-based medicine ratings, please refer to the table of contents or the online instructions to authors www.springer.com/00266.



Problems and Solutions for Platelet-Rich Plasma in Facial Rejuvenation: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background

In recent years, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been widely applied in orthopedics, maxillofacial surgery, burns, and plastic surgery, especially in facial rejuvenation. Research is ongoing into new indications and mechanisms of PRP to promote its wider, safer, and more effective use in the clinic. This article reviews the possible mechanisms of PRP in facial rejuvenation and related research. It is expected that the application of PRP in this field will increase.

Methods

The use of PRP in facial rejuvenation was screened using inclusion and exclusion criteria. The relevant articles were searched through Pubmed digest database, SCI full-text database, ScienceDirect full-text database, and the CNKI full-text database. The different effects and limitations of PRP were extracted.

Results

A total of 108 articles were obtained, including 18 articles researching PRP in cells, 10 articles on animal research using PRP, 16 articles on the clinical study of PRP, 24 articles involving signs of skin aging, and four articles on the limitations of PRP. The remaining articles were related to the preparation of PRP, the introduction of PRP, and other aspects.

Conclusion

Based on in vitro and in vivo research, PRP may play a role in promoting tissue regeneration, oxidative stress and revascularization, which form the theoretical basis for the use of PRP in the clinical treatment of facial rejuvenation.

Level of Evidence III

This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.



Barrett’s esophagus is negatively associated with eosinophilic esophagitis in Japanese subjects

Abstract

Background

Although both eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) and Barrett's esophagus (BE) are considered to be associated with T helper (Th) 2-mediated immune responses, the association between EoE and BE is unclear. We investigated the clinical relationship between EoE and BE.

Methods

We conducted a single-center retrospective observational study. The study included 95 patients with EoE and randomly selected age- and sex-matched controls who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy during a medical health check-up at Osaka City University in a ratio of 1:2 for comparison. We compared the clinical characteristics and the prevalence rate of BE, reflux esophagitis (RE), hiatal hernia, and atrophic gastritis between EoE patients and controls by univariate analysis. Furthermore, we performed multivariate logistic regression analysis to investigate the association of these factors with EoE.

Results

On univariate analysis, the prevalence rate of BE was significantly lower in patients with EoE than in controls (2.1% vs. 13.2%; p = 0.00528). In contrast, the prevalence rate of RE was higher in EoE patients than in controls, but it was not statistically significant (absence and Grades A, B, and C: 74.7%, 18.9%, 5.3%, and 1.1% vs. 83.7%, 12.6%, 3.7%, and 0%; p = 0.193, respectively). Multivariate analysis showed that BE was negatively associated with EoE (odds ratio: 0.132; 95% confidence interval: 0.0302–0.573; p = 0.00686).

Conclusions

BE is negatively associated with EoE in Japanese subjects. The mechanism behind the inverse relationship between EoE and BE should be examined.



EPSA17: Selected papers from the biannual conference in Exeter



The effects of melatonin supplementation in adjunct with non-surgical periodontal therapy on periodontal status, serum melatonin and inflammatory markers in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with chronic periodontitis: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Abstract

Background

Diabetes mellitus (DM) and periodontitis are two common chronic diseases with bidirectional relationship. Oxidative stress plays a key role in the pathogenesis of these two diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of melatonin supplementation in adjunct with non-surgical periodontal therapy on periodontal status, serum melatonin and inflammatory markers in type 2 DM patients with chronic periodontitis (CP).

Materials and methods

In this double-blind clinical trial study, 50 type 2 DM patients with CP were randomly allocated to the intervention and control groups. The intervention and control groups received either 6 mg melatonin or placebo (2 tablets) once a day. Serum levels of melatonin, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), hs-C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), clinical attachment loss (CAL), pocket depth (PD), bleeding on probing (BOP) and plaque index were evaluated in all subjects pre- and post-intervention.

Results

Melatonin supplementation significantly increased the mean serum levels of melatonin after intervention. The mean changes of melatonin were significantly higher in intervention group compared with control group. IL-6 and hs-CRP levels were significantly (p = 0.008 and p = 0.017, respectively) reduced in the intervention group. The mean changes of IL-6 were significantly lower in the intervention group compared with the control group (p = 0.04). In the intervention group, PD and CAL were significantly decreased after intervention (p < 0.001). There were significant differences in the mean change of PD and CAL between the intervention and control groups after intervention (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Melatonin supplementation in adjunct with non-surgical periodontal therapy might improve inflammatory and periodontal status in T2DM with CP.



