Establishing and Prioritising Research Questions for the Treatment of Alopecia Areata: The Alopecia Areata Priority Setting Partnership

BACKGROUND: Alopecia areata is a common hair loss disorder that results in patchy to complete hair loss. Many uncertainties exist around the most effective treatments for this condition. OBJECTIVES: To identify uncertainties in alopecia areata management and treatment that are important to both service users (people with hair loss, carers and relatives) and healthcare professionals. METHODS: An alopecia areata priority setting partnership was established between patients, their carers and relatives, and healthcare professionals to identify the most important uncertainties in alopecia areata. The methodology of the James Lind Alliance was followed to ensure a balanced, inclusive and transparent process. RESULTS: In total 2747 treatment uncertainties were submitted by 912 participants, of which 1012 uncertainties relating to alopecia areata (and variants) were analyzed. Questions were combined into "indicative uncertainties" following a structured format. A series of ranking exercises further reduced this list to a top 25 that were taken to a final prioritization workshop where the top 10 priorities were agreed. CONCLUSIONS: We present the top 10 research priorities for alopecia areata to guide researchers and funding bodies to support studies important to both patients and clinicians. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Clinical outcomes and response to treatment of patients receiving topical treatments for pyoderma gangrenosum: a prospective cohort study

Background: pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is an uncommon dermatosis with a limited evidence base for treatment. Objective: to estimate the effectiveness of topical therapies in the treatment of PG. Methods: prospective cohort study of UK secondary care patients with a clinical diagnosis of PG suitable for topical treatment (recruited July 2009 to June 2012). Participants received topical therapy following normal clinical practice (mainly Class I-III topical corticosteroids, tacrolimus 0.03% or 0.1%). Primary outcome: speed of healing at 6 weeks. Secondary outcomes: proportion healed by 6 months; time to healing; global assessment; inflammation; pain; quality-of-life; treatment failure and recurrence. Results: Sixty-six patients (22 to 85 years) were enrolled. Clobetasol propionate 0.05% was the most commonly prescribed therapy. Overall, 28/66 (43.8%) of ulcers healed by 6 months. Median time-to-healing was 145 days (95% CI: 96 days, ∞). Initial ulcer size was a significant predictor of time-to-healing (hazard ratio 0.94 (0.88;80 1.00); p = 0.043). Four patients (15%) had a recurrence. Limitations: No randomised comparator Conclusion: Topical therapy is potentially an effective first-line treatment for PG that avoids possible side effects associated with systemic therapy. It remains unclear whether more severe disease will respond adequately to topical therapy alone

Dendroflora parkow i zadrzewien przyulicznych w Nowej Soli [wojewodztwo lubuskie]

The paper describes the current state of dendroflora of parks and tree lines along roads in the town of Nowa Sól (W. Poland). In total, 62 species and varieties of trees and shrubs of 28 families were recorded during the study. Most of the species are angiosperms, while gymnosperms are represented only by eight taxa of four families. In the town, 29 trees are protected as nature monuments, although 39 trees have reached monumental dimensions. The dendroflora of Nowa Sól is dominated by native species

Genetic variation of the relict and endangered population of Chamaedaphne calyculata (Ericaceae) in Poland

Chamaedaphne calyculata is rare and endangerded species of Polish flora. The genetic variation within and among ten polish population of leatherleaf was analysed by ISSR and ISJ markers. The analysis revealed a total of 160loci with an average of 13.3 bands per primer. We expected a low level of genetic diversity of this narrowly distributed species in Poland, but our results indicate that Ch. calyculata revealed a high level of genetic diversity at species level (P=88.7%of polymorphic loci, AE=1.468, HE=0.290). At the population level, the variation of Ch. calyculata was significantly lower (P=27.6%, AE=1.140, HE=0.098). There was significant correlation between ecological properties (population size; number of flowering ramets) and genetic diversity parameters. Analysis of molecular variance showed that most of variation (62%) in Ch. calyculata occurred among population. Gene flow (Nm) between the ten studied populations, determined based on the GST index, was very low at 0.239. It indicated that the fragmentation and isolation of populations might result from specific evolutionary history of this plant and postglacial recolonizatio

Jakosc sensoryczna rynkowych sokow jablkowych i pomaranczowych

Przeprowadzono analizę profilową jakości sensorycznej 25 soków jabłkowych i 27 soków pomarańczowych różnych producentów, dostępnych na rynku w styczniu 2001 r. Stwierdzono znaczne zróżnicowanie zarówno jakości ogólnej, jak i wiodących jej wyróżników (zarówno pozytywnych, jak i negatywnych) w obu rodzajach soków. Normatywne wskaźniki jakości soków, ekstrakt i kwasowość, nie wykazały wyraźnej zależności z ogólną jakością sensoryczną. W sokach jabłkowych (opakowania 1 1) nie stwierdzono różnic w ich charakterystyce sensorycznej, uzasadniających różnice cenowe; natomiast soki pomarańczowe wyższej grupy cenowej (>3 zł/l) wykazały wyraźnie wyższą i bardziej wyrównaną jakość sensoryczną.25 apple and 27 orange juices of various brands available on the Polish market in January 2001 were analysed for their sensory characteristics using sensory profiling method (QDA). Remarkable differences in overall quality as well in key attributes (positive and negative ones) have been observed in both kinds of juice. Sensory quality did not show a relationship with normative quality indices as extract and acidity. In apple juices there were no differences in sensory characteristics observed justifying differences between their lower and upper price class, whereas orange juices belonging to upper price class (>3PLN/l) had definitely higher and more uniform sensory quality

Establishing and Prioritising Research Questions for the Treatment of Alopecia Areata: The Alopecia Areata Priority Setting Partnership.

BACKGROUND Alopecia areata is a common hair loss disorder that results in patchy to complete hair loss. Many uncertainties exist around the most effective treatments for this condition. OBJECTIVES To identify uncertainties in alopecia areata management and treatment that are important to both service users (people with hair loss, carers and relatives) and healthcare professionals. METHODS An alopecia areata priority setting partnership was established between patients, their carers and relatives, and healthcare professionals to identify the most important uncertainties in alopecia areata. The methodology of the James Lind Alliance was followed to ensure a balanced, inclusive and transparent process. RESULTS In total 2747 treatment uncertainties were submitted by 912 participants, of which 1012 uncertainties relating to alopecia areata (and variants) were analyzed. Questions were combined into "indicative uncertainties" following a structured format. A series of ranking exercises further reduced this list to a top 25 that were taken to a final prioritization workshop where the top 10 priorities were agreed. CONCLUSIONS We present the top 10 research priorities for alopecia areata to guide researchers and funding bodies to support studies important to both patients and clinicians. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Luonnonhoitohankkeella kunnostettujen lähteiden ennallistuminen

Opinnäytetyössä tutkittiin, miten Pohjois-Karjalan metsäkeskuksen vuonna 2004 Pienvesiluonnon hoitohankkeella kunnostamat lähteet olivat ennallistuneet. Hankkeet ovat lyhytaikaisia, joten myöhempää jälkitarkastusta ei ehditä tekemään hankkeen aikana. Lähteistä kerättiin tietoja maastoinventointina. Tarkasteltavina asioina olivat lähteen sijainti, kunnostusmenetelmät ja niiden vaikutukset, lähdeallas ja myöhemmät metsänhoidolliset toimenpiteet. Lähteistä saatuja tietoja vertailtiin keskenään. Lähteiden varjostus oli keskimäärin huonontunut avohakkuiden ja myrskytuhojen takia, koska niiden myötä lähteitä varjostavia puita oli vähemmän. Vanhojen rakenteiden, kuten kaivonrenkaiden, poisto oli onnistunut hyvin. Kunnostuksen yhteydessä tehdyistä rakenteista 80 prosenttia oli täysin toimivia. Kunnostettujen lähteiden ennallistumisen seurannan helpottamiseksi lähteiltä tulisi kerätä tarkat tiedot ennen kunnostusta. Ennallistumista voitaisiin seurata omalla hankkeella tai metsäsuunnittelun yhteydessä.The purpose of this study was to investigate the recovery of the springs restored in a nature management project conducted by the Forest Centre of North Karelia in the year 2004. Projects of this nature are short-term and it is therefore necessary to monitor their effects. The data for this study was collected from all the springs restored in the nature management project. The location of the spring, restoration methods and their results, the spring pool as well as the forest management performed after the restoration were observed. The data were then analyzed. On average, the shading of the springs had worsened due to clear-cutting and storm damage, and there were thus fewer trees to cover the springs. Removal of old structures such as well rings had succeeded well. 80 per cent of the structures constructed in the restoration were fully functional. Detailed information on the springs should be collected before restoration to facilitate the monitoring of restored springs. The recovery could also be monitored in a separate project or within forest planning