Controversies in dermatology: Part V.

“It were not best that we should all think alike; it is difference of opinion that makes horse-races” Mark Twain (Samuel L. Clemens) in The Tragedy of Pudd’nead Wilson, Ch. 19, “Pudd’nead Wilson’s Calendar”. Part V of Controversies in Dermatology continues the precedent of earlier issues by providing a platform for discussion of a broad range of contemporary and controversial issues. In this issue of Clinics in Dermatology, we will forego the temptation to expose hidden agendas and witches brews, rather, we shall focus on accepted beliefs, principles, doctrines, and paradigms, which you may find even more astonishing

Barrier-repair prescription moisturizers: Do we really need them? Facts and controversies.

There is now scientific evidence of genetically driven skin-barrier anomalies in atopic patients. These barrier anomalies facilitate sustained antigen ingress through the defective barrier, which can bring about a Th2-dominant response. It enhances the transepidermal water loss, resulting in dry skin and leading to the release of preformed proinflammatory cytokines and to a cascade of events ending up in inflammation

Quinine sulfate and bacterial invasion

BACKGROUND: As many patients who receive antimalarial drugs for treatment of noninfectious, inflammatory diseases are also immunosuppressed and might have a concomitant bacterial infection, we studied the effectiveness of these drugs against bacterial infections, to find out whether they could protect against (and even treat) such conditions and obviate the need for an additional antibiotic drug. METHODS: Effect of QS on bacterial growth: Escherichia coli (E. coli) HB101 pRI203 were cultured overnight at 37°C in TSB and inoculated (approx 1 × 10(7) cells /ml) in MEM in the presence of QS at various concentrations (0, 50 and 100 μM). The effect of QS at concentration of 50 and 100 μM on the entry process of E. coli HB101 pRI203 into HeLa cells was studied under different experimental conditions: 1. QS was incubated with 3 × 10(5) HeLa cells for 60 min at 37°C prior to infection. 2. QS was added to HeLa cell monolayers during the infection period. RESULTS: QS showed no antibacterial activity after 24 h of incubation. The invasive efficiency of the bacteria was significantly inhibited at a dose-dependent manner, when QS was added to HeLa cells for 60 min at 37°C prior to infection (condition 1), and to a lesser extent when added during the period of infection (condition 2). CONCLUSIONS: Although the antimalarials are generally regarded as being inactive against most extracellular bacterial species, our results indicate that QS significantly inhibited the internalization/invasion efficacy of E. coli in the host cells

Home as a base for a Well-Lived Life: Comparing the capabilities of homeless service users in housing first and the staircase of transition in Europe

Nussbaum’s Central Capabilities refer to the elements of a well-lived life, and many adults who experience homelessness are deprived of these capabilities. The study aim was to investigate whether service users experience different homeless services as affording or constraining capabilities. We conducted semi-structured interviews with homeless service users (n = 77) in Housing First (HF) and staircase services (SS) in eight European countries. We used thematic analysis to identify three themes: autonomy and dependency, the relational impact of living arrangements, and community interaction and stigma. While SS participants were able to address their bodily integrity and health, their higherorder capabilities were constrained by their homeless situations. HF participants described home as a base from which they could enact a wide range of capabilities indicative of a well-lived life. We conclude that housing-led service models with appropriate supports are key to affording service users’ capabilities. Practical and policy implications are discussed.Orizoninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio