Acne

Acne vulgaris is a common skin condition with a high prevalence in teenagers and young adults. It is a condition of the pilosebaceous follicles, resulting in comedones, papules, pustules or nodules which occur primarily on the face, but which may also present on other areas of the body. Although acne is not physically disabling, its psychological impact is highly significant, contributing to low self-esteem, depression and anxiety. As a result, there is a significant demand for effective acne therapies.Keywords: acne, topical retinoids, topical antibiotics, oral antibiotics, oral isotretinoin, hormonal treatmen

The Effects of Group Selection on the Characteristics and Use of Cavity Trees and Snags

I studied the effects of group selection tree harvest on the availability, composition, and use of cavity trees, snags and cavities in the Ozark Mountains of northwestern Arkansas. Sixteen plots dominated by oaks and hickories that were 70-102 years old were surveyed prior to harvest. Tree species, diameter, height and number of visible cavities were recorded. In addition, 192 cavity trees were marked for wildlife observations during the summer and winter. Subsequently, plots were harvested by commercial contractors to either 15 or 19 m2/ha basal area, using either free or structural control thinning methods. A complete survey of all trees was taken after harvest, and observations of wildlife were conducted again. Prior to harvest, plots averaged 12.2/ha cavity trees, 25.2/ha snags, and 94.3/ha cavities. Cavity trees, snags and cavities declined significantly (P\u3c0.001). after cutting to 4.6/ha, 5.3/ha, and 45.5/ha, respectively. The composition and dbh of cavity trees were not changed by harvest; however, mean height was lower following harvest. The extent of thinning (15 m2 vs. 19 m2) did not affect the density of cavity trees, snags, or cavities. Similiarly, the method used to thin stands (free versus structural control) did not affect the number of cavity trees or cavities remaining; however, the thinning method did affect snag density with fewer snags, using the structural control method. Wildlife use of marked trees during summer declined after harvest. This is probably due to surveys being conducted shortly after logging, which affects use by recent distrubance. However, winter use increased after cutting, probably because the few cavity trees left after harvest were marked and observances occurred months after initial disturbance. Dbh was the only significant factor influencing use by wildlife both before and after cutting. Blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica), red oak (Quercus rubra), and black walnut (Juglans nigra) were used most frequently and tended to be the most cavity-prone trees

Making the most out of the past: Retrieving and archiving old records of the Innu language

In a situation of language endangerment, communities express a strong need for the documentation and preservation of their language which is increasingly threatened as the older generations of monolinguals pass away. This paper presents the documentation project of Innu, an endangered Algonquian language spoken by roughly 13,000 people in 11 communities spread out over Northeastern Quebec and Labrador in Canada. It will specifically address the issues related to retrieving and converting a large body of existing linguistic materials into digital format, and making old language records available for the benefit of the people in their efforts of revitalization. Since the beginning of the 20th century, hydroelectric, mining and forestry projects are undertaken on the ancestral lands of the Innus. Many of these projects were carried out without their consent. However, since the late seventies, strategies for successful negotiations with government and private developers include discussions with the Innus to ensure a constructive dialogue with the province's economic development partners. Innu Elders play a critical role in these exercises by providing traditional ecological knowledge, e.g. about waterways, and documenting where people hunt, fish, trap, gather and camp. The outcome of these surveys constitutes precious information about the Innu culture, traditions, as well as language, since many of the Elders were monolinguals. As an illustration, in the early eighties, the Attikamek-Innu Council led a major investigation on territorial use and occupancy. The collected material comprises the testimony of more than 400 Innus and over one thousand hours of recordings. This documentation and all other existing analog records are precious for the collective memory and history of the Innu communities, and need to be located, retrieved, digitalised, and archived for the long-term sustainability of the language. We undertook this enterprise in partnership with the Innu Cultural Institute. With the constitution of an archive comprising old records and original materials, the Innu language documentation project aims to make an important contribution to the ongoing developments in language documentation research and a major step in building a valuable tool for language maintenance and revitalization

Circadian Activity of Topical 0.05% Betamethasone Dipropionate in Human Skin In Vivo

The influence of treatment duration, vehicle, and time of day of application on topical 0.05% betamethasone dipropionate uptake into human stratum corneum and the resulting skin- blanching response was investigated in human subjects. Drug uptake into stratum corneum and the resulting skin color changes measured with a chromameter demonstrate an equilibrium delay. Maximal drug uptake occurred at 2 h, whereas maximal skin color changes occurred 6h after a single application. Extent of decreased skin color was dependent on vehicle, treatment duration, and time of day of application. Time of maximal decreased skin color occurred at midnight independent of vehicle, treatment duration, or time of day of application. This time of maximal drug activity coincides with the well-known time period of lowest circulating cortisol concentrations (2000-0400 h). Application of a single 2- or 6-h dose of the 0.05% cream at 1600h produced more extensive and prolonged changes in skin color over 24h than a 0900-h application in the same subject. These data demonstrate that the extent and duration of topical corticosteroid activity in human skin is influenced by vehicle, treatment duration, and time of day of application. The prolonged changes in skin color measured with a single dose applied at 1600h suggest that a once-a-day dosing regimen in the late afternoon may be sufficient for dermatologic therapy. Elucidation of these circadian responses with topical corticosteroids may provide a rational basis for the future re-evaluation of the appropriate therapeutic regimen with this class of drugs in dermatologic medicine