Association of hereditary angioedema type 1 with developmental anomalies due to a large and unusual de novo pericentromeric rearrangement of chromosome 11 spanning the entire C1 inhibitor gene (SERPING1)

Publication date: Available online 16 October 2018

Source: The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice

Author(s): Ebo Didier G, Blaumeiser Bettina, Kooy R. Frank, Beckers Sigri, Van Gasse Athina L, Saerens Michael, Spinhoven Maarten, Sabato Vito, Poirel Hélène A



Identification of the Fraction of Indolent Tumors and Associated Overdiagnosis in Breast Cancer Screening Trials

Abstract
It is generally accepted that some screen-detected breast cancers are overdiagnosed and would not progress to symptomatic cancer if left untreated. However, precise estimates of the fraction of non-progressive cancers remain elusive. In recognition of the weaknesses of overdiagnosis estimation methods based on excess incidence, there is a need for model-based approaches that accommodate non-progressive lesions. Here, we present an in-depth analysis of a generalized breast cancer natural history model that allows for a mixture of progressive and indolent lesions. We provide a formal proof of global structural identifiability of the model and use simulation to identify conditions that allow for parameter estimates that are sufficiently precise and practically actionable. We show that clinical follow-up after the last screen can play a critical role in ensuring adequately precise identification of the fraction of indolent cancers in a stop-screen trial design, and we demonstrate that model misspecification can lead to substantially biased mean sojourn time estimates. Finally, we illustrate our findings on the example of the Canadian National Breast Screening Study-2 and show that the fraction of indolent cancers is not precisely identifiable. Our findings provide the foundation for extended models that account for both in situ and invasive lesions.

Myocardial Imaging with CMR Parametric Mapping: Clinical Applications

Abstract

Purpose of Review

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) parametric mapping techniques enable the direct visualization and quantification of changes in myocardial T1, T2, T2* relaxation times and extracellular volume fraction. Recent updates on clinical applications of CMR parametric mapping techniques are reviewed in this article.

Recent Findings

CMR parametric mapping techniques are useful in the evaluation of multiple conditions, including iron overload, amyloid infiltration, glycosphingolipid accumulation, myocardial edema, and fibrosis. An advantage of parametric mapping over conventional tissue characterization sequences is that these techniques are quantitative, allowing for standardization of measurements and assessment of longitudinal changes over time. Parametric mapping techniques are useful in clinical practice, including aiding in establishing a diagnosis, monitoring disease progression, evaluating response to therapy, and informing prognosis.

Summary

This article provides a summary of the existing evidence for the clinical application of cardiac parametric mapping techniques.



Increasing Frequency and Share of Dermatologic Procedures Billed by Non-Physician Clinicians from 2012-2016

Publication date: Available online 15 October 2018

Source: Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology

Author(s): Andrew T. Rogers, Ge Bai, Manisha J. Loss, Gerard F. Anderson



Carcinoma en escroto de células escamosas gigantes productor de factor estimulante de colonias de granulocitos (G-CSF)

Publication date: Available online 15 October 2018

Source: Actas Dermo-Sifiliográficas

Author(s): M. Takako, K. Yasunobu, Y. Toshiyuki



Issue Information

Mycoses, Volume 61, Issue 11, Page 791-793, November 2018.


Cover Image

Mycoses, Volume 61, Issue 11, Page i-i, November 2018.


The importance of ethics in dermatopathology: a fellow’s perspective

Journal of Cutaneous Pathology, Volume 0, Issue ja, -Not available-.


Erratum

Clinical &Experimental Immunology, EarlyView.


Issue Information

Dermatologic Therapy, Volume 31, Issue 5, September/October 2018.


Allergic contact dermatitis to slime: The epidemic of isothiazolinone allergy encompasses school glue

Pediatric Dermatology, EarlyView.


Multifocal congenital pyogenic granuloma successfully treated with oral propranolol

Pediatric Dermatology, EarlyView.


Solitary plaque on the leg of a child: A report of two cases and a brief review of acral pseudolymphomatous angiokeratoma of children and unilesional mycosis fungoides

Pediatric Dermatology, EarlyView.


Infantile hemangiomas with minimal or arrested growth: A retrospective case series

Pediatric Dermatology, EarlyView.


Prescribing isotretinoin for transgender youth: A pledge for more inclusive care

Pediatric Dermatology, EarlyView.


The readability, suitability, and content features of eczema action plans in the United States

Pediatric Dermatology, EarlyView.


Congenital tufted angioma: A multicenter retrospective study of 30 cases

Pediatric Dermatology, EarlyView.


Pediatric dermatology workforce in the United States

Pediatric Dermatology, EarlyView.


Recalcitrant alopecia areata responsive to leflunomide and anthralin—Potentially undiscovered JAK/STAT inhibitors?

Pediatric Dermatology, EarlyView.


Does laser therapy improve the wound healing process after tooth extraction? ‐ A systematic review

Wound Repair and Regeneration, Volume 0, Issue ja, -Not available-.


Electrical stimulation disrupts biofilms in a human wound model and reveals the potential for monitoring treatment response with volatile biomarkers

Wound Repair and Regeneration, Volume 0, Issue ja, -Not available-.


Incidence and death rate of pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus in Korea: A nationwide, population‐based study (2006–2015)

The Journal of Dermatology, EarlyView.


Scabies herpeticum, an emerging clinical form of crusted scabies in AIDS patient: case report and literature review

International Journal of Dermatology, EarlyView.


Antimicrobial peptides activity in the skin

Skin Research and Technology, EarlyView.


Interactive thermal tissue reactions of 7‐MHz intense focused ultrasound and 1‐MHz and 6‐MHz radiofrequency on cadaveric skin

Skin Research and Technology, EarlyView.


Genetic polymorphism analysis of patients with primary hyperhidrosis