Treatment of Acne Keloidalis Nuchae: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Acne keloidalis nuchae (AKN) is a chronic inflammatory condition that leads to fibrotic plaques, papules and alopecia on the occiput and/or nape of the neck. Traditional medical management focuses on prevention, utilization of oral and topical antibiotics, and intralesional steroids in order to decrease inflammation and secondary infections. Unfortunately, therapy may require months of treatment to achieve incomplete results and recurrences are common. Surgical approach to treatment of lesions is invasive, may require general anesthesia and requires more time to recover. Light and laser therapies offer an alternative treatment for AKN. The present study systematically reviews the currently available literature on the treatment of AKN. While all modalities are discussed, light and laser therapy is emphasized due to its relatively unknown role in clinical management of AKN. The most studied modalities in the literature were the 1064-nm neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser, 810-nm diode laser, and CO(2) laser, which allow for 82–95% improvement in 1–5 sessions. Moreover, side effects were minimal with transient erythema and mild burning being the most common. Overall, further larger-scale randomized head to head control trials are needed to determine optimal treatments

Women at altitude: carbohydrate utilization during exercise at 4,300 m

To evaluate the hypothesis that exposure to high altitude would reduce blood glucose and total carbohydrate utilization relative to sea level (SL), 16 young women were studied over four 12-day periods: at 50% of peak O2 consumption in different menstrual cycle phases (SL-50), at 65% of peak O2 consumption at SL (SL-65), and at 4,300 m (HA). After 10 days in each condition, blood glucose rate of disappearance (Rd) and respiratory exchange ratio were measured at rest and during 45 min of exercise. Glucose Rd during exercise at HA (4.71 ± 0.30 mg ⋅ kg−1 ⋅ min−1) was not different from SL exercise at the same absolute intensity (SL-50 = 5.03 mg ⋅ kg−1 ⋅ min−1) but was lower at the same relative intensity (SL-65 = 6.22 mg ⋅ kg−1 ⋅ min−1, P &lt; 0.01). There were no differences, however, when glucose Rd was corrected for energy expended (kcal/min) during exercise. Respiratory exchange ratios followed the same pattern, except carbohydrate oxidation remained lower (−23.2%, P &lt; 0.01) at HA than at SL when corrected for energy expended. In women, unlike in men, carbohydrate utilization decreased at HA. Relative abundance of estrogen and progesterone in women may partially explain the sex differences in fuel utilization at HA, but subtle differences between menstrual cycle phases at SL had no physiologically relevant effects. </jats:p

Specimen Collection for Translational Studies in Hidradenitis Suppurativa.

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by painful nodules, sinus tracts, and scars occurring predominantly in intertriginous regions. The prevalence of HS is currently 0.053-4%, with a predominance in African-American women and has been linked to low socioeconomic status. The&nbsp;majority of the reported literature is&nbsp; retrospective, population based, epidemiologic studies. In this regard, there is a need to establish a repository of biospecimens, which represent appropriate gender and racial demographics amongst HS patients. These efforts will diminish knowledge gaps in understanding the disease pathophysiology. Hence, we sought to outline a step-by-step protocol detailing how we established our HS biobank to facilitate the formation of other HS tissue banks. Equipping researchers with carefully detailed processes for collection of HS specimens would accelerate the accumulation of well-organized human biological material. Over time, the scientific community will have access to a broad range of HS tissue biospecimens, ultimately leading to more rigorous basic and translational research. Moreover, an improved understanding of the pathophysiology is necessary for the discovery of novel therapies for this debilitating disease. We aim to provide high impact translational research methodology for cutaneous biology research and foster multidisciplinary collaboration and advancement of our understanding of cutaneous diseases

Specimen Collection for Translational Studies in Hidradenitis Suppurativa.

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by painful nodules, sinus tracts, and scars occurring predominantly in intertriginous regions. The prevalence of HS is currently 0.053-4%, with a predominance in African-American women and has been linked to low socioeconomic status. The&nbsp;majority of the reported literature is&nbsp; retrospective, population based, epidemiologic studies. In this regard, there is a need to establish a repository of biospecimens, which represent appropriate gender and racial demographics amongst HS patients. These efforts will diminish knowledge gaps in understanding the disease pathophysiology. Hence, we sought to outline a step-by-step protocol detailing how we established our HS biobank to facilitate the formation of other HS tissue banks. Equipping researchers with carefully detailed processes for collection of HS specimens would accelerate the accumulation of well-organized human biological material. Over time, the scientific community will have access to a broad range of HS tissue biospecimens, ultimately leading to more rigorous basic and translational research. Moreover, an improved understanding of the pathophysiology is necessary for the discovery of novel therapies for this debilitating disease. We aim to provide high impact translational research methodology for cutaneous biology research and foster multidisciplinary collaboration and advancement of our understanding of cutaneous diseases

Are laws the appropriate solution: The need to adopt non-policy measures in aid of the implementation of sex discrimination laws in Nigeria

Gender inequality is a social problem facing women all over the world and is a barrier to human development. The United Nations commits to achieving gender equality and empowering women and girls and have adopted the Sustainable Development Goals to achieve gender equality by 2030. Nigeria, a Member State of the United Nations has ratified international and regional instruments which advocate for the protection and promotion of the rights of women and girls. Though some progress has been made to reduce inequality, discrimination remains a problem to women and is exacerbated by factors such as culture, religion, social practices and discriminatory laws. This study seeks to add to the discourse on gender inequality in Nigeria and examine the effectiveness of available domestic and international provisions against sex discrimination when considered against ingrained cultural attitudes, beliefs and discriminatory laws. The study found that amongst other determinants, culture and religion were constant features in the different forms of discrimination Nigerian women face and they were the primary reasons the proposals to pass gender equality laws were opposed and failed. The study proposes the need to adopt non-policy measures such as education and awareness-raising as additional measures to eliminating discrimination and promoting equalit