Critical Thinking in Occupational Therapy Education: A Systematic Mapping Review

Critical thinking is a component of occupational therapy education that is often intertwined with professional reasoning, even though it is a distinct construct. While other professions have focused on describing and studying the disciplinary-specific importance of critical thinking, the small body of literature in occupational therapy education on critical thinking has not been systematically analyzed. Therefore, a systematic mapping review was conducted to examine, describe, and map existing scholarly work about critical thinking in occupational therapy education. Inclusion/exclusion criteria were set, database searches conducted, and 63 articles identified that met criteria for full review based on their abstracts. Thirty-five articles were excluded during full review, leaving 28 articles for analysis and coding using a data extraction tool. Eleven articles (39%) had a primary focus of critical thinking, and of those 11 articles, the majority were about instructional methods. Qualitative inquiry (n = 9) was the most frequently used method to examine critical thinking among the study full sample (N = 28). Four themes emerged: 1) critical thinking is a process with varied outcomes; 2) learner aptitude is essential for developing critical thinking; 3) critical thinking can be facilitated through various methods; and 4) critical thinking underpins other important constructs in occupational therapy. Needs that were identified were that critical thinking is best intentionally threaded across a curriculum with outcomes in mind; and more studies examining critical thinking in occupational therapy education, employing diverse designs, are needed

Complications in the first 5 years following cataract surgery in infants with and without intraocular lens implantation in the Infant Aphakia Treatment Study

PURPOSE: To compare rates and severity of complications between infants undergoing cataract surgery with and without intraocular lens (IOL) implantation. DESIGN: Prospective randomized clinical trial. METHODS: A total of 114 infants were enrolled in the Infant Aphakia Treatment Study, a randomized, multi-center (12) clinical trial comparing the treatment of unilateral aphakia in patients under 7 months of age with a primary IOL implant or contact lens. The rate, character, and severity of intraoperative complications, adverse events, and additional intraocular surgeries during the first 5 postoperative years in the 2 groups were examined. RESULTS: There were more patients with intraoperative complications (28% vs 11%, P = .031), adverse events (81% vs 56%, P = .008), and more additional intraocular surgeries (72% vs 16%, P < .0001) in the IOL group than in the contact lens group. However, the number of patients with adverse events in the contact lens group increased (15 to 24) in postoperative years 2-5 compared to the first postoperative year, while it decreased (44 to 14) in years 2-5 compared to the first postoperative year in the IOL group. If only one half of the patients in the contact lens (aphakic) group eventually undergo secondary IOL implantation, the number of additional intraocular surgeries in the 2 groups will be approximately equal. CONCLUSION: The increased rate of complications, adverse events, and additional intraocular surgeries associated with IOL implantation in infants <7 months of age militates toward leaving babies aphakic if it is considered likely that the family will be successful with contact lens correction

Novel design and controls for focused DNA microarrays: applications in quality assurance/control and normalization for the Health Canada ToxArray™

BACKGROUND: Microarray normalizations typically apply methods that assume absence of global transcript shifts, or absence of changes in internal control features such as housekeeping genes. These normalization approaches are not appropriate for focused arrays with small sets of genes where a large portion may be expected to change. Furthermore, many microarrays lack control features that can be used for quality assurance (QA). Here, we describe a novel external control series integrated with a design feature that addresses the above issues. RESULTS: An EC dilution series that involves spike-in of a single concentration of the A. thaliana chlorophyll synthase gene to hybridize against spotted dilutions (0.000015 to 100 μM) of a single complimentary oligonucleotide representing the gene was developed. The EC series is printed in duplicate within each subgrid of the microarray and covers the full range of signal intensities from background to saturation. The design and placement of the series allows for QA examination of frequently encountered problems in hybridization (e.g., uneven hybridizations) and printing (e.g., cross-spot contamination). Additionally, we demonstrate that the series can be integrated with a LOWESS normalization to improve the detection of differential gene expression (improved sensitivity and predictivity) over LOWESS normalization on its own. CONCLUSION: The quality of microarray experiments and the normalization methods used affect the ability to measure accurate changes in gene expression. Novel methods are required for normalization of small focused microarrays, and for incorporating measures of performance and quality. We demonstrate that dilution of oligonucleotides on the microarray itself provides an innovative approach allowing the full dynamic range of the scanner to be covered with a single gene spike-in. The dilution series can be used in a composite normalization to improve detection of differential gene expression and to provide quality control measures

A primate model of severe malarial anaemia: a comparative pathogenesis study.

Severe malarial anaemia (SMA) is the most common life-threatening complication of Plasmodium falciparum infection in African children. SMA is characterised by haemolysis and inadequate erythropoiesis, and is associated with dysregulated inflammatory responses and reduced complement regulatory protein levels (including CD35). However, a deeper mechanistic understanding of the pathogenesis requires improved animal models. In this comparative study of two closely related macaque species, we interrogated potential causal factors for their differential and temporal relationships to onset of SMA. We found that rhesus macaques inoculated with blood-stage Plasmodium coatneyi developed SMA within 2 weeks, with no other severe outcomes, whereas infected cynomolgus macaques experienced only mild/ moderate anaemia. The abrupt drop in haematocrit in rhesus was accompanied by consumption of haptoglobin (haemolysis) and poor reticulocyte production. Rhesus developed a greater inflammatory response than cynomolgus macaques, and had lower baseline levels of CD35 on red blood cells (RBCs) leading to a significant reduction in the proportion of CD35+ RBCs during infection. Overall, severe anaemia in rhesus macaques infected with P. coatneyi has similar features to SMA in children. Our comparisons are consistent with an association of low baseline CD35 levels on RBCs and of early inflammatory responses with the pathogenesis of SMA