Personal experiences of health and illness on the web : a resource for patients, carers and health professionals

People are becoming savvier as health consumers when faced with the need to make decisions. They are turning to the internet for both factual and experiential information. DIPEx, an awardwinning, electronic, multi-media resource of personal experiences of health, illness and related issues on the web, addresses this need with evidence-based information alongside video, audio and written interview clips that identify issues that matter to people. The website is freely available 24 hours a day providing support for patients and their families, friends, carers and health professionals from the personal perspective.peer-reviewe

Communicating with Patients about Harms and Risks

Health professionals, says Herxheimer, must share their understanding of the benefits and harms of any treatment with patients and their familie

Ueber Impetigo contagiosa vegetans, zugleich ein Beitrag zur Pathologie des Protoplasmas der Epithelzellen

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Zur Wirkung von Primärem Natriumphosphat auf die Körperliche Leistungsfähigkeit

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Quality information for quality use of medicines; 2nd International Conference, Kazan, 15-16 October 2010

Kazan hosted Russia's first international conference on medicines that was entirely independent of the pharmaceutical industry, attracting 414 participants from 9 countries and 20 regions of the Russian Federation. The meeting was greeted and endorsed by world leaders in pharmaceutical information, policy and regulation. Delegates discussed the professional and social problems arising from unethical drug promotion, including compromised evidence from clinical trials and consequent impairments in health service delivery. The Conference adopted a resolution prioritizing policy development and health system needs, notably including the development of clinical pharmacology. A website documents conference materials and provides an interface for future collaboration: http://evidenceupdate-tatarstan.ru/confer. © 2011 - IOS Press and the authors. All rights reserved

A mechanochemical model of striae distensae

Striae distensae, otherwise known as stretch marks, are common skin lesions found in a variety of clinical settings. They occur frequently during adolescence or pregnancy where there is rapid tissue expansion and in clinical situations associated with corticosteroid excess. Heralding their onset is the appearance of parallel inflammatory streaks aligned perpendicular to the direction of skin tension. Despite a considerable amount of investigative research, the pathogenesis of striae remains obscure. The interpretation of histologic samples – the major investigative tool – demonstrates an association between dermal lymphocytic inflammation, elastolysis, and a scarring response. Yet the primary causal factor in their aetiology is mechanical; either skin stretching due to underlying tissue expansion or, less frequently, a compromised dermis affected by normal loads. In this paper, we investigate the pathogenesis of striae by addressing the coupling between mechanical forces and dermal pathology. We develop a mathematical model that incorporates the mechanical properties of cutaneous fibroblasts and dermal extracellular matrix. By using linear stability analysis and numerical simulations of our governing nonlinear equations, we show that this quantitative approach may provide a realistic framework that may account for the initiating events

Occupational Asthma and Rhinitis Induced by a Herbal Medicine, Wonji (Polygala tenuifolia)

Occupational asthma is induced by many agents, including herbal materials, that are exposed in working places. Although there are a few case reports for occupational allergy induced by herbal materials, there is none for that induced by Wonji (Polygala tenuifolia). This study was conducted to evaluate clinical characteristics and immunologic mechanism of Wonji-induced asthma in a exposed-worker. A patient who complained of asthma and rhinitis symptoms, and who had worked in a herbal manufacturing factory for 8 yr, underwent a skin prick test with crude extract of Wonji under the impression of occupational asthma induced by the agent. The patient had a strong positive response to the extract on the skin prick test. Allergen bronchial challenge to the extract demonstrated a typical dual response. Serum specific IgE level to the extract was higher in the patient than in healthy controls, and ELISA inhibition test revealed complete inhibition of IgE binding with the extract, but no inhibition with Der p 2 or mugwort extracts. Six IgE binding components to the extract (10, 25, 28, 36, 50, and 90 kDa) were detected using SDS-PAGE and immunoblot analysis. These findings suggest that Polygala tenuifolia, a herbal material, can induce IgE-mediated bronchoconstriction in exposed workers

Exposure of bakery and pastry apprentices to airborne flour dust using PM2.5 and PM10 personal samplers

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>This study describes exposure levels of bakery and pastry apprentices to flour dust, a known risk factor of occupational asthma.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Questionnaires on work activity were completed by 286 students. Among them, 34 performed a series of two personal exposure measurements using a PM_2.5and PM₁₀personal sampler during a complete work shift, one during a cold ("winter") period, and the other during a hot ("summer") period.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Bakery apprentices experience greater average PM_2.5and PM₁₀exposures than pastry apprentices (p < 0.006). Exposure values for both particulate fractions are greater in winter (average PM₁₀values among bakers = 1.10 mg.m^-3[standard deviation: 0.83]) than in summer (0.63 mg.m^-3[0.36]). While complying with current European occupational limit values, these exposures exceed the ACGIH recommendations set to prevent sensitization to flour dust (0.5 mg.m^-3). Over half the facilities had no ventilation system.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Young bakery apprentices incur substantial exposure to known airways allergens, a situation that might elicit early induction of airways inflammation.</